I am not asking for anything for Christmas. Reading The Book of Mormon in 90 Days and writing this blog is my Christmas Present. I will finish on Christmas Day with a stronger testimony and love of Christ. This was the best Christmas Journey I have ever allowed myself to be on and it was very timely!
I put my Nativity up early this year. Every day I wake up and see it and love it so much! I might leave it up year round (although I did knock the head off of a Wise Man trying to turn on a light behind the nativity
(sorry Melchior) so he went in to the trash bin!!! I will replace him. May I suggest instead of glass or ceramic Nativities from Costco, get a Fontanini Nativity.
They are Polymer or Resin. I have had 3 Costco Nativities in 28 years because they break easily. My Fontanini one still looks brand new and I got it Christmas of 1996!
Okay, back to my blog post.
Alma Chapter 47 talks about Amalickiah stealing the thrown of the Lamanite King. The Lamonite Kings name was Lehonti. Amalickiah wanted his thrown, so he called to meet him and after a few times summoning him, Lehonti showed up with an army and surrounded the men of Amalickiah. Amalickiah asked to be second in command to the King and he knew that if Lahonti was killed or died he would become King.
Amalickiah had one of his men poison Lehonti and became the new leader and chief commander. Anyways, Amalickiah marched his army to the land of Nephi and the Lamanite King there met with him because he thought Amalickiah had created this huge army to unite with his people to go fight the Nephites.
Amalickiah had the King stabbed in the heart by one of Amalickiah's men and then pretended to mourn him. Amalickiah was a fraud and gained trust through deception. The Servants of the stabbed king fled to Zarahemla to the people of Ammon.
The King of the Lamanites wife, the queen, called for Amalickiah and asked him to bring witnesses. His testimony satisfied her, he won her over, married her, and then became King. Three of four times now writing this I have wanted to throw my phone. This Amalickiah is one bad dude! Unfortunately, his behavior is not unfamiliar in today's world is it?!
In Alma Chapter 48, Amalickiah turned the Lamanite Armies to murder in their hearts. He had them go out and preach from towers against the Nephites, had a desire, now that he had taken over kings and territories, to take by force all of the lands, including the land and people of the Nephites led by Captain Moroni.
Remember the Zoramites? They were the Nephites that left the Church of God to follow Zoram and became more wicked than the Lamanites? Amalickiah got them on board to fight the Nephites with them.
Captain Moroni had been preparing his people's minds and hearts to be faithful to God during this time. He had been strengthening the armies and building up the land in preparation for such a battle.
Moroni knew that if his people kept their covenants and faith in God he would deliver them, keep them safe, and allow them peace and freedom. I love this description of Moroni.
Alma 48:17, "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.
Please read Alma 48:11-18 to get a full picture of Captain Moroni. He was a very wonderful man and it now makes perfect sense to me as to why of all of the prophets who could have been allowed by Heavenly Father to appear to Joseph Smith, it was him! Not just because he buried the gold plates. Anyone could have given that message from Heavenly Father about where to find the plates placed in the earth by Moroni, but the man himself was among the most obedient, righteous, and good that ever was.
Even Chapter 48 describes him as the likes of Ammon, Mosiah. the Sons of Mosiah, Alma, Alma the Younger, and Alma the Younger's sons!
Captain Moroni prepared the Nephites and although they felt sorrow over the killings, they slayed the Lamonites who came up against them to kill them, take their land, freedom, women and children and Liberty. They defeated the Lamanites.
Likening these Chapters Unto Me
I was thinking about how sometimes to get others to do what they want, people can be convinced by folks who pretend they care. They can lie about others to make it easier to control and manipulate situations and cause "wars" at work, home, with extended family, and in the community at large.
What Captain Moroni did to prepare his people was to build up the cities, fortify the walls, make sure the people were spiritually prepared to keep the commandments and stay faithful to God so that he could protect them, and pray to Heavenly Father for strength, guidance, and protection.
I can model this is my life. I can pray and ask God to protect me from people who want to bring harm to me or my family. I can fortify my health, heart, and mind so I am prepared when someone tries to enforce ill will towards me and my family. I can trust in God that he will "deliver me from mine enemies" if it be His will.
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