Day 80: Alma 52-53

Before we can truly battle - and defeat - outside forces, we need to have our inner-vessel cleansed and free to partake of the Spirit in it's fullness. Moroni recognized this great truth and took measures to ensure the liberty of his people, by being united in one cause and not quarreling amongst themselves.

We all have inner conflict. Some of the greatest battles we fight are within our own minds and hearts. So how do we keep ourselves battle-ready sanctified by the Holy Spirit? Prayer and coming to know the will of the Lord. We must all make decisions daily to do the Lord's will. Many of us have entered into a covenant to always remember the Lord, and in so doing fight for our liberties. This can even be to fight for our liberty against sin, to be free from Satan's bondage.

Now enter the 2,000 stripling warriors - valiant and strong, true at all times.

Day 79: Alma 51-52

Within societies of great nations, a division has always been made - between those who love and cherish freedom, and those who wish for subjection, or to subject others, in the name of "security".

Like Moroni and Teancum, we must always "stand in readiness" to avoid being overtaken and destroyed by the enemy of light and freedom. The right and privilege to maintain freedom is hard won and requires effort; even sacrifice and lives. However, this freedom is what we all inherently desire. How unfortunate many have forgotten that vision or seek to take away another's freedom because of pride and inability to see others progress.

“One of our speakers yesterday said that we were living in a very critical time. For many years we have been living in peace and comparative prosperity, we have had no contentions with our neighbors; on the surface at least their feelings have been kindly, and apparently everything has been in the nature of peace and prosperity. But these are the times when Latter-day Saints should take heed concerning the revelations of the Lord and desire to keep his commandments with full purpose of heart, more perhaps than at any other time.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, Apr. 1926, p. 54)

Day 78: Alma 49-50

Amidst all the conflict, death, and fear, those faithful Saints found gratitude in the mercies of the Lord. Because of obedience and faithfulness in keeping the commands of the Lord, the people of Nephi were delivered at all times.

The prophet Joseph Smith stated: "Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God."

The Lord will keep His faithful one step ahead of Satan, fear, and death. We see yet another example of this promise in the beginning of Chapter 50. Though the Lamanites thought they have adapted to equal the Nephites in preparation, the Lord through His servants, took one additional step. Digging heaps of earth and placing timber walls around. Above that towers were erected as lookouts and safety to cast arrows and stones.

So the Lord prepares for us; Church auxiliary, wards, stakes (like the timber :)), and watchmen for the towers. Thus we too can be prepared for the coming of the enemies of righteousness.

Day 77: Alma 48-49

I like reading the comparison between good and evil; to see the qualities of each side. For in this we can more easily make our decisions day by day when we remember each side.

In 48:7-10 we read the preparations Moroni oversaw among the people. This preparation can be likened to our own lives as we seek to further the work of the Lord by helping bring souls to Him. We are prepared in mind and heart by our leaders to be faithful through friendship, responsibility, and being taught by the good word of God.

"Erecting small forts" - establishing the gospel within the home of each member with gospel teaching and love.

"Throwing up banks of earth" - foundation of Christ through scripture study to strengthen our testimony and thwart Satan from entering.

"Building walls of stone" - sealing our protection in the Lord through prayer and faith. We can pray for ourselves to avoid the temptations that come, as well as pray for all those around us to maintain the faith and soften the hearts of our enemies.

"In their weakest fortifications...did place the greater number of men" - Home and visiting teachers can be great assets in making sure both strong and weak in the gospel are watched over and protected; looking for holes in the fortifications and strengthen them. Be a friend!

Day 76: Alma 46-47

Let us consider Amalickiah as Satan and Lehonti as a member of the church like you or me. We are prepared for battle on a high mountain; standing in a holy place. We know the enemy is coming and are ready for him.

Amalickiah sends his secret embassy to tempt you to lower your standards and come all the way down the mountain. Standing on high ground, you of course refuse. You would never do something that stupid. Yet, Amalickiah persists. Like Satan, he tempts you a second and a third time. Wisely, you decline his offer. Just as your confidence waxes strong, Amalickiah tries one more time. This time, he doesn’t ask for any great thing. Rather, he has come almost all the way up to your camp—pretending to be completely harmless. He guarantees your safety if you just leave your comfort zone for a moment. “Bring your guards!” he says, coaxing you into his lair. You don’t have to come all the way down the mountain, just a short distance. This is the moment of decision for Lehonti. He is completely safe with his armies on top of mount Antipas.

Satan wants us to descend just a little, to make a little compromise, to travel to the edge, to push the limits. Does it matter that we have three times rejected the temptation? Are we really safe because "Amalickiah" presents no immediate threat?

Finally, Amalickiah offers Lehonti something he can’t refuse. He gets power, authority, and strength for nothing. Too good to be true! A temptation wrapped in tinsel. It looks great on the surface but danger and destruction lie in wait. Lehonti falls into the trap like a fly on flypaper. Having made just a small compromise, he left himself open for a large temptation. “It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing… Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one.” (C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, 48)

“Those who become followers of the evil one do not generally reach their captive state with one misdeed; they lose their freedom one sin at a time—one error after another—until almost all is lost. Flaxen cords are transformed into awful chains of steel as they allow themselves to follow the downward course. Each easy step away from the line of goodness and truth makes it more and more difficult to recover.” (Elder Carlos E. Asay, In the Lord's Service: A Guide to Spiritual Development [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1990], 74.)

Day 75: Alma 44-46

After reading these quotes, I figured this will suffice:

“We as a people have never known . Liberty has always been our blessed lot. Few of us have ever seen people who have lost their freedom-- their liberty. And when reminded of the danger of losing our liberty and independence our attitude has usually been: It cannot happen here.

We must never forget that nations may, and usually do, sow the seeds of their own destruction while enjoying unprecedented prosperity…

In that sacred volume of scripture, the Book of Mormon, we note the great and prolonged struggle for liberty. We also note the complacency of the people and their frequent willingness to give up their liberty for the promises of a would-be provider.

The record reveals that a man ‘of cunning device . . . and . . . many flattering words,’ . . . sought . . . ‘to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, . . .’ (Alma 46: 10.)

…This great general, Moroni…‘caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land.... and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.’ (Ibid., 46:36.)

This is our need today -- to plant the standard of liberty among our people throughout the Americas.

While this incident occurred some seventy years BC, the struggle went on through one thousand years covered by this sacred Book of Mormon record. In fact, the struggle for liberty is a continuing one -- it is with us in a very real sense today right here on this choice land of the Americas.” (President Ezra Taft Benson Conference Report, Oct. 1962, pp. 14-15)

“Of course, the war in heaven over free agency is now being waged here on earth, and there are those today who are saying ‘Look, don't get involved in the fight for freedom. Just live the gospel.’ That counsel is dangerous, self-contradictory, unsound…Now, part of the reason we may not have sufficient priesthood bearers to save the Constitution let alone to shake the powers of hell, is because unlike Moroni, I fear, our souls do not joy in keeping our country free, and we are not firm in the faith of Christ nor have we sworn with an oath to defend our rights and the liberty of our country.

Moroni raised a title of liberty and wrote upon it these words: ‘In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.’ Why didn't he write upon it: ‘Just live your religion; there's no need to concern yourselves about your freedom, your peace, your wives, or your children’? The reason he didn't do this was because all these things were a part of his religion, as they are of our religion today.

Should we counsel people, ‘Just live your religion. There's no need to get involved in the fight for freedom’? No, we should not, because our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion; this stand helped get us to this earth, and our reaction to freedom in this life will have eternal consequences. Man has many duties, but he has no excuse that can compensate for his loss of liberty.” (President Ezra Taft Benson Conference Report, Oct. 1966, p. 122)

Day 74: Alma 43-44

Have you prepared yourself for today? We can learn some amazing lessons from the chapters focus on wars and turmoil. Alma 43 teaches us the importance of being prepared and following the Lord.

Verse 19 mentions Moroni had prepared his people with breastplates, arm-shields, helmets, etc. So it is with the armor of God. The Lord provides this armor for our protection. We can choose whether or not to put it on each day, but it is there nonetheless. The armor of God is a gift endowed upon each of us, each day, if we but get on our knees and pour our hearts in humble prayer and give the Lord equal time in the scriptures. The Lord will help us recognize chinks in our armor or if a lacing is loose.

Verse 20, in contrast, explains how the Lamanites were not adequately protected. Here are two lessons in one. First, without the Lord, we are not protected against the cares of this world, and the temptations that do easily beset us. Secondly, Satan leaves his followers to fend for themselves; near naked and alone. The guise of protection falls quickly when confronted with truth and the power of the word of God. Once we go into battle, we then discover the once "brave" general leaves us to our own power.

Keep the Lord in your mind and heart today. Put him first before all else; everything will then fall into place.