Captain Moroni was only 25 years old when he was appointed to be the chief captain of the armies of the Nephites. He was younger than I am, but he was able to take command of a nation's entire army, and he led them to victory time and again. I know I couldn't do that. I'm not a great leader or strategist. I'm not sure how well I would do in the ranks of an army, let alone at the head of one. I'm sure that I couldn't have done what Captain Moroni did.
But that's okay. We all have different callings in life, and our individual callings are tailored to our own talents and abilities, or at least to our potential. Captain Moroni must have been an inspiring and wise leader. He had a great deal of conviction and a strong love of liberty and of the Lord. God used those traits to shape Captain Moroni into the greatest military leader the Nephites had ever known. I know that I couldn't have filled Captain Moroni's shoes, but that's not really an issue. God's not asking me to be another Captain Moroni. My talents and callings lie elsewhere. God doesn't need me to lead an army. He has other plans in store for me.
And so it is with all of us. We each have different talents and abilities, so God puts us into situations that allow us to make use of our talents and help them grow. Sometimes, God has great works for us to do, but God's definition of a "great work" may be different from ours. The work God has laid out for us may not be as glamorous as saving a nation from invaders, but it may be just as important, in the eternal scheme of things. We don't have to compare our capabilities or accomplishments with those of others. We all have different roles to play, and we were each given the abilities we need to do that.
None of us are Captain Moroni, but that's alright; only Captain Moroni needed to be. What God needs us to be is ourselves.
1 comment:
good stuff!
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