Sunday, June 14, 2020

Alma 46:11-13 -- On Anger and Prayer

"And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.
And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land."
Alma 46:11-13


This is Captain Moroni's reaction to a political mess in his own country that threatened their freedom (Amalickiah was trying to get his followers to make him a king), after he had fought for it so hard against the Lamanites, and then he uses the flag that he made to drum up support to stand against the dissenters.  Amalickiah, when he finds that he can't force the nation to make him king, takes his followers to go join the Lamanites.

I really like the underlying idea here that when we see things going wrong, we need to join together to uphold the cause of God... but even more, I love that Moroni got angry and made his banner, and then prayed.  He sought the Lord's help in channeling his emotion into righting wrongs, which is super important because without that essential ingredient, we can get off track and find that we are becoming just like whoever or whatever we are standing against.

Today, as we stand up for what we believe in and everything God stands for, let's make sure that we are in tune with the Lord's will.  He will help us not to lose ourselves to anger and make bad or evil choices, but instead to be a part of righteous change.

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