The War Chapters Why in The Book of

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The War Chapters: Why, in The Book of Mormon, where we know space was at such a premium, did Mormon include so much information about war?

Scripture block 1: (Alma 43 -44)— war against Zerahemna & the Lamanites -Alma 43: 4 -10 -Alma 43: 16 -17 -Alma 43: 19 -21 -Alma 43: 23 -24 -Alma 43: 43 -47 -Alma 43: 48 -50 -Alma 43: 51 -Alma 44: 3 -5

Under what circumstances does the Lord approve of people going to war? President Charles W. Penrose, who was a member of the First Presidency, said: “It is not right for us to engage in the shedding of human blood, for vengeance or retaliation. But when the Lord commands or inspires his servants to counsel the sons and daughters of Israel to lend their aid in the work of righteous warfare, that is different. … We are to arise in our might and in our strength and go forth to victory; not with a desire to shed blood, not with the desire to destroy our fellow creatures, but in self defense and because we do want to maintain and hand down to our posterity those sacred principles of liberty that have been revealed from on high” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1917, 21). Elder David O. Mc. Kay said: “There are … two conditions which may justify a truly Christian man to enter—mind you, I say enter, not begin—a war: (1) An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and, (2) Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third, [namely], Defense of a weak nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 72).

Allegiance to Sovereign At the time of World War II, the First Presidency issued the following statement, clarifying the Church’s position on war: “Members must give allegiance to their sovereign and render it loyal service when called thereto. [This includes military service. ] But the Church, itself, as such, has no responsibility for these policies, as to which it has no means of doing more than urging its members fully to render that loyalty to their country and to free institutions which the loftiest patriotism calls for. “. . . There is an obligation running from every citizen or subject to the state. This obligation is voiced in that Article of Faith which declares: “‘We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. ’. . . “Obedient to these principles, the members of the Church have always felt under obligation to come to the defense of their country when a call to arms was made. . “Thus the Church is and must be against war. . It cannot regard war as a righteous means of settling international disputes; these should and could be settled—the nations agreeing—by peaceful negotiation and adjustment. “But the Church membership are citizens or subjects of sovereignties over which the Church has no control. . “. . . When, therefore, constitutional law, obedient to these principles, calls the manhood of the Church into the armed service of any country to which they owe allegiance, their highest civic duty requires that they meet that call. If, harkening to that call, and obeying those in command over them, they shall take the lives of those who fight against them, that will not make of them murderers” (Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark Jr. , and David O. Mc. Kay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 92– 94; also cited in Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, Apr. 1968, 34– 35).

“An Obligation to Fight” “‘And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God’ (Alma 43: 45– 46). “The Lord counseled them, ‘Defend your families even unto bloodshed’ (Alma 43: 47). . “It is clear from these and other writings that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty, and against tyranny, threat, and oppression. … “. . . We are a freedom-loving people, committed to the defense of liberty wherever it is in jeopardy. I believe that God will not hold men and women in uniform responsible as agents of their government in carrying forward that which they are legally obligated to do. It may even be that He will hold us responsible if we try to impede or hedge up the way of those who are involved in a contest with forces of evil and repression” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 83– 84; or Ensign, May 2003, 80).

. . that he should inquire of the Lord…(Alma 43: 23 -24) “Let us hearken to those we sustain as prophets and seers, as well as the other brethren as if our eternal life depended upon it, because it does!” (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, 5/78, 77).

Scripture block 2: (Alma 46 -47)— Amalickiah’s Wickedness & Treachery -Alma 46: 3 -4, 7 -9 -Alma 46: 11 -16, 19 -21, 35 -Alma 47: 3 -4, 9 -27, 35

Raising a Title of Liberty “…there are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children and the cause of liberty” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, 11/01, 72).

Leaving High Ground In the Book of Mormon, we read about Lehonti and his men camped upon a mount. The traitorous Amalickiah urged Lehonti to “come down” and meet him in the valley. But when Lehonti left the high ground, he was poisoned “by degrees” until he died, and his army fell into Amalickiah’s hands (see Alma 47). By arguments and accusations, some people bait us to leave the high ground. The high ground is where the light is. It’s where we see the first light of morning and the last light in the evening. It is the safe ground. It is true and where knowledge is. Sometimes others want us to come down off the high ground and join them in a theological scrum in the mud. These few contentious individuals are set on picking religious fights, online or in person. We are always better staying on the higher ground of mutual respect and love (Robert D. Hales, “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship, ” Ensign, Nov 2008, 72– 75)

Poisoned by degrees -Lehonti in the Book of Mormon was well positioned on the top of a mountain. He and those he led were “fixed in their minds with a determined resolution” that they would not come down from the mount. It only took the deceitful Amalickiah four tries, each one more bold than the previous, to get Lehonti to “come down off from the mount. ” And then having embraced Amalickiah’s false promises, Lehonti was “poison[ed] by degrees” until he died. Not just poisoned, but “by degrees. ” Could it be that this may be happening today? Could it be that first we tolerate, then accept, and eventually embrace the vice that surrounds us? Could it be that we have been deceived by false role models and persuasive media messages that cause us to forget our divine identity? Are we too being poisoned by degrees? What could be more deceptive than to entice the youth of this noble generation to do nothing or to be busy ever-texting but never coming to a knowledge of the truths contained in a book that was written for you and your day by prophets of God—the Book of Mormon? What could be more deceptive than to entice women, young and old, you and me, to be so involved in ourselves, our looks, our clothes, our body shape and size that we lose sight of our divine identity and our ability to change the world through our virtuous influence? What could be more deceptive than to entice men—young and old, holding the holy priesthood of God—to view seductive pornography and thus focus on flesh instead of faith, to be consumers of vice rather than guardians of virtue? (Elaine S. Dalton, “A Return to Virtue, ” Ensign, Nov 2008, 78– 80)

Scripture block 3: (Alma 48 -50)— Moroni’s Preparations -Alma 48: 7 -13, 17 -Alma 49: 5 -9, 14; 50: 2 -4 -Alma 50: 23

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