The war chapters, in Alma, are probably my favorite in all of scripture.\u00a0 I have written in at the top of these chapters,\u00a0 FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH, because I feel this is where we get the best information on how to fight the adversary and save our children.<\/p>\n
Follow along in your own scriptures as I dissect Chapter 49:<\/p>\n
Amalickiah (the former Nephite) is now the king of the Lamanites.\u00a0 \u201cFormer Mormons\u201d can really be hard core.\u00a0 All of his generals are former Nephites.\u00a0 They know the Nephites and they know their weaknesses.\u00a0 The city of\u00a0Ammonihah has been completely wiped out (because the Lord let the Lamanites have at them), so that\u2019s where the Lamanites are headed, in order to destroy more Nephites.\u00a0 Clearly, that is what Satan is all about: monitoring our weaknesses and hitting us when we\u2019re down.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you, but I never want to be considered \u201ceasy prey\u201d to Satan.<\/p>\n
Moroni is truly a genius.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t fight the expected fight, he doesn\u2019t do what\u2019s always been done.\u00a0 He comes up with a new plan; one that had \u201cnever been known among the children of Lehi\u201d.\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to come up with various ways to outsmart Satan, but the Lord knows how to do it, and keep doing it.\u00a0 Just think if we relied on the Lord for complete protection, we\u2019d be banging out new, brilliant ideas to thwart Satan all the time.\u00a0 Instead, we often end up like the Ammonihahites.\u00a0 Moroni creates high ridges, so high that everything is covered and protected, and there is only one way in and one way out.\u00a0 Parents can\u2019t be afraid to be that overprotective.\u00a0 Plus, they need to be willing to follow the protection rules themselves. (Just something to think about.)\u00a0 I love that the Lamanites were \u201castonished exceedingly because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security.\u201d\u00a0 In our day and age, playtime is over; the war is on.<\/p>\n
Instead of waiting around to be attacked, Moroni is on the offensive by building up every weak point he is responsible over.\u00a0 As the Lamanites\/Satan wander around, looking for a way in, they discover there is no way in.\u00a0 The Lord has promised us that if we go to Him for help, He will make our weakness a strength to us.\u00a0 Can you imagine being so strong, Satan has no power over you?\u00a0 Can you imagine training and teaching your children and grandchildren this same concept?\u00a0 Clearly, it helps to start when kids are young, but even still, I believe what the Lord said; He will make it so, according to our faith.<\/p>\n
I always hoped to give birth to Stripling Warriors and I happily ended up with four (okay, six, my girls are pretty and mighty too).\u00a0 As the boys grew to be big guys I would call them my \u201cno-necks\u201d.\u00a0 You know how football players tend to have huge shoulders, then a huge head.\u00a0 There\u2019s no visible neck.\u00a0 That\u2019s how I imagine all Nephites to look like (please don\u2019t disappointment me, Nephite people!).\u00a0 It has become a great compliment, in our family, when someone is called a \u201cno-neck\u201d.\u00a0 I am calling Lehi a \u201cno-neck\u201d.\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 The Lamanites were all afraid of this guy.\u00a0 He had a reputation for righteousness, and apparently he wasn\u2019t embarrassed about it.\u00a0 We should all be so inclined.<\/p>\n
As Moroni fortified these cities, he left only one opening, so he could control what comes in and what goes out.\u00a0 Still, the Lamanites tried to force their way through, but Moroni and his people were vigilant.\u00a0 \u201cThe Nephites had all power over their enemies\u201d.\u00a0 Lamanites were being killed right and left, but the Nephites were protected and saved (bruised, but saved).\u00a0 There really is something to the Armor of God.\u00a0 After winning and overcoming, the Nephites knew whom to thank for their victory and delivery.<\/p>\n
The Nephites owed all of their success to their willingness to give heed (to pay CLOSE attention to) and diligence (to be industrious) to their prophets.\u00a0 Our prophets continue to give us all the tactics necessary to fight the war.\u00a0 Our ability to heed and be diligent is up to us. \u00a0There\u2019s still time to read the most recent Conference Addresses to find out what we should be doing and teaching.\u00a0 There\u2019s still time to pray for strength and strategy.\u00a0 And yes, I\u2019m keeping my eyes open for \u201cno-necks\u201d; our world could sure use more of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The war chapters, in Alma, are probably my favorite in all of scripture.\u00a0 I have written in at the top of these chapters,\u00a0 FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH, because I feel this is where we get the best information on how to fight the adversary and save our children. Follow along in your own scriptures […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[477,6,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family-2","category-scriptures","category-relief-societyyoung-women"],"yoast_head":"\n