17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men [and women] had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. [ALMA 48:17]
IF
This two letter word is going to change your mind, heart and life today! And whenever you read this scripture from now on, you’re going to see yourself, not just read about Moroni, as a faithful warrior for Christ. Perhaps you already do see yourself as such and that’s awesome! Perhaps you’ve got the “Title of Liberty” proudly portrayed in your home and diligently and devotedly displayed (and written) on your heart.
BUT
Nevertheless, I know there are those who think becoming “like unto Moroni” is impossible for them. They have tried to be more righteous, but they keep failing and falling. They has aspired to reach and to live higher, but the winds keep blowing the Title of Liberty down, or tearing it down from wherever they hoist it, including their hearts. Please keep getting you back up and keep putting it back up!
WHY
I know life has a way of blinding us to the Light, Love and Truths of God. We not only wonder why we are enduring all the trials we are, but even asking why are we continuing to bother to press forward when life is always so dark and dreary. The WHY begins with the WHO—you are a child of God. He loves you! And the WHY is because He needs you and your heart in this world. He needs you to remember who and Whose you are and be able to help Him shake the powers of hell forever with your might, mind, heart and strength—even your very life. You may not be Moroni and leading an army, but through Christ you can do all things and defeat the devil in your heart, home and wherever else you are called to be if you will have the courage to keep hoisting the Title of Liberty (Alma 46:12-13, 20-22) wherever you are and wherever you go. It’s what Moroni would have done and did! I know you can too!
AND
Just in case you need some extra encouragement and reinforcements—which we all do because the devil doesn’t want us to realize that we really can become like Moroni!—you will find it in (Verse 18). What’s so special about this verse? If you know the story of Alma (the younger) and the Sons of Mosiah, “they were the very vilest of sinners” (Mosiah 28:4). Yet the Lord’s infinite mercy spared them and changed their hearts and lives, and in this verse they are being compared to being like Moroni as “men of God”!
As such I pray you will have more compassion for yourself, for your life and know that the Lord still loves you, needs you and can help purify and magnify your heart and life just as He did each of them and will help you truly become more like unto Moroni!
This week, may we each turn the “if” I was like Moroni, into “I am” becoming like Moroni, even like unto Jesus Christ, as I choose to follow Him and to go where He goes, to see what He sees, how He sees and to do and say what He would say. As we each do so, we will become more like unto Moroni and Jesus Christ and we will shake the very powers of hell and we will change this world for good and for God, forever…no matter what.