Alma 44

I noticed something while reading Alma 44. I noticed it probably because of my Family Relations class and the recent focus we've had on men and women and their characteristics as well as their divine role.

Captain Moroni and his men fought for liberty and for the right to worship as well as for their wives and children. They fought in defense of their lands, houses, wives, children, rights and privileges, and their liberty that they might worship God according to their desires (Alma 43:9). In my history classes previously, I've learned that those armies who are fighting on their home turf in defense of those same things, generally do better than the opposing and intruding army usually anticipates.

Then after Captain Moroni and his men surrounded the Lamanities, he didn't actually want to kill them, so he said:

"And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us—" (Alma 44:5, emphasis added).

The Family: A Proclamation to the World reads: "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families."

Fathers by divine design are to preside, provide, and protect.

When fathers are doing their best to fulfill their responsibilities they will be blessed. Captain Moroni not only sought counsel from the prophet and followed it. He not only was a brillant strategist. He was fighting for the things God would wish we fought for.

God had strengthened their arms by the sacred support which they owed to their wives and their children.

If a father does his best to fulfill their divine responsibilities, they will be blessed and strengthened. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be the best he can give.

That's what I noticed in this chapter that really spoke to me this time around.