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Moroni and Zerahemnah

How much trouble can one man cause for a nation? Well, let me illustrate:

In the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges, Alma received word that Zoram was leading his people astray. Now, this worried Alma because the land of the Zoramites, Antionum, bordered the Nephites’ enemies, the Lamanites, on the south. Thus, a Zoramite-Lamanite alliance would be a terrible thing.

Now, understanding that the word of the Lord was the most powerful weapon that he had, Alma and others went to the Zoramites and preached the Gospel to them. It worked, at least in part. Many were converted, especially among the poor. Now, unfortunately, those poor among the Zoramites were cast out. Well, they came over and joined the people of Ammon among the Nephites, who themselves once being religious refugees welcomed them in.

Well, that made the Zoramites even more angry, and they demanded that their exiles be cast out. When the people of Ammon refused, Zoram and his followers entered into an alliance with the Lamanites. A massive Lamanite force under Zerahemnah moved north and joined the Zoramites in the land of Antionum. It would be war!

Seeing these signs, the Commander-in-chief of the Nephite forces, a young man only twenty-five years old, Moroni, gathered his forces and prepared for battle. On that day when Zerahemnah marched toward Jershon, he was met at the border by Captain Moroni and his force.

Instantly the men of Zerahemnah were stunned and frightened! Why? – because the men of Moroni were prepared with shields, breastplates, helmets, and thick clothing. Never had such things been seen before. When the Lamanites considered that they were going into battle with nothing but a loincloth, well, they withdrew and regrouped.

They then came up with a plan. They would march into the wilderness, and by means of a roundabout journey, they would attack the weaker city of Manti. They calculated that Moroni would not know where they had gone. But again, Moroni was prepared. He sent spies to follow them, and messengers to the prophet Alma – who came back and told him that the Lamanites were headed for Manti.

Moroni marched his forces to Manti ahead of them and waited. When spies returned word that the enemy was coming, Moroni divided his forces and set the trap. The Lamanites soon found themselves surrounded on all sides by the Nephites. They were trapped and terrified!

Now, seeing this, interestingly Moroni commanded his forces to withdraw.
“…Behold Zerahemnah,” he cried, “[that] we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you. Behold we have not come out to battle against you that we might shed your blood for power, neither do we desire to bring any one to the yoke of bondage. But this is the very cause for which ye have come against us…” (Alma 44:1-2).

Well, why were the Nephites fighting then? They could have slaughtered their enemies at that moment and walked away with a decisive victory. But that is not why they were at war. They were fighting out of a God-given duty to defend their family, their country, and their Church. Moroni did not measure success in slaughter, but in the security of his rights, worship, and loved ones. And God justified him in that!

In the end Moroni prevailed. Notwithstanding that Zerahemnah’s forces outnumbered Moroni’s by more than double, Moroni took from them their weapons and an oath that they would not fight again, and he let them go home. Because Moroni and the Nephites fought on God’s terms, God fought for them and they were delivered against all odds.

Now my friends, we live in a day when every man, woman and child must learn to fight – must prepare! Why? – because it’s inevitable. Whether it be the home, the heart, or the land, the battle will come to him.