Social Media Advice from Captain Moroni: Act The Way You Were Taught

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12 exemplifies the world that we live in so well. We may not have to fight in physical battles (if we're lucky), but we are in a constant war with our words, beliefs, ideologies, and principles. If you watch the news or even go on social media, you'll see that there is a lot of anger out there with people arguing back and forth because of opposing viewpoints. You may see some of your friends and family engage in these conversations. You might also be participating in them yourself. 

Sometimes it can be too easy to stoop down to the level of anger and sleaze that is so pervasive on the internet. So how do we overcome it? How do we engage better in a world that is filled with so much anger? Let's start with the Book of Mormon.

The following is taken from the book Captain Moroni's Command by David E. Spencer.

As the Book of Mormon was written for the latter days (Mormon 3:17–22), Captain Moroni is an example worth emulating. The fundamental theme of Captain Moroni’s service is that it’s possible for individuals heavily involved in war to still retain their ideals and avoid descent to the depredations often associated with armed conflict.

What were Captain Moroni’s attributes that made him so great?

In Alma 48:11–13, Mormon gives us some clues: he was physically strong and mighty, intelligent, and a patriot in the sense that he was willing to fight and dedicate his life to the freedom and liberty of his country; however (and this is key), he did not delight in bloodshed (verse 11).

He was a religious man, one who feared God and recognized His hand in all things, especially his victories. In other words, he acknowledged his total dependence on God to win. He felt so strongly about his faith that he was willing to give his life so that others might enjoy the right to worship (verses 12, 13).

Finally, and above all, he was a hard worker and was constantly involved in improving the defenses of his people (verse 12). He faced problems head-on wherever he found them and never held back.

What else is known about him? From the remainder of the account, we know that he was a man of action. He led many armies personally and was wounded in battle (Alma 52:35). He cared deeply for his men and was enraged when he thought they were being mistreated by the government. A typical soldier, he hated bureaucracy, especially when it affected his soldiers’ lives.

He had a temper and could be impulsive, often when confronted by real or perceived incompetence and wickedness that caused innocents to die or suffer in misery (Alma 59:13). He could be judgmental and critical if he thought a person deserved it, as can be seen by the letters that he wrote to Ammoron, the enemy leader, and Pahoran, Moroni’s own political leader (Alma 54:5–14; 60).

From these descriptions given to us from the Book of Mormon and the book, Captain Moroni's Command by David E. Spencer, it shows that Captain Moroni had many similarities to us as individuals now in the latter-days. This is important to realize for a few reasons. 

It goes to show that Heavenly Father holds all of His children to high standards. No one just gets special abilities that will make them great and righteous. Captain Moroni has just as many flaws and faults as you and me.

If Captain Moroni can go through years of war, violence, and loss, and still retain his ideals and avoid descent to the depredations often associated with armed conflict, then we too, when we engage in conversations on social media and with our fellow man, can retain the ideals that we have been taught. Like we said at the beginning of the blog:

Sometimes it can be too easy to stoop down to a level of anger and sleaze that is so pervasive on the internet. So how do we overcome it? How do we engage better in a world that is filled with so much anger?

Be like Captain Moroni. 

** The following was taken from Captain Moroni's Command by David E. Spencer. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to David Spencer and Tyler Carpenter and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc.