Captain Courageous

Something I have never understood is how people can get bored during the war chapters in the Book of Mormon. For me, it's the opposite; I wish I could skim until I get to the war chapters. (Too bad I know the other stuff is good too.) Maybe I have a weird perception of life. I think of everything as a battle between the forces of good and evil. If I'm mad at my husband, I am dueling the forces of pride within myself to conquer it with humility so that I can apologize for my part of the problem. If I'm feeling down, my war is with my own mental processes so that I can hack away at the negativity that will suck me into the whirlpool of sadness. When lethargy keeps me glued to my bed, I clash swords with my own willpower. The tide of the battle depends on which side wins, and how often they win.

One story in particular has been in my mind lately. Moroni had just gotten a letter from Helaman that explained how his army of very young men had managed to take several cities back from the Lamanites without bloodshed. Helaman was worried that his little army wouldn't be able to hold all the cities though, once the Lamanites attacked again. Moroni, being the good friend that he was, immediately petitioned the government for more troops to bolster those of Helaman. He doesn't hear anything for a long time. He gets really frustrated and even angry at the government because they are sitting on his petition while these young boys are in danger trying to defend these cities. He ends up writing a scathing letter chewing out Pahoran, the Chief Judge (President-guy) for slacking in their duties, causing the death of thousands of people through a lack of reinforcements, and not caring about the extreme suffering their men.

Finally, Moroni hears back from Pahoran. He expresses his sorrow that the soldiers had experienced so much loss and pain. Then, he explains why he hadn't sent the reinforcements. There had been a political uprising, with rebellion in their own country. Those who had wanted a king instead of a more democratic government had attacked the Chief Judge and he had run for his life, gathering as many people as he could into safety. While trying to amass his own army, the rebels had been blocking his provisions and keeping the army from reinforcing Helaman's group. After completely taking over the city, the rebels joined forces with the Lamanites. Pahoran and those who had escaped were hungry and trying desperately to get the city back so they could preserve their freedoms and not starve to death. In his letter, he asked Moroni to come and back him up so they wouldn't all die.

I don't know why this story has been in my mind so much. It just struck me that we can desperately need someone to help us, and even condemn them in our minds for not coming to our rescue. All the while, unbeknownst to us, they may be fighting their own battles, and may be so deep in their own survival that they have nothing more to give.

It has just been something for me to think about.