Alma 46:11-15
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The Book of Mormon > Alma > Chapter 46
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Questions
- Verse 11 seems to indicate that the Title of Liberty episode was inspired by Moroni's anger. In several cases Moroni is said to be angry (Alma 44:17; Alma 55:1; Alma 59:13). Given Christ's teachings that we shouldn't contend with one another in anger (3 Ne 11:29-30), how should we understand Captain Moroni's anger?
Lexical notes
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Moroni uses inspiring words in his Title of Liberty. These words remind the people what is their duty to defend.
Exegesis
Verse 11 tells us that Moroni was angry with Amalickiah. Jesus teaches in 3 Ne 11:30 that it is his doctrine to do away with anger from one person to another. But we also know from Alma 48:17 that if all were like Moroni the devil would have no power over the hearts of men. In light of these scriptures there are two possible ways to interpret Moroni's anger here:
- The first interpretation distinguishes righteous and unrighteous anger. In that interpretation the anger referred to in 3 Ne 11:29-30 would obviously be unrighteous anger, but Moroni's anger, as displayed here, Alma 44:17, Alma 55:1 and Alma 59:13, would be righteous anger. That reading fits well with the strongly positive comment about Moroni in Alma 48:17.
- In the second interpretation Moroni does have a problem with anger despite the positive words about him in Alma 48:17. This interpretation makes sense of those positive words by looking at the context. The previous verse tells us of Moroni's strengths: his great faith, that he didn't glory in shedding blood, that he did glory in preserving his people, and that he gloried in keeping the commandments. In this interpretation it it is these positive characteristics that Mormon is praising--not his anger. This interpretation inteprets 3 Ne 11:29-30 without needing to interject the concept of righteous anger which isn't mentioned there. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that Moroni is angry in Alma 59:13 when he falsely accuses Pahoran in Alma 60. The fact that Mormon chooses to include this episode where Moroni's anger leads him to false accusation suggests that Mormon did not want us to emulate Moroni's anger when he praises him in Alma 48:17.
Verse 12 - The Title of Liberty The Title of Liberty stands as a symbol to Nephites (or Christians) at the time of their great difficulty to inspire and build confidence in their cause against the Lamanites. Moroni rends his coat (a symbol in and of itself) and writes on it the following: "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." The Nephites were in dire circumstances at this time and the Title of Liberty helped stir up the Nephites into remembrance for what their duty was to their God, religion, freedom, peace, and families. It is important to remember that God has commanded us that as long as we are not guilty of the first or second offense, we have a duty to defend ourselves against our enemies. Moroni could not have put this more appropriately than by writing on his rent piece of coat and establishing the Title of Liberty. Our God, our religon, our freedom, our peace and our families are truly the most important things to us and we should always hold the Title of Liberty in the back of our minds to remind us to not only fight appropriately for these things, but live worthily of them as well.
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