Captain Moroni and Alma

Moroni asks neglectful government leaders, "have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers?" (Alma 60:20). It was Alma who emphasized this teaching, when warned to do so by the angel (Mosiah 27:16), and Alma who taught this privately ("I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers," Alma 29:12; also 36:2, 28-29) and publicly ("Have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers?" (Alma 5:6). This appears to have been an important teaching of Alma that Moroni took to heart.

Another interesting phrase is Moroni’s, "my beloved brethren—for ye ought to be beloved" (Alma 60:10) which is used only by Alma ("my beloved brethren, for ye are my brethren, and ye ought to be beloved," Alma 9:30). Moroni’s teaching that the righteous who are killed are not lost, but enter into God’s rest, though expressed in different words, may also be based on his understanding of Alma’s teaching (Alma 14:11; Alma 60:12-13).

Key Insights

Moroni’s words suggest that, as a young man, he had heard and internalized the teachings of the prophet Alma, who was the High Priest over the Church of God during that time. Having done so, he was able to draw upon them during a challenging period of warfare and uncertainty. When we read the words of Moroni, we should ponder how we can more fully learn, remember, hearken to, and follow the teachings of our current prophet and other Church leaders, so that these teachings can bless us even in difficult times.