A True Friend of Liberty

Alma 62:37 " . . "(Teancum) had been a man who had fought valiantly for his country, yea, a true friend to liberty . . "

Ordinary American citizens can be true friends of liberty by devoting their lives to principles of liberty as embodied in the US Constitution.

Stand Fast in Liberty

Alma 61:21 ". . fear not, for God will deliver them, yea, and also all those who stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free."

The opposite of "standing fast for liberty" is sitting down with nations that chant "Death to America!"

I Seek Not for Honor

Alma 60:36 "Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country."

Electing a "chief captain" like Moroni will restore the ideologies of liberty, law, and order to America and to our chaotic world.

Keep the City from Falling

Alma 59:9 ". . knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it from them, . ."

"Leading from behind" is another way of saying give your enemies the power.

The Cause of Our Liberty

Alma 58:12 "And we did take courage . . with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty."

The cause of liberty must be revisited in every generation.

They Trust in God Continually

Alma 57:27 "Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually."

Deliverance associates with trust in God.

The Price of Liberty

Alma 56:47 ". . they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; . . "

When we stand for liberty, we stand for generations past, present, and future.

Saving His People

Alma 55:19 ". . (Moroni) did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction;"

A leader worth following is one who uses power to save "his people" rather than to destroy them.

Ye Have Sought to Murder Us

Alma 54:13 (Captain Moroni) "Behold, I am in my anger, and also my people; ye have sought to murder us, and we have only sought to defend ourselves. But behold, if ye seek to destroy us more we will seek to destroy you; . ."

American lives matter. Americans stand for . . . and sometimes die for . . . life and liberty.

Causes of Danger Among Themselves

Alma 53;9 "And thus because of iniquity amongst themselves, yea, because of dissensions and intrigue among themselves they were placed in the most dangerous circumstances."

Danger is the shadow of sin, contention, and intrigue (weird stuff).

Failure Begins with Confusion

Alma 52:36 ". . the remainder of them, being much confused, knew not whether to go or to strike."

Victory slips away when clarity of purpose and direction are absent.

There Began to Be Contention

Alma 51:2 ". . they did not long maintain an entire peace in the land, for there began to be a contention . . "

Contention interrupts peace every time. We call this history.

But Remember

Alma 50:20 "Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord."

How many times are these statements made in the Book of Mormon?

Thus They Were Prepared

Alma 49:14,20 ". . to their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong, . . Thus they were prepared . . to defend themselves"

Preparation is the key to a strong defense.

Choosing Good Over Evil

Alma 48:7 ". . while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God."

God is good. The Devil is evil. The choice should be easy. History shows that it isn't.

By His Fraud

Alma 47:30 ". . and thus Amalickiah, by his fraud, gained the hearts of the people."

Only followers can anoint a leader with power.

In Memory of Our God

Alma 46:12 "And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it --In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children--
and he fastened it upon the end of a pole."

What is the price of liberty?

The Curse and the Blessing

Alma 45:16 ". . Thus saith the Lord God--Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe; and as I have said so shall it be; for this is the cursing and the blessing of God upon the land, for the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance."

The United States of America is part of "this land."

Ye Cannot Destroy Our Faith

Alma 44:3 "But now, ye behold that the Lord is with us; . . And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith."

"Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Inspired By a Better Cause

Alma 43:45 "Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church."

 Some things are worth fighting, even dying for.

Partake of the Waters of Life

Alma 42:27 "Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds."

God's love is founded on freedom of choice.

Good or Evil Restored

Alma 41:15 "For that (good or evil) which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored (to you after death);"

*Wickedness never was happiness (verse 10) . . . and never will be.

Life After Life

Alma 40:11 "Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection . . the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body . .  whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life."

We find peace as we prepare daily to meet God.

When is the Last Day?

Alma 39:8 ". . ye cannot hide your crimes from God; and except ye repent they will stand as a testimony against you at the last day."

God knows everything. There is no hiding place. He still loves us anyway. One day will be "the last day" to come to Him.

Prosper in the Land

Alma 38:1 ". . inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence."

Happy Independence Day to all Americans!
Keeping God's commandments prospers us physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially, and financially.

Look to God and Live

Alma 37:47 "And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell."

Jesus Christ is The way. The truth. The life. There is no other.

Comparing Temporal and Spiritual Knowledge

Alma 36:4 "And I would not that ye think that I know of myself--not of the temporal but of the spiritual, not of the carnal mind but of God."

The knowledge of man shifts like the tide. God's knowledge is stable -- today, yesterday, and forever.

Popularity Vs. the Word of God

Alma 35:3 ". . after the more popular part of the Zoramites had consulted together concerning the words which had been preached unto them, they were angry because of the word, for it did destroy their craft;"

The choice between popularity and the word of God is a very old theme.