Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome. Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4). This priority was not only reflecte...
After making the initial proposal, Moroni later refused to exchange prisoners with Ammoron. This puzzling change of events left me wondering about Moroni's motivations, and whether or not his decision was inspired. Upon first reading, it seemed like Moroni was motivated by anger or arrogance without regard for the welfare of his imprisoned peopled. "Now it came to pass that when Moroni had received this epistle he was more angry, because he knew that Ammoron had a perfect knowledge of his fraud; yea, he knew that Ammoron knew that it was not a just cause that had caused him to wage a war against the people of Nephi. And he said: Behold, I will not exchange prisoners with Ammoron save he will withdraw his purpose, as I have stated in my epistle; for I will not grant unto him that he shall have any more power than what he hath got" (Alma 55:1-2). Why would Moroni concern himself with Ammoron's motivations and forego the opportunity to save a significant number of his people in bondage? In my experience, feeling resentment or frustration over another person's insincerity is unproductive, and punishes the person feeling upset, not the offender.
So why did Moroni back away from the prisoner exchange? In his own words, Moroni sought leverage to persuade Ammoron to "withdraw his purposes." His ultimate goals was to end the war. Finding a long-term solution to Lamanite aggression was more important than the immediate reprieve of freeing captured Nephites. It was Moroni's vision for lasting peace, not his ego, that drove him to what must have been a difficult decision. Not only would exchanging prisoners would have increased Ammoron's military strength, it would have done nothing to prevent future aggression.
Instead, Moroni used strategy to liberate his imprisoned people. He found a solider in his army of Lamanite descent and sent him to the Lamanites to pose as an escaped prisoner. The spy took with him wine that he claimed to have stolen from the Nephites. The Lamanites drank the wine, giving the Nephites an opportunity to escape while they were inebriated and sleeping. Alma recounted: "behold they were drunken and the Nephites could have slain them. But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction; and for this cause he might not bring upon him injustice, he would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in their drunkenness. But he had obtained his desires..." (Alma 55:18-19). Alma reiterated Moroni's commitment to the peace and safety of his people. Moroni recognized that killing the Lamanites was not necessary to achieving his objective, and would have "brought upon him injustice." Moroni resisted the desire for revenge and refused to tarnish his soul with gratuitous violence.
The Nephites surrounded the city and armed the prisoners within while the Lamanites slept. As a result, they recaptured the city and took all the Lamanite guards captive without sustaining or inflicting any casualties. From Moroni's example we can glean lessons about pursuing righteous goals and dealing with difficult people. He maintained a singular focus on his values, and long-term vision of peace for his people, even when it would have been easy to give in to ego, or settle for short-term wins. He set clear boundaries with his adversary that focused on self-preservation, not aggression. Even when he had the upper hand, he was not punitive or malevolent. While this passage of scripture does not explicitly state that Moroni's response to Ammoron's letter, or his stratagem to free the prisoners, was directed or revealed by God, I think we can confidently emulate his restraint and humanity.
Application Questions
What is your most important goal right now? What could prevent you from reaching it? How can you learn from Moroni's example to overcome obstacles and remain focused?
Who is the most difficult person in your life? Do you ever do things out of anger or ego to punish them? How can you you engage them with empathy and still ensure you are safe and your needs are met?
Image Credit: Joseph Brikey
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