FIRM IN THE FAITH OF CHRISTGospel Doctrine Book of Mormon Lesson 31

Alma 43-52

INTRODUCTION

➤ ATOT: Many families give up on scripture study in the Isaiah chapters (2nd Nephi). If they make it through those, the next weak spot is the war chapters (Alma)

➤ 1 Nephi 6:6

➤ Why is the Book of Mormon filled with so much war?

➤ Why do my object lessons tend to revolve around my kids?

➤ Mormon was a warrior. He reverenced Captain Moroni.

➤ What battle is looming for us?

➤ We are all battling something, these strategies can help us in our battles too.

HISTORY

➤ After Alma teaches all his sons, they go out and do missionary work in the land.

➤ Nephite dissenters & the Zoramites join forces with the Lamanites

➤ About Moroni

➤ He’s 25 when we’re introduced to him

➤ The Nephite army is less than half the size of the Lamanites. The anti-Nephi-Lehi’s couldn’t help (they supported financially, Moroni 43:13)

➤ He’s a Cinderella story

➤ He fights four big battles against bad guys

➤ 1. Zarahemnah

➤ 2. Amalickiah

➤ 3. The King Men

➤ 4. Ammoron

➤ His strategies against each can help us in our own

THE NEPHITES FIGHT TO DEFEND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR LIBERTY

➤ Alma 43:1-47, Recap

➤ Zerahemnah leads the band, they’re more wicked and murderous than the Lamanites. They challenge the Nephites.

➤ Moroni arms his guys with thick skins & armor

➤ The Lamanites have loincloths but a lot of bodies

➤ The Nephites strongest armor? Their motive

➤ Alma 43:9

➤ Alma 43:10, What was Zerahemnah’s motive?

➤ STRATEGY 1: HAVE A WORTHY MOTIVE

THE NEPHITES FIGHT TO DEFEND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR LIBERTY

➤ STRATEGY 2: USE FAITH & WORKS

➤ Alma 43:23

➤ Moroni sends spies and sends men to Alma. Why? ➤ Prophets will tell us where the enemy will strike.

➤ ATOT: Family Proclamation example. Harold B. Lee in 1972 “Satan’s greatest threat today, is to destroy the family and make a mockery of the law of chastity and the sanctity of the marriage covenant.”

➤ Alma 43:1-47, Recap

➤ Moroni divides up his army, hides them and surrounds the Lamanites at the river Sidon

➤ Both sides suffer but the Lamanites have more loss

➤ The Lamanites fight like dragons (43:44) but the Nephites have a better cause (43:45).

➤ Alma 43:48-50. Moroni’s guys get nervous so they turn to God. ➤ STRATEGY 3: WHEN IN DOUBT PRAY (AS GROUP IF YOU CAN)

MORONI DEFEATS THE ARMY OF ZARAHEMNAH

➤ This is an epic battle scene, in it we learn how Moroni’s character strengthens his army.

➤ STRATEGY 4: HAVE A CHARACTER LIKE MORONI

➤ Alma 43:54, Merciful

➤ Alma 44:3, Humility

➤ Alma 44:4, Teacher

➤ Alma 44:5, Protective

➤ Alma 44:7, Authoritative

➤ The Lamanites give up their weapons but won’t take the oath

➤ Alma 44:10, Sportsmanlike

➤ Zarahemnah is scalped and most of his army still battles

➤ Alma 44:19, Forgiving

➤ *Alma 48:11-13, 17, The powers of hell shook because of him

AMALICKIAH CONSPIRES TO BE KING

➤ Alma 45, 46:1-11, Recap

➤ (vs 1) They fast to say show gratitude. We should do that!

➤ The Nephites prosper and get proud

➤ Amalickiah (and large and strong man) wants to be king - undercutting the representative government.

➤ He promises positions of power to those who support him.

➤ Moroni is angry. He lost his men in those battles to secure freedom

➤ Alma 46:12-13, 19-20

➤ Result? His army rallies (43:21)

➤ Alma 46:36, The put the flag up everywhere. Peace for 4 years.

➤ STRATEGY 5: MAKE COVENANTS AND PUT UP REMINDERS

““…part of the reason we may not have sufficient priesthood bearers to save the Constitution let alone to shake the powers of hell, is because unlike Moroni, I fear, our souls do not joy in keeping our country free, and we are not firm in the faith of Christ nor have we sworn with an oath to defend our rights and the liberty of our country.

Moroni raised a title of liberty and wrote upon it these words: ‘In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.’ Why didn't he write upon it: ‘Just live your religion; there's no need to concern yourselves about your freedom, your peace, your wives, or your children’? The reason he didn't do this was because all these things were a part of his religion, as they are of our religion today.

Should we counsel people, ‘Just live your religion. There's no need to get involved in the fight for freedom’? No, we should not, because our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion; this stand helped get us to this earth, and our reaction to freedom in this life will have eternal consequences. Man has many duties, but he has no excuse that can compensate for his loss of liberty.”

(Conference Report, Oct. 1966, p. 122 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 351)) Ezra T. Benson

AMALICKIAH USES TREACHERY TO BECOME KING➤ Alma 47:1-5, Recap

➤ Amalickiah stirs up the Lamanties (he’s a “type” of Satan)

➤ The King sends out a proclamation to army that they must fight with Amalickiah.

➤ They rebel and go up a mountain. They’re determined at first (47:6).

➤ Lehonti (their leader) won’t come down to meet Amalickiah.

➤ They try to convince them 3 times

➤ Alma 47:12-13

➤ Come down, just a little bit.

➤ Why does he have him bring his guards? Why does he let him surround his army?

➤ ATOT: How does Satan make us feel like we’re in control? Satan always poisons by degrees.

➤ Alma 47:18-19

➤ After killing Lehonti, the armies unite and kill the King of the Lamanites

➤ Amalickiah takes his army, power and wife.

➤ STRATEGY 6: DON’T COMPROMISE WITH THE ENEMY

MORONI FORTIFIES THE NEPHITE CITIES

➤ Amalickiah is busy building up his armies

➤ Alma 48:7-8, Moroni has a different plan

➤ He builds up testimonies before building forts

➤ STRATEGY 7: STRENGTHEN FROM WITHIN

➤ Alma 49, Recap

➤ Moroni starts to fortify the cities

➤ The Lamanites attack (with armor and thick skins this time) but they can’t get past the security.

➤ A thousand Lamanites are killed, not one Nephite

➤ The Nephites rally and prosper

➤ 49:30, We find out that Corianton came around. The father/son talk must have made an impact.

MORONI FORTIFIES HIS CITIES…A LOT

➤ It’s a time of peace, how does Moroni handle it?

➤ Alma 50:1, He uses the down time to strengthen ALL their cities

➤ Ditch - Heap of Earth - Work of Timber - Frame of Pickets - Towers - Places of Security for Watchmen

➤ What’s the strategy? Why is that advantageous compared to tons of troops guarding each city?

➤ Then he takes his army and pushes out all the Lamanties lurking in the wilderness

➤ ATOT: Dangerous Decade (15-25), what fortifications do we put in place? Mutual, Firesides, Institiute, Seminary, EFY. We have to trust the watchmen on the tower (Ezekiel 3:17)

➤ What was the result of all the fortifications? Alma 50:12, 50:23

➤ The safer Moroni made the cities, the more recruits he had. What can we learn from that?

➤ STRATEGY 8: IF YE ARE PREPARED, YE SHALL NOT FEAR

MORONI TAKES ON THE KING-MEN

➤ Alma 51:1-12, Recap

➤ Pahoran is voted to be Chief Judge (Nephihah’s son)

➤ Some wealthy (vs 8) people want him to alter ‘a few particular points of the law’. They’re trying to go around the system.

➤ Pahoran won't do it so they want to overthrow him and get a monarch

➤ The Lamanites are building a strong army.

➤ Alma 50:13-15

➤ Moroni uses the law (a petition upheld by the people) to defend against the King-Men.

➤ 4000 dissenters are killed, more are cast in prison (this wasn’t a small uprising, it was a civil war)

➤ The result? Alma 51:20-21, The King-Men are defeated but the cities are weaker (they stopped fortifying and demanded privilege)

➤ STRATEGY 9: BE BOLD IN DEFENDING YOUR POSITION

TEANCUM PUSHES BACK THE LAMANITES

➤ Alma 51:23-37, Recap

➤ The Lamanties take city after city.

➤ Teancum and his strong army push back (vs 31) and kill Amalickiah (javelin).

➤ Alma 52:1-16, Recap

➤ Ammoron succeeds Amalickiah, Teancum tries to take the cities back

➤ He requests help from Moroni but he’s busy on the Western front

➤ Alma 52:17, Teancum waits for reinforcement

➤ STRATEGY 10: ASK FOR HELP

➤ STRATEGY 11: KNOW YOUR LIMITS, BE FLEXIBLE

MORONI AND TEANCUM DEFEAT THE LAMANITES

➤ Alma 52:19, They council together and come up with a rogue plan

➤ Teancum (and a small army) will lure the army out

➤ Moroni’s army overtake the city (vs 25)

➤ Lehi’s army save Teancum’s army in Bountiful

➤ Alma 52:31-36, Recap

➤ The Lamanites are surrounded, they won’t give up their weapons

➤ Both sides fight with fury, Moroni is wounded, Jacob (Lamanite leader) is killed.

➤ STRATEGY 12: ENDURE TO THE END

➤ Alma 52:36-37, Moroni still offers peace. They’d given him trouble every time he lets them go. Why does he do it? He believes in freedom.

➤ STRATEGY 13: STICK TO YOUR VALUES, EVEN WHEN WOUNDED

CONCLUSION➤ We are all fighting battles. We need Moroni’s

guidance

➤ 1: Worthy Motive

➤ 2: Faith & Works

➤ 3: Pray (in a group)

➤ 4: Build Your Character

➤ 5: Make Covenants and put up Reminders

➤ 6: Don’t Compromise

➤ 7: Strengthen from Within

➤ 8: Prepare and Be Happy

➤ 9: Be Bold

➤ 10: Ask for Help

➤ 11: Be Flexible, Know Your Limits

➤ 12: Endure to the End

➤ 13: Stick to Your Values, even when Wounded

“Twelve years ago President Ezra Taft Benson taught: 'Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. ... The final outcome is certain-the forces of righteousness will win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us ... will stand in the battle-and how tall we will stand. ... Great battles can make great heroes and heroines’

"Are we not like Captain Moroni's armies who, though vastly outnumbered, were 'inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, ... yea, for their rites of worship and their church'? (Alma 43:45).

"You and I compose a pivotal battalion in the army of the Lord! May we arise in this, the greatest cause on earth. May we go forward together in the strength of the Lord. More than ever He needs our faith and faithfulness, our vitality and our ingenuity, our unwavering commitment and conviction.

"This life is a test. It is also a glorious privilege. May we work toward the kind of Big Finish the Apostle Paul described: 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith' (2 Tim. 4:7-8)." (Ensign, July 2000, "This is a Test")

-Sheri Dew