This week in our Book of Mormon lecture, we were able to discuss the war chapters! Apart from being some of the most interesting plot lines of the Book of Mormon, the war chapters have incredible symbolism and value for our lives. I want to specify one meaning that I find significant in the story of Zerahemnah and Captain Moroni. The story begins in Alma 43, and we see both men prepare their armies for battle with various tools. In verses 18 through 20, it describes each man's respective preparations:
18 And it came to pass that [Captain Moroni] met the Lamanites in the borders of Jershon, and his people were armed with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war.
19 And when the armies of the Lamanites saw that the people of Nephi, or that Moroni, had prepared his people with breastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing—
20 Now the army of Zerahemnah was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their swords and their cimeters, their bows and their arrows, their stones and their slings; and they were naked, save it were a skin which was girded about their loins; yea, all were naked, save it were the Zoramites and the Amalekites.
Moroni's men were prepared both with weapons of offense as well as with extensive protective gear. He wanted them to be prepared to fight and gain a victory, but he wanted to lose as few lives as possible because he loved his brethren. These were not faceless soldiers being sent to die. These were his friends and his family. On the other hand, Zerahemnah sent his men in with only weapons of offense but no protection. He wanted them to fight and to kill, but he had no concern for their lost lives. Likewise, God is seeking to prepare and protect his disciples. We are not faceless followers to him. He knows us all by name, and he thinks of only our safety and our happiness. Satan, on the other hand, sends his followers out to attack and to destroy. However, any lives lost in the process are meaningless collateral damage to him. He loves no one. He protects no one. In fact, he knows exactly what will happen to all of his followers. And that's exactly what he intends. He intends for our destruction. When we are faced with that truth, why do we struggle to decide who we will follow? The choice may seem hard in a moment, but if we take the moment to look into the future and see what Satan intends with us, we would never choose his path. On the other hand, if we look forward into the future when we are deciding whether or not to follow God, we will always see that he wants our happiness more than anything. For me, that means choosing to follow Him even when it's a hard decision. Because it will always be an easy decision if I take 30 seconds to look eternally rather than temporally.
God loves us all. He knows each of us and wants to protect all of us more than anything and give us happiness. Trust him! Love him! Follow him! Believe that he knows, because he does.
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