War Chapters - Timely Reminder

You know what I haven't done lately? Blogged about what I've been reading in the scriptures. I'm in the war chapters, and I've been taking my time enjoying the insights I find in Alma 43. This chapter contains the first known battle of Captain Moroni. It's also the chapter in which armor is used for the first time among the Nephites. I'd also like to point out that this is the battle where the Lamanites outnumbered the Nephites two to one and were fighting like dragons, and the Nephites still won. But here's the thing - they almost didn't.

And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage. 

And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage. 

And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon. 

Alma 43: 48-49

 Each of these verses carried their own insight for me and could probably all support blog posts of their own. The first one is the one I want to focus on this morning. I just included the other two to show that Moroni's timely reminder worked.

We don't battle evil physically. We battle it spiritually and emotionally. Because of that, our state of mind is even more important in our battles against evil than it would be if the battles were physical. In physical battles, it's hard to forget that you're fighting for your life, which is reason enough for most people to fight as hard as they can (or flee). But in a spiritual battle, it's much easier to forget what you're fighting for and, when the fight gets difficult, to give up.

In this case, Moroni demonstrates the wisdom that he's famous for, inspiring his army with a reminder of what they're fighting to defend. They're not just fighting for their lives, which they could temporarily preserve by running away. They're also fighting for the lives of their families, and for "their lands, their liberty, [and] their freedom from bondage," most (if not all) of which would be lost if they lost to the Lamanites. Motivated by this reminder, the Nephites fought harder and "began to stand against the Lamanites with power," and effectively turned the tide of the battle.

The Nephites had their captain, Moroni, to remind them of what they were fighting for and inspire them to fight with all of their courage. Sometimes, we gain that benefit from the Spirit. The Holy Ghost frequently reminds us of things that we already know and need to remember, such as why it's important to resist temptation and how we can stand against it with power.

So the next time you're facing temptation, and a little voice inside your head reminds you of why you should fight it, try to hold on to that thought and take courage. It may make the difference between victory and defeat.