The Courage of the King Men

As I've been reviewing the war chapters, I've found it shocking how often the bad guys set good examples. Case in point, when the King Men failed in their attempts to reorganize the Nephite government, they were offered an ultimatum: Either fight, and possibly die, for a cause they didn't believe in, or be put to death. Under the threat of death, many of them chose possible death over certain death, even though that meant switching sides, but a handful of them stuck to their convictions and chose death.

This choice must have taken a great deal of courage and conviction. Sure, their conviction was misplaced, but their loyalty to their cause was admirable. If I were put in their shoes, being forced to choose between death and fighting for a cause I opposed, I'm not sure I would have the courage to make the right decision.

However, I know a few truths that make the decision a little easier. For example, this life isn't all there is. When we pass on, we'll go to an afterlife in which we'll be judged according to our decisions. Knowing that, going early into that afterlife for having boldly made a righteous decision doesn't sound so bad. Plus, we're all going to die eventually anyway, so choosing life over righteousness would really only buy you a few more years or decades, if that. All in all, dying for a good cause isn't all that bad, especially compared to the alternative.

When it comes to one's moral convictions, it's almost certainly better to die for the right cause than fight for the wrong one. Fighting for the wrong cause means promoting evil, and possibly dying in the process. Dying in the act of promoting evil won't exactly look good on one's permanent (eternal) record, and surviving is almost as bad. The longer a person survives the war of which they're on the wrong side, the better that side will do. With their help, that side may even win. And when the war is over, no matter who wins, they'll have to live with the fact that they made a cowardly and immoral choice.

I admire the courage of the King Men who chose death over betraying their political beliefs. Granted, in their case, it was the wrong choice, but I admire the courage with which they made it. I personally hope I never get put in a similar situation, being forced to either die for my beliefs or fight against them, but if I am ever forced to make that kind of choice, I hope that I'll have the kind of courage those King Men had, the courage to stand by my convictions, even in the face of death.