This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Alma 43-52, which includes Captain Moroni raising the title of liberty.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these chapters.
Alma 43
“In a democracy we can renounce war and proclaim peace. There is opportunity for dissent. Many have been speaking out and doing so emphatically. That is their privilege. That is their right, so long as they do so legally. However, we all must also be mindful of another overriding responsibility, which I may add, governs my personal feelings and dictates my personal loyalties. …
“When war raged between the Nephites and the Lamanites, the record states that ‘the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for … power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
“‘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.”
— President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2003 general conference, “War and Peace”
Alma 44
“Instead of crediting military success to himself, Moroni attributed the success to God and to the sacred support his armies received from noncombatant women and children. He told a defeated enemy leader: ‘The Lord … has delivered you into our hands. And now I would that ye should understand that this is … because of our religion and our faith in Christ.’ Moroni then shared this prophetic insight: ‘God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion’ (Alma 44:3, 4).
“Over time, I have come to realize that Moroni modeled principles that we can apply to help us meet the challenges of our modern lives. As we exercise faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, He will bless us with His power. But for Him to do so and for us to recognize His blessings, we need to understand our purpose, strategize for success, and prepare for the metaphorical battles we face, just as Moroni prepared for and faced the real battles in his life. As we do so, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will support and preserve us.”
— Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the August 2024 Liahona article “God Will Support and Preserve Us”
Alma 45
“Alma’s interview with Helaman … is a short, three-question, 45-second exchange between father and son. According to the record, Alma was approaching the end of his ministry. He knew that he must select someone to assume prophetic and record-keeping responsibilities. Helaman was his choice. Therefore, Alma came to his son and asked: ‘Believest thou the words which I spake unto thee concerning those records which have been kept?’
“Without hesitation, Helaman answered: ‘Yea, I believe.’ …
“Alma’s second question was simply: ‘Believest thou in Jesus Christ, who shall come?’ Again, without delay, Helaman stated: ‘Yea, I believe all the words which thou hast spoken’ (Alma 45:2-5). …
“Up to this point in the interview, the father’s questions were sampling the son’s basic beliefs. Now it was essential that those beliefs be tested and determined as being more than idle lip service. Alma’s capstone inquiry was, ‘Will ye keep my commandments?’
“I am not certain what went through Helaman’s mind as he prepared to give his final response. He knew the necessity of honoring his parents and respecting priesthood authority. His previous actions had verified this fact. I like to think that Helaman’s reply was promoted by a heartfelt desire to be obedient rather than by a fear of authority. Deep love of God and father were reflected in his words: ‘Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.’ …
“This short, informative and inspiring interview must have pleased Alma greatly. Not only had he communicated heart-to-heart and soul-to-soul with his son, but the son had openly declared his faith and pledged his devotion. To culminate the exchange, Alma, under the inspiration of the Spirit, prophesied and extended this blessing: ‘Blessed art thou; and the Lord shall prosper thee in this land’ (Alma 45:6-8).
“I wonder if our interviews with our children are as inspirational and building as the one between Alma and Helaman. I find it significant that the father came to the son; the son was not summoned to stand inspection or to give a report. I find it refreshing that the conversation was direct and without any verbal sparring; it was not labored or rehearsed. I find it exemplary that commitment was drawn without prying, wringing or pressuring. And I find it most beautiful that the father concluded with a tender blessing.”
— Elder Carlos E. Asay, then of the presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy, October 1983 general conference, “Parent-Child Interviews”
Alma 46
“Our Savior’s Second Coming is drawing nearer. Let us not delay in this great cause. Remember Captain Moroni, who hoisted the title of liberty inscribed with the words, ‘In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children’ (Alma 46:12). Let us remember the people’s response: Exercising their agency, they ‘came running together’ (Alma 46:21) with a covenant to act.
“My beloved brothers and sisters, don’t walk. Run. Run to receive the blessings of agency by following the Holy Ghost and exercising the freedoms God has given us to do His will.”
— Elder Robert D. Hales, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 general conference, “Preserving Agency, Protecting Religious Freedom”
“The captain of the Nephite army was angry. Amalickiah, a wicked and ambitious dissenter, was seeking to destroy the homes and families and country of the righteous Nephites. Captain Moroni took his coat and tore it to make a banner. On the coat he wrote these words, ‘In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children’ (Alma 46:12), and he fastened this piece of his coat on the end of a pole. He called this banner ‘the title of liberty.’ It was hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land — a reminder to protect their families from wicked intruders.
“Young women, you are like titles of liberty as you strive to protect your families from such intruders as selfishness, harshness, anger and strife. Your banner stands for peace and love and service to your families. … When you are carrying your title of liberty, your banner, you will find many ways to bless your family, to love your family and to just pay attention.”
— Sister Sharon G. Larsen, then the second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, April 1998 general conference, “Young Women — Titles of Liberty”
Alma 47
“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.”
— Elder Robert D. Hales, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2008 general conference, “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship”
“Throughout the world, Saints of the Lord follow Him and His anointed leaders. They have learned that the path of dissent leads to real dangers. The Book of Mormon carries this warning:
“‘Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information … having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked and ferocious … giving way to indolence, and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God’ (Alma 47:36).
“How divisive is the force of dissension. Small acts can lead to such great consequences. Regardless of position or situation, no one can safely assume immunity to contention’s terrible toll.”
— President Russell M. Nelson, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 1989 general conference, “The Canker of Contention”
Alma 48
“There is an exciting story in the Book of Mormon beginning in chapter 48 of Alma. It is a time of peril and commotion for the Nephite nation. Their enemies have sworn to defeat them and take them into bondage. Against what appears to be all odds, Captain Moroni must find a way to defend his people — to create places of security for them. He directs his people to dig deep ditches and build up huge banks of earth around the cities. Later he improves upon his earlier defenses by adding works of timber topped with a frame of pickets and eventually towers to overlook the pickets. So effective is his strategy that the Lamanite armies are astonished and rendered powerless, even though they greatly outnumber the Nephites. The Nephites are safe within their cities and repel the Lamanite attacks.
“While his enemies gained power through fraud and deceit, Moroni empowered the Nephites by teaching them to be faithful to God (see Alma 48:7). How do we, like Captain Moroni, create places of security for those around us in these sometimes frightening and perilous times? We can begin by following the admonition found in 1 Timothy 4:12: ‘Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.’ …
“These choices, sisters, create places of security not only for our own homes but for our neighborhoods, our wards and our communities.”
— Sister Virginia U. Jensen, then the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 1997 general conference, “Creating Places of Security”
“Let me begin with a well-known verse from the Book of Mormon about the young and valiant Captain Moroni. It was said of him:
“‘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; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men’ (Alma 48:17).
“What a compliment to a famous and powerful man. I can’t imagine a finer tribute from one man to another. Two verses later is a statement about Helaman and his brethren, who played a less conspicuous role than Moroni, that reads:
“‘Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni’ (Alma 48:19).
“In other words, even though Helaman was not as noticeable or conspicuous as Moroni, he was as serviceable; that is, he was as helpful or useful as Moroni.
“Obviously we could profit greatly by studying the life of Captain Moroni. He is an example of faith, service, dedication, commitment and many other godly attributes. I could spend all of the brief time we have tonight speaking of this magnificent man, but instead I have chosen to focus on those who are not seen in the limelight or do not receive the attention of the world, yet are ‘no less serviceable,’ as the scripture phrased it. …
“Not everyone … is going to be the student body president or the Relief Society president or the teacher of the elders quorum. Not all of you are going to be like Moroni, catching the acclaim of your colleagues all day every day. No, most will be quiet, relatively unknown folks who come and go and do their work without fanfare. To those of you who may find that lonely or frightening or just unspectacular, I say you are ‘no less serviceable’ than the most spectacular of your associates. You, too, are part of God’s army.”
— President Howard W. Hunter, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, September 1990 devotional at Brigham Young University, “No Less Serviceable”
Alma 49
“As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught to prepare ourselves both temporally and spiritually — to be baptized, receive the priesthood, serve a mission as appropriate and attend the temple. We are counseled to prepare with savings and food storage.
“We can compare our preparation to Moroni’s preparation. Thanks to his constant effort, ‘the Nephites [were] prepared to destroy all such as should attempt … to enter the fort’ (Alma 49:19), and ‘thus the Nephites had all power over their enemies’ (Alma 49:23).
“Spiritual and temporal preparation is vital to our survival in the war for our souls.”
— Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, in the 2018 Ensign article “The Book of Mormon: ‘A Standard unto My People’”
