A Call To Action

[JudoMinja]

For the first time, in reading chapter 60 of Alma, I saw much more than a letter to Pahoran- hence this thread:

Captain Moroni's letter to Latter-Day Saints- revised from his epistle to Pahoran (Alma 60)

Behold, I direct mine epistle unto you, (insert your name here), and also to all those who have been chosen to spread the fullness of the gospel.

For behold, I have somewhat to say unto them by the way of condemnation; for behold, ye yourselves know that ye have been appointed to gather together men and women, and arm them with the sword of the spirit, and with the words of the prophets, and with all manner of scripture and doctrine of every kind, and send forth against the adversary, in whatsoever means they should come into our homes.

And now behold, I say unto you that your missionaries, and your youth, and your brethren and sisters, have suffered exceedingly great sufferings; yea, even hunger, thirst, and fatigue of spirit, and all manner of afflictions of every kind.

But behold, were this all we had suffered we would not murmur nor complain.

But behold, great has been the spiritual slaughter among our people (the Latter-Day Saints); yea, thousands ahve fallen by transgression, while it might have otherwise been if ye had rendered unto your children and fellow saints sufficient strength and succor for them. Yea, great has been your neglect toward us.

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.

Can you think to sit upon your testimonies in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of doubt around you? Yea, while they are murdering (leading away from the church) thousands of your brethren and sisters-

Yea, even they who have looked up to you for instruction and protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have had family home evening/ sent missionaries unto/ shared your testimony with them, and have saved them from falling into sin.

But behold, this is not all- ye have withheld your scriptures and testimonies from them, insomuch that many have contended and served out their souls becuase of teh great desires which they had for the welfare of this people; yea, and this they have done when they were about to perish with spiritual hunger, because of your exceedingly great neglect towards them.

And now, my beloved brethren and sisters- for ye ought to be my beloved; 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 known unto God were all their cries, and all their sufferings-

Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your faith, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain.

Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been suffering 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 cunning deception; and behold it is to your condemnation,

For the Lord suffereth the righteous 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.

And now behold, I say unto you, I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people, because of their exceeding slothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our Priesthood holders, and their exceedingly great neglect towards their brethren, yea, towards those who have been slain.

For were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head (you), we could have withstood the adversary that he could have gained no power over us.

Yea, had it not been for the contentions which broke out among ourselves; yea, were it not for these proud-men/lazy-men, who caused so much disputations among ourselves; yea, at the time we were arguing among our families and wards, if we had united our stregth as we hitherto have done; yea, had it not been for the desire of power and authority which those proud-men had over us; had they been true to the cause of our freedom (repentance and redemption from sin), and united with us, and gone forth against the adversary, instead of taking up their tongues (backbiting and gossiping) against us, which was the cause of so much contention 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 fulfilling of his word.

But behold, now the adversary is coming upon us, taking possession of our homes, and he is destroying our faithful with corruption, 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 proud-men.

But why should I say much concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority (money, fame, acceptance, material gain, media, pornography). We know not but what ye are also traitors to your faith.

Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our church, and ye are surrounded by security (becoming complacent in the meetings of your ward), that ye do not cause visiting teachers to be sent unto us, and also home teachers to strengthen our families?

Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers (sin)? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of the adversary (repentance)?

Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our pues and do not make use of the doctrine which the Lord has provided for us?

Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands round about on the frontlines of this spiritual battle, who are falling by the sword, yea wounded and bleeding (doubting and depressed)?

Do you 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 inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also.

And now, except ye do repent of that which ye have done, and begin to be up and doing, and send forth spiritual nourishment and Priesthood blessings unto us, and also unto your children, that they may support these members of our wards and families that have been regained, and that we may also recover the remainder of those souls in these parts, behold it will be expedient that we contend no more with the world until we have first cleansed our inward vessel, yea even you (insert your name here).

And except ye grant mine epistle, and come out and show unto me a true spirit of freedom, and strive to strengthen and fortify our families, and grant unto them scripture, love, and nourishment for their support, behold I will leave a part of my faithful to maintain this part of our church, and I will leave the strength and the blessings of God upon them, that none other power can operate against them-

And this because of their exceeding faith, and their patience in their tribulations-

And I will come unto you, and if there be any among you that has a desire for repentance, yea, if there be even a spark of humility remaining, behold, I will stir up insurrections among you, even until those who have desires to usurp power and authority shall become extinct.

Yea, behold I do not fear your power nor your authority, but it is my God whom I fear; and it is according to his commandments that I do take the sword of truth to defend the gospel, and it is because of your iniquity that we have suffered so much loss.

Behold it is time, yea the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defense of your faith and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you; yea, and it shall fall upon you and visit you even to your utter destruction.

Behold, I wait for assistance from you; and, except ye do administer unto our relief, behold, I come unto you, even in (insert your location here), and smite you with the truth, insomuch that ye can have no more power to impoede the progress of this people in the cause of our salvation.

For behold, the Lord will not suffer that ye shall live and wax strong in your iniquities to destroy his righteous people.

Behold, can you suppose that the Lord will spare you and come out in judgment against the world, when it is the tradition 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?

Ye know that ye do transress 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 teachers and leaders do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall go up to battle against them.

And now behold, I, Moroni, am constrained, according to the covenant which I made to keep the commandments of God; therefore I would that ye should adhere to the word of God, and send speedily unto me of your scripture and your testimonies, and also to the youth.

And behold, if ye will not do this I come unto you speedily; for behold, God will not suffer that we should perish from spiritual hunger; therefore, he will give unto us of your doctrine, even if it must be by the truth. Now see that ye fulfill the word of God.

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 family. And thus I close mine epistle.

[Justice]

Yes, and even more interesting when you consider that Moroni is a type or symbol of Christ.

[marts1]

Reminds me of being in church reading that.:)