Brothers and Sisters, I hope you have had a good week this past week and that you and your family are feeling well and staying safe during this difficult time. This week’s lesson is entitled “Preserved by His Marvelous Power”. This lesson focuses on Alma Chapters 53-63, which concern many of the military battles between the Nephites led by Chief Captain (General) Moroni (aided by Chief Captains Lehi and Teancum and followed by his son Moronihah) and the Lamanites led by Amalickiah, his brother Ammoron. Of Moroni, we learn in Alma 48:17 that if all men and women had been and ever were like Moroni the powers of Hell would be shaken and the Devil would have no power over us.

Some members have wondered why the Book of Mormon which focuses on what the Lord wanted us to learn that was most important for our time relating to spiritual matters deals so much with war in these chapters. For others like myself, who have been lifelong students of military history and have served in the military, these chapters are of greater interest. These chapters and others on war in the Book of Mormon, are important because they teach us more about the principles of just war–that wars are only justified by the Lord if they are fought in self-defense or in the defense of others. We have been told by modern Prophets that soldiers are held guiltless by the Lord in killing enemy combatants, however no such promise is given if they deliberately target and kill innocent civilian men, women and children. Some people mistakenly believe that the laws of God forbidding the shedding of innocent blood are somehow suspended during war and that the deliberate mass murder of non-combatant civilians and other great evils promoted by the Devil are somehow justified by God during wartime. Nothing could be further from the truth. The laws of God forbidding the shedding of innocent blood can only be expressly suspended by our Supreme Creator himself who is the author of all life and then only very specifically through the Living Prophet as was the case of the Caananites.

The Book of Mormon also teaches us that initiating wars of aggression are expressly forbidden by the Lord and in Mormon Chapter 4, it states that had the Nephites not started a war of aggression against the Lamanites, the Lamanites could have had no power over them and could not have destroyed them. This is important to understand as our nation has embarked upon many wars over the past couple of decades some of which may have been justified under the laws of God and some of which may be. While the lessons we learn in the Book of Mormon, as well as in Doctrine & Covenants Section 98, concerning the fighting of just wars may seem to be of little application in our own individual lives, I believe that this lesson is especially relevant for us in our time. In Alma 58: 10-11 it states that the Nephites poured out their souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. Similarly, in our times of great need or tribulation, we can turn to the Lord for support and deliverance from our trials. If we are diligent in our prayers and exercise great faith, He will bless us in our time of need and send the Holy Spirit to comfort us and give us peace and assurance that our burdens will be alleviated and our lot will improve. While Utah has not been as hard hit by the COVID19 pandemic as other states, I believe that the time is soon coming when we will need the marvelous and protective power of the Lord to protect our families from the terrible tribulations that have been prophesied will precede His Second Coming which we have been told will likely occur during our lifetimes. If we are strictly obedient to the counsel of the Prophet of the Lord, God will protect us and our families.

The Prophet Helaman followed the example of his father Alma the Younger in helping to lead the righteous Nephites into battle against the invading Lamanites. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the commanding general of our enemies was appointed by the Prophet of the Lord to lead our troops into battle during America’s past wars as the Nephites had during their times of righteousness and the Lord could fight our battles? I believe our nation enjoyed this great blessing under General George Washington during the War for Independence. While our nation and its people are too unrighteous to have that occur right now, but perhaps one day in the not so distant future we may be blessed to see this happen again.

In Alma 56, it talks about Helaman’s stripling warriors consisting of over 2,000 of the Ammonites who had broken away from the Lamanites and were too young to have taken the oaths their fathers had taken that they would atone for their past killings in the Lamanites past wars of aggression against the Nephites by burying their weapons of war and covenanting to take them up no more even in self-defense. In Alma 53:10-17, we learn that the Ammonites were very faithful in keeping this covenant, so much so that over a thousand of them were willing to be slain by the Lamanites without taking up arms to defend themselves, and were blessed by the Lord for so doing. These scriptures teach us the importance of keeping our own individual Temple Covenants and following President Nelson’s admonition to “Stay on the Covenant Path.”

In Alma 53 we learn that these stripling warriors were young men who “had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them” and thus they had “exceeding faith in that which they had been taught” and were thus protected “by the miraculous power of God.” As a result in Alma 57, we learn that even though they were all wounded in battle, they all survived. We know that God is a God of miracles and if we have similar faith, God will answer our prayers and bless, preserve and protect us. Just as Helaman’s stripling warriors were taught by their mothers to be men of faith and righteousness, so we can teach our children (and other dear family members and friends) to be men and women of great faith, spiritual strength and power who love and serve the Lord. By so doing, we can fulfill the purpose of our creation to save ourselves and our families so that we may be sealed together as families in the Eternities.

In Alma 62:41, it states that many Nephites were hardened by their many wars with the Lamanities but many others were softened and humbled before God because of their many afflictions. When we suffer great trials and tribulations in life, each of us has a choice to respond to our tribulations by drawing closer to God and seeking redress or pridefully using our tribulations an excuse to be angry at Him and turn away from Him and disobey His commandments.

In Alma 58 and 61 it teaches us that we can choose not to be offended. In the case of Captain Moroni, he was not receiving sufficient support for his armies and Pahoran was falsely accused by Moroni of withholding that support even though it was the king-men, who were responsible for blocking that support. Chief Judge Pahoran, who was the leader of the Nephite government, chose not to be offended by Moroni’s accusation. Similarly we can free ourselves of pride and be meek and humble choosing not to be offended by the actions of others which may or may not be intended to hurt or offend us. Most importantly, we must always remember that while the organization of the Lord’s Church is perfect, individual Church leaders and members are not so we must never allow ourselves to fall away and apostatize over their actions/inactions or those of other Church members for which the Adversary might tempt us to take offense. Elder David A. Bednar gave an excellent regard in this regard, entitled “Meek and Lowly of Heart” in the May 2018 Ensign.

In the Come Follow Me Lesson, it compares the Nephites being outnumbered by the Lamanites in their many wars to us being far outnumbered in the war between good and evil that continues on Earth today both in our own individual lives and in the world at large. Even though members of the Church on Earth number less than 17 million today (scarcely more than .0.2% of the population of the world), we have the absolute assurance of knowing that the Lord and His righteous followers, both Church members and all of our brothers and sisters who have faith in God and are striving to live just and honorable lives, will be triumphant over Satan and his wicked followers in the end.

I am very grateful for all the many lessons of the Book of Mormon which we can apply in our time in our individual lives and for teaching us how we might better stay on the Covenant Path which leads to salvation and Eternal life. I am grateful for the knowledge that if we live to see the Lord’s blessed Second Coming, then all of our physical, mental and emotional infirmities and those of our family members will be done away during the Millennium. The war in Heaven was fought not only over agency, but more importantly over whether we would be obedience to the commandments of our Beloved Heavenly Father. This mortal life is the final test of our obedience. I know that if we but remain faithful and keep the commandments of the Lord, and follow the example of the righteous Nephites, and teach our children and other family members to do likewise, the Lord will bless us with joy and happiness far beyond our comprehension, if not in this life than during the life to come.

Brother Pyne