To Be Like Moroni

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"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."  Alma 48:17

Wow...what a recommendation. So how can we be like Moroni? First we'll have to look at who Moroni was.

First, he was the Chief Captain, or Commander in Chief, of all the Nephite armies. He was also very young, being only twenty-five years old when he was made Chief Captain. He was also described as "a strong and mighty man," with a "perfect understanding," who "did not delight in bloodshed," but "whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country." (Alma 48: 11) He was also grateful to God, and "firm in the faith of Christ" (Alma 48: 12-13).

Being young and the commander of a large fighting force are a bit out of our control, and possibly even being strong and mighty, but the rest we can emulate. I do not claim to be an expert, but in my own personal experience I have found that as I make an effort to read the scriptures, discuss gospel principles, and pray to my Heavenly Father, my understanding of His plan for me increases. My understanding is not perfect, but I am certainly not confused.

As for delighting in bloodshed, I don't think many of us struggle with that problem. However, to a lesser degree, how many of us find satisfaction in occasionally causing pain? For example, when I feel someone has wronged me, I enjoy seeing them punished. The thing is, we need to delight in mercy, not justice. Justice is something we all have to bear, and which will come in its own due time; mercy, though, is our gift to extend.

Gratitude, interestingly enough, has been strongly correlated with happiness. Gratitude is also something that can be achieved through simple steps, which will allow it to become deeper and stronger as time goes by. For me, simply reflecting on my day before I go to bed helps me to feel gratitude for my Savior. I have also found that as I express gratitude to those people around me, it becomes easier for me to remember and express gratitude to God. This is not to say I am perfect in my gratitude, but I try.

Lastly, Moroni was described as "firm in the faith of Christ." This is something we all must come to achieve on our own, but I think the previous attributes all help to establish this firm faith. As for me, I am firm in my faith in Christ. I do not understand everything, but I know that my Savior lives. I know that He came to this earth, and accomplished the Atonement that I may have the opportunity return to live with my Heavenly Father. I know that I must be held accountable to justice, but that Christ delights in mercy, and has extended it to me.

My hope is that we all may come to know this as well, and that one day, perhaps, we all can be described as "like unto Moroni." Then, together, we can shake the very powers of hell. Now that would be cool.