Captain Moroni, Where are You?

Sep 13, 2023

We have often been invited to do like Nephi and “Liken the scriptures unto ourselves.”(1 Nephi:23)

Recently, my wife and I were reading the end of Alma in the Book of Mormon.

The part about Captain Moroni and all of the shenanigans going on in his country at the time.

If we were to liken the scriptures unto ourselves and our time, what are we to think of the life and time of Book of Mormon characters such as Captain Moroni?

What would Captain Moroni do?

Some days, I am not so patient and accommodating with the “fudge flinging fest” we see happening around us in the modern world.

The headlines cause me to think the inmates have escaped the asylum and are allowed to roam the streets and halls of government at will.

News stories are sensationalized clickbait to attract eyes and ears for ratings.

Things are probably not as bad as they may appear.

But I still don’t like how I feel so disturbed by current events.

Regardless, this begs questions about how our world could be different if leaders today were more like Captain Moroni.

If WE were more like Captain Moroni:

Would there have been the 2020 summer of riots, burning fires, property destruction, beatings, and murder?
Would a January 6th capitol riot have occurred with the subsequent fallout?
How would the 20-year war in Iraq and Afghanistan have been different? Would it even have happened?
How would the discourse and statesmanship between political rivals be different?

These are thought-provoking questions each of us can answer for ourselves.

As a premise for finding our own answers to dealing with circumstances and events like those above, let’s review and summarize some of the core character traits of Captain Moroni.

I have identified and extracted 16 core traits of Captain Moroni from the Book of Mormon (The scripture references are included). You will likely identify even more traits as you read along. But this list gets the ball rolling.

Okay, let’s dive in!

1. Captain Moroni was young and bold.

“...he was only 25 years old when he was appointed chief captain over the armies of the Nephites.” (Alma 43:17)

2. Moroni clearly knew his “WHY,” and that purpose served as his personal driving force.

“And he also knowing that it was the only desire of the Nephites to preserve their lands, and their liberty, and their church, therefore he thought it no sin that he should defend them by stratagem;” (Alma 43:30)
“Nevertheless, the Nephites 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, 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; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.
And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed.” (Alma 43:45-47)

3. Moroni and his soldiers trusted in the strength of the Lord first.

“...and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage. (Alma 43:49)

4. Moroni made it his personal practice to associate with people who were equally passionate about justice and freedom.

“And now when Moroni had said these words, Zerahemnah retained his sword, and he was angry with Moroni, and he rushed forward that he might slay Moroni; but as he raised his sword, behold, one of Moroni’s soldiers smote it even to the earth, and it broke by the hilt; and he also smote Zerahemnah that he took off his scalp and it fell to the earth. And Zerahemnah withdrew from before them into the midst of his soldiers.
And it came to pass that the soldier who stood by, who smote off the scalp of Zerahemnah, took up the scalp from off the ground by the hair, and laid it upon the point of his sword, and stretched it forth unto them, saying unto them with a loud voice:
Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace.” (Alma 44:12-14)
“Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and even the other sons of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.
Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words.” (Alma 48:18-19)

5. Moroni was a man of few words and acted with intent.

“Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous’ sake.
And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.
And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land-” (Alma 46:10-13)

6. Moroni used reason to appeal to the minds of people.

“Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.” (Alma 48:7)

7. He set the example of active preparation.

“Yea, he had been strengthening the armies of the Nephites, and erecting small forts, or places of resort; throwing up banks of earth round about to enclose his armies, and also building walls of stone to encircle them about, round about their cities and the borders of their lands; yea, all round about the land.
And in their weakest fortifications he did place the greater number of men; and thus he did fortify and strengthen the land which was possessed by the Nephites.”
And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.” (Alma 48:8-10)

8. Moroni knew peace was only possible through strength.

“Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee or to prepare for war, according to their danger;” (Alma 48:14-15)

9. He was led by revelation and did not glory in violence.

“And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.” (Alma 48:16)

10. He was the exact opposite of his enemies.

Yea, he was exceedingly wroth, and he (Amalickiah) did curse God, and also Moroni, swearing with an oath that he would drink his blood; and this because Moroni had kept the commandments of God in preparing for the safety of his people. (Alma 49:27)

11. Captain Moroni’s leadership style produced obedient and happy people.

“And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites.
But behold there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi, than in the days of Moroni, yea, even at this time, in the twenty and first year of the reign of the judges.” (Alma 50:22-23)

12. He was willing to fight for a righteous government that supports freedom.

“And it came to pass that when the men who were called king-men had heard that the Lamanites were coming down to battle against them, they were glad in their hearts; and they refused to take up arms, for they were so wroth with the chief judge, and also with the people of liberty, that they would not take up arms to defend their country.
And it came to pass that when Moroni saw this, and also saw that the Lamanites were coming into the borders of the land, he was exceedingly wroth because of the stubbornness of those people whom he had labored with so much diligence to preserve; yea, he was exceedingly wroth; his soul was filled with anger against them.
And it came to pass that he sent a petition, with the voice of the people, unto the governor of the land, desiring that he should read it, and give him (Moroni) power to compel those dissenters to defend their country or to put them to death.
For it was his first care to put an end to such contentions and dissensions among the people; for behold, this had been hitherto a cause of all their destruction. And it came to pass that it was granted according to the voice of the people.
And it came to pass that Moroni commanded that his army should go against those king-men, to pull down their pride and their nobility and level them with the earth, or they should take up arms and support the cause of liberty.
And it came to pass that the armies did march forth against them; and they did pull down their pride and their nobility, insomuch that as they did lift their weapons of war to fight against the men of Moroni they were hewn down and leveled to the earth.
And it came to pass that there were four thousand of those dissenters who were hewn down by the sword; and those of their leaders who were not slain in battle were taken and cast into prison, for there was no time for their trials at this period.
And the remainder of those dissenters, rather than be smitten down to the earth by the sword, yielded to the standard of liberty, and were compelled to hoist the title of liberty upon their towers, and in their cities, and to take up arms in defence of their country.
And thus Moroni put an end to those king-men, that there were not any known by the appellation of king-men; and thus he put an end to the stubbornness and the pride of those people who professed the blood of nobility; but they were brought down to humble themselves like unto their brethren, and to fight valiantly for their freedom from bondage.” (Alma 51:13-21)

13. Moroni was loved by the people of Nephi.

“And Moroni went to the city of Mulek with Lehi, and took command of the city and gave it unto Lehi. Now behold, this Lehi was a man who had been with Moroni in the more part of all his battles; and he was a man alike unto Moroni, and they rejoiced in each other’s safety; yea, they were beloved by each other, and also beloved by all the people of Nephi.” (Alma 53:2)

14. Moroni did not tolerate an ambivalent government.

And it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country. (Alma 59:13)

15. He understood remaining free requires effort.

Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?
“…begin to be up and doing,” (Alma 59:13)

16. Moroni was steadfast and fearless.

“Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.
“Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.
Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle.” (Alma 60:28-29;36)

That’s quite a list of positive attributes!

These scriptures provide the perfect summary of the Captain Moroni persona:

“And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.” (Alma 48:11-13)
“Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, 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 would Jesus do?

As children, when face to face with a tough decision, we were taught to ask, “What would Jesus Do?

That is still good advice.

But if we believe Captain Moroni was an honorable man of God, isn’t it just as applicable to ask, “What would Captain Moroni do?”

That poses an interesting question, even a conundrum. Where is the appropriate middle ground between passively “turning the other cheek” and accepting the current state of affairs while aggressively protecting liberty and traditional cultural standards of behavior?

Some would argue times have changed since Captain Moroni’s day and time.

“That was then, and this is now.”

But have the times changed in essence? Is the basic nature of man any different today than in Captain Moroni’s time?

Core principles and values still drive our thought processes and behavior.

Being like Captain Moroni is a tall order.

His are some big battle boots to fill!

As are Christ’s sandals…

Maybe if we all identify and hold a little tighter onto Captain Moroni's core values, we will find the combined courage amongst ourselves to be the kind of people we need to be these days.

To create our own version of a latter-day community culture Captain Moroni would find acceptable.

Decide for yourself and walk the course that works for you!

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Thanks for reading and pondering with me!

Russell Anderson