This week for FHE and our scripture study, we’re talking about Chief Captain Moroni.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that man.
He is one of my hugest, most tremendously larger than life heroes.
I mean, how do you not just live in awe of this scripture:
“…if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yeah, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” (Alma 48:17)
I notice they don’t even bother capitalizing devil, because he isn’t worth capitalizing. He isn’t a powerful being at all in this case.
And I wish he was this little in all instances.
Moroni saw things happening in the world and got angry. He ripped his coat off to make a flag. He didn’t hesitate or wait and see. He was so in tune with God that he didn’t have to wait and see what God would tell him; he already knew. He made a banner of righteousness, he put his armor on, and he flew that banner high.
Our theme this week has turned into “what is worth fighting for”. It’s a deep subject for four/three/one year olds, but like I’ve said before, there’s no point shying away from them. With the death of our dear prophet and some of the things I have heard about him and our faith, I am struck fiercely with the impression that we are here because we are strong.
We do not pick up swords like Moroni, at least not as often.
But we get up and we fight another day, every day. We weather fierce storms of spiritual winds and lightnings and thunderings. We are billowed and blown unless our roots are deep and our convictions are strong.
Our fight is to keep our foundations firm.
I have seen people who have given up the fight. I have seen them and mourned their loss deeply. I have struggled with how to win them back, or how to convince them they are wrong, or how to discuss things with them that I know to be sacred and true, but that an entire freaking world will tell you is not and that they have sadly put aside as well.
And I have realized that I am not Moroni.
I don’t go out and fight. I don’t wave a banner even.
Maybe I’m a little more like Helaman, or at least I can hope:
“Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God…” (Alma 48:19)
Helaman rarely fought, but he was still a strong defender of the faith and of his people. He led one army, and that was a group of children who “did not doubt their mothers knew it”, who had been “taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him”, who valued keeping their people and their religion safe.
My three boys are my stripling warriors. Or they can be.
Whoever says the work of a mother isn’t of utmost importance, they are dead wrong.
We may not be warriors in the same way Moroni was. But every day we put on our armor, and we can teach our children to put on theirs too.
We are not all called to fight a literal fight. I have thought long and hard about it, and sometimes we are not even called to defend our faith in such blatant ways. Sometimes, putting on our armor and defending our faith doesn’t mean we blast social media with our testimony, or run after people trying to preach the gospel, and sometimes when people attack the church we even turn the other cheek.
To live the gospel as best we can, to let our light so shine, to do as much good as we can and to keep our testimonies strong despite the shafts in the whirlwind may be what our fight is.
I believe we all have our purposes. I don’t know what they are for each of you individually. But I hope you know that you all have talents that will bless you, fights that others will fight where you won’t have to enter the fray, and battles that will seem hopeless but will not be.
Please keep your hope.
Please remember what is worth defending.
And please keep teaching your children the truth. We cannot neglect strengthening their armor. For some of us, that is our current time and season; that is our fight; and it’s okay that that’s “all it is”.
I made a little printable for our FHE to share with you, and I hope you like it. There’s a Moroni/Title of Liberty scripture printout for your wall/fridge/anything, and a worksheet for creating your own Title of Liberty.
You can download that document here.
I’m not sure how to end this besides with this scripture, which is a good summary of how we should approach the spiritual battles we face:
“And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; and; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and in resisting iniquity.” (Alma 48:15-16)
As usual, friends:
I have faith in you!
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