Alma 61

 (All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green6/21 8/22 Brown 10/23.) 

CHAPTER 61

Pahoran tells Moroni of the insurrection and rebellion against the government—The king-men take Zarahemla and are in league with the Lamanites—Pahoran asks for military aid against the rebels. About 62 B.C.

  1 Behold, now it came to pass that soon after Moroni had sent his epistle unto the chief governor, he received an epistle from ^aPahoran, the chief governor. And these are the words which he received: Pahoran was quick to respond to correct Moroni's "story"
  2 I, Pahoran, who am the chief governor of this land, do send these words unto Moroni, the chief captain over the army. Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great ^aafflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. Acknowledge; compassion
  3 But behold, there are those who do joy in your afflictions, yea, insomuch that they have risen up in ^arebellion against me, and also those of my people who are ^bfreemen, yea, and those who have risen up are exceedingly numerous.
  4 And it is those who have sought to take away the judgment-seat from me that have been the cause of this great iniquity; for they have used great ^aflattery, and they have ^bled away the hearts of many people, which will be the cause of sore affliction among us; they have withheld our provisions, and have daunted our ^cfreemen that they have not come unto you. What words of flattery did they use to lead away the hearts of many? Promises of wealth? ease? no consequence for choices? no rules? no accountability? false gods? incorrect view of God? Flattery is a test you can use to discern what you are being taught is true or not. If it appeals to the carnal man, then it is false. If it causes the natural man to feel uncomfortable then it is probably true... watch out for flattery! This applies to discerning true and false revelations and visitations.
  5 And behold, they have driven me out before them, and I have fled to the land of Gideon, with as many men as it were possible that I could get.
  6 And behold, I have sent a proclamation throughout this part of the land; and behold, they are ^aflocking to us ^bdaily, to their arms, in the defence of their country and their ^cfreedom, and to avenge our ^dwrongs.
  7 And they have come unto us, insomuch that those who have risen up in rebellion against us are set at defiance, yea, insomuch that they do fear us and durst not come out against us to battle.
  8 They have ^agot possession of the land, or the city, of Zarahemla; they have appointed a ^bking over them, and he hath written unto the king of the Lamanites, in the which he hath joined an alliance with him; in the which alliance he hath agreed to maintain the city of Zarahemla, which maintenance he supposeth will enable the Lamanites to conquer the remainder of the land, and he shall be placed king over this people when they shall be conquered ^cunder the Lamanites. Interesting that he's already a "king", but he thinks he can secure that position by uniting with the Lamanites and being a "king" under their rule...
  9 And now, in your epistle you have ^acensured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek  for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us ^cfree. He sees Moroni's intention and doesn't take it personally. He unites with his "greatness of heart" over preserving rights and liberty in God.
 10 And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed. We would ^anot shed the blood of the Lamanites if they would stay in their own land. Ah....there you have it. You do not fear resisting wickedness, even if it brings persecution, war, or death. "Stand for truth and righteousness at ALL times, in ALL things, in ALL places! (Feels appropriate to post this here:)

MESSAGE TO THE UNVACCINATED: (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

  "Even if I were fully vaccinated, I would admire the unvaccinated for withstanding the greatest pressure I have ever seen, even from partners, parents, children, friends, colleagues and doctors.
  People who were capable of such personality, courage and critical ability are undoubtedly the best of humanity. They are everywhere, in all ages, levels of education, states, and ideas. They are of a special kind; they are the soldiers that every army of light wants to have in its ranks. They are the parents that every child wants to have and the children that every parent dreams of having. They are beings above the average of their societies, they are the essence of the people who have built all cultures and conquered horizons. They are there, next to you, they look normal, but they are superheroes.
  They did what others could not, they were the tree that withstood the hurricane of insults, discrimination and social exclusion. And they did it because they thought they were alone, and believed they were the only ones.
  Banned from their families' tables at Christmas, they never saw anything so cruel. They lost their jobs, let their careers sink, had no more money...but they didn't care. They suffered immeasurable discrimination, denunciation, betrayal and humiliation...but they kept going
  Never before in humanity has there been such a "casting", now we know who are the best on planet Earth. Women, men, old, young, rich, poor, of all races or religions, the unvaccinated, the chosen of the invisible ark, the only ones who managed to resist when everything collapsed.
  That's you. You passed an unimaginable test that many of the toughest Marines, commandos, Green Berets, astronauts and geniuses could not withstand.
  You are made of the stuff of the greatest who ever lived, those heroes born among ordinary men who glow in the dark."

 11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren if they would not rise up in rebellion and take the sword against us.
 12 We would subject ourselves to the ^ayoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us so to do. Sounds like two different things... Does God ask us to submit to bondage sometimes? Isn't submitting to bondage not standing for truth and righteous even unto death? 
 13 But behold he doth not command us that we shall subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our ^atrust in him, and he will deliver us. Is he saying God doesn't command them to subject themselves in this particular case or as a general rule...
 14 Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our ^awords, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us ^bresist them with our swords, that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God. Always try "words" first...
 15 Therefore, come unto me speedily with a few of your men, and leave the remainder in the charge of Lehi and Teancum; give unto them power to conduct the ^awar in that part of the land, according to the ^bSpirit of God, which is also the ^cspirit of freedom which is in them. Interesting...the Spirit of God is also the spirit of freedom. Seems like you cannot claim to have the Spirit of God if you do not also feel a spirit of freedom. Does that mean that everyone who is passively submitting to the bondage rule of covid don't have the spirit of God?
 16 Behold I have sent a few provisions unto them, that they may not perish until ye can come unto me.
 17 Gather together whatsoever force ye can upon your march hither, and we will go speedily against those dissenters, in the strength of our God according to the faith which is in us. This is the only way to fight - in the strength of God and with faith in Him.
 18 And we will ^atake possession of the city of Zarahemla, that we may obtain more food to send forth unto Lehi and Teancum; yea, we will go forth against them in the strength of the Lord, in the spirit of freedom and we will put an end to this great iniquity.
 19 And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren.
 20 But ye have said, except they repent the Lord ^ahath commanded you that ye should go against them.
 21 See that ye ^astrengthen Lehi and Teancum in the Lord; tell them to fear not, for God will deliver them, yea, and also all those who ^bstand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free. And now I close mine epistle to my beloved brother, Moroni.  This is our promise and faith also...or should be. Fear not! God will deliver you. Stand fast in that liberty which God has given you to make you free! The following feels appropriate here:

Alma 60

 (All of my own thoughts are in red type 7/20 green6/21 8/22 Brown 10/23)

CHAPTER 60

Moroni complains to Pahoran of the government’s neglect of the armies—The Lord suffers the righteous to be slain—The Nephites must use all of their power and means to deliver themselves from their enemies—Moroni threatens to fight against the government unless help is supplied to his armies. About 62 B.C.

  1 And it came to pass that he wrote ^aagain to the governor of the land, who was Pahoran, and these are the words which he wrote, saying: Behold, I direct mine epistle to Pahoran, in the city of Zarahemla, who is the chief judge and the  ^bgovernor over the land, and also to all those who have been chosen by this people to govern and manage the affairs of this war. Not just directed at Pahoran  
  2 For behold, I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of ^acondemnation; for behold, ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed to gather together men, and arm them with swords, and with cimeters, and all manner of weapons of war of every kind, and send forth against the Lamanites, in whatsoever parts they should come into our land.
  3 And now behold, I say unto you that myself, and also my men, and also Helaman and his men, have suffered exceedingly great ^asufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue, and all manner of afflictions of every kind.
  4 But behold, were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain. We expect these afflictions? Or would not blame them for those afflictions.
  5 But behold, great has been the slaughter among our people; yea, thousands have fallen by the sword, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto our armies sufficient strength and succor for them. Yea, great has been your neglect towards us. Thousands of "preventable" deaths would make you kind of angry! I fear we will hear this accusation soon from the members of our church regarding the jab... Moroni has seen miraculous success when outnumbered before. He must have believed the "sins" of Pahoran could bring judgment on them? 
  6 And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state.
  7 Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless ^astupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren—
  8 Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword. The parallel I would draw here is, where are the priesthood healings to prevent damage/death from the "recommended" vax? 
  9 But behold, this is not all—ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people; yea, and this they have done when they were about to ^aperish with hunger, because of your exceedingly great neglect towards them.
 10 And now, my beloved brethren—for ye ought to be beloved; He's angry, but he still has perspective yea, and ye ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people; but behold, ye have neglected them insomuch that the blood of thousands shall come upon your heads for vengeance; yea, for ^aknown unto God were all their cries, and all their sufferings
 11 Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? This same logic applies to us and our obedience to the commandments or not. It is not the goodness of God that will save us, but our goodness towards God, for which He will bless us. Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain. Elder Renlund used this scripture (and vs 21) to teach that we not taking medicine when we are sick and just relying on faith alone to heal us is the same as "sitting upon our thrones and doing nothing". Sorry. I disagree and I believe the scriptures disagree. One truth cannot cause another to fall. If that application is true, then how is the scripture "He that hath faith to be healed shall be healed" be true?
 12 Do ye ^asuppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain; for I say unto you, there are many who have fallen by the sword; and behold it is to your condemnation; In the last chapter it ends with the idea that they were losing because of wickedness on the part of those fighting, but here Moroni states that the wickedness may have not been their own, but their leaders.
 13 For the Lord suffereth the ^arighteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God. We can take solace in the many deaths that are coming to those who with righteous intent followed the prophet...
 14 And now behold, I say unto you, I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people, because of their exceeding ^aslothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our government, and their exceedingly great neglect towards their brethren, yea, towards those who have been slain.
 15 For were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head, we ^acould have withstood our enemies that they could have gained no power over us.
 16 Yea, had it not been for the war which broke out ^aamong ourselves; yea, were it not for these ^bking-men, who caused so much bloodshed among ourselves; yea, at the time we were contending among ourselves, if we had united our strength as we hitherto have done; yea, had it not been for the desire of power and authority which those king-men had over us; had they been true to the cause of our freedom, and united with us, and gone forth against our enemies, instead of taking up their swords against us, which was the cause of so much bloodshed among ourselves; yea, if we had gone forth against them in the strength of the Lord, we should have dispersed our enemies, for it would have been done, according to the ^cfulfilling of his word.
 17 But behold, now the Lamanites are coming upon us, taking ^apossession of our lands, and they are murdering our people with the sword, yea, our women and our children, and also carrying them away captive, causing them that they should suffer all manner of afflictions, and this because of the great wickedness of those who are seeking for power and authority, yea, even those king-men.
 18 But why should I say much concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority. We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country.
 19 Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our country and ye are ^asurrounded by security, that ye do not cause food to be sent unto us, and also men to strengthen our armies?
 20 Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies?
 21 Or do ye suppose that the Lord ^awill still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us? I submit that that "means" is FAITH, OBEDIENCE, and SACRIFICE.
 22 Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, this is ALOT of potential help...who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding?
 23 Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the ^ainward vessel shall be ^bcleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also. Upon my house it shall begin...
 24 And now, except ye do repent of that which ye have done, and begin to be up and doing, and send forth food and men unto us, and also unto Helaman, that he may support those parts of our country which he has regained, and that we may also recover the remainder of our possessions in these parts, behold it will be expedient that we contend no more with the Lamanites until we have first cleansed our inward vessel, yea, even the great head of our government. We need to stop sending aid to other countries to fight wars, and cleanse our own government...
 25 And except ye grant mine epistle, and come out and show unto me a true ^aspirit of freedom, and strive to strengthen and fortify our armies, and grant unto them food for their support, behold I will leave a part of my freemen to maintain this part of our land, and I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them, that none other power can operate against them—
 26 And this because of their exceeding faith, and their patience in their ^atribulations—
 27 And I will come unto you, and if there be any among you that has a desire for freedom, yea, if there be even a spark of freedom remaining, behold I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct.
 28 Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my ^aGod whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take my sword to defend the cause of my country, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.
 29 Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the ^asword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.
 30 Behold, I wait for assistance from you; and, except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in the land of Zarahemla, and smite you with the sword, insomuch that ye can have no more power to impede the progress of this people in the cause of our freedom.
 31 For behold, the Lord will not suffer that ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy his righteous people.
 32 Behold, can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the Lamanites, when it is the ^atradition of their fathers that has caused their hatred, yea, and it has been redoubled by those who have dissented from us, while your iniquity is for the cause of your love of glory and the vain things of the world? Here is an example of how different stories/circumstance render different accountability. The Lamanites are victims of false traditions and the influence of wicked Nephites. The Nephites, he accuses of wickedness because they choose it.
 33 Ye know that ye do transgress the laws of God, and ye do know that ye do trample them under your feet. Behold, the Lord saith unto me: If those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and ^ainiquities, ye shall ^bgo up to battle against them. We did this during the revolutionary war. Will this happen again?
 34 And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I have made to keep the commandments of my God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your provisions and of your men, and also to Helaman.
 35 And behold, if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily; for behold, God will not suffer that we should perish with hunger; therefore he will give unto us of your food, even if it must be by the sword. Now see that ye fulfil the word of God.
 36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I ^aseek not for power, but to pull it down. I ^bseek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle. Amen! What is there to learn from this example of righteous Moroni not being given the truth by revelation as to what is really happening with Pahoran? (that we will see in the next chapter). He was wrong in his assumptions of what was going on. Why did the Lord allow him to believe those things? Why did he not receive the gift of discernment on this? Was it so the truths he taught in his letter would be recorded for the things they teach us in our day? Did Moroni sin in writing that letter and his accusations? Hmmm....