[MUSIC PLAYING] I won that model from Casper Wright when I was knee high to a roach bug. There wasn't a kid in school who didn't want that model. It's cool, Grandpa. Excuse the mess, Cody. I guess I'm somewhat of a pack rat, huh? I was just going through some memories here. You sure got a lot of them. Most people my age do.

Now that's a picture of me and a war buddy. You sure look different. I got old. It happens to people sometimes now and again.

Wow, you must have been a real hero, Grandpa. Nope, just did my duty like everybody else. Mom says you're a hero. Oh, she does, does she? Is that what you think a hero is--someone with a lot of medals? I guess so. Slide that Book of Mormon over to me.

I have a hero.

His name was Chief Captain Moroni. Chief Captain? Uh huh. Listen to this: "Yea verily, I say unto you, if all men 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 men." [MUSIC PLAYING] [WAR CRIES] Moroni was a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and freedom of his country, but a man that did not delight in bloodshed. Yet Moroni had to take up arms because the Lamanites had come upon them, led by a man named Zerahemnah. [MUSIC PLAYING] And it came to pass that the Lamanites became frightened, because of the great destruction among them, even until they began to flee towards the river Sidon. [MUSIC PLAYING] And they were driven insomuch that they were gathered together in one body in the valley, upon the bank by the river Sidon. Then Moroni encircled them about on both sides of the river. [WAR CRIES] Now, when Moroni saw their terror, he commanded his men that they should stop.

Zerahemnah, we do not desire to be men of blood. Ye know that ye are in our hands, yet we do not desire to slay you. We have not come out to battle against you that we might shed your blood for power; neither do we desire to bring any one to the yoke of bondage. But this is the very cause for which ye have come against us.

And ye are angry with us because of our religion. Ye behold that the Lord is with us; he has delivered you into our hands. This is done unto us because of our religion and our faith in Christ. And now ye see that ye cannot destroy this our faith. Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, that ye deliver up your weapons of war unto us, and we will spare your lives, if ye will go your way and come not again to war against us. But if ye do not this, I will command my men that they shall fall upon you, and inflict the wounds of death, that ye may become extinct; and then we will see who shall have power over this people. Then we will see who shall be brought into bondage.

Here are our weapons of war; we will deliver them up unto you, but we will not suffer ourselves to take an oath unto you; but take our weapons of war, and suffer that we may depart into the wilderness; otherwise, we will retain our swords, and we will perish or conquer. [MUSIC PLAYING] We will end the conflict. I cannot recall the words which I have spoken, therefore as the Lord liveth, ye shall not depart except ye depart with an oath that ye will not return again against us to war. Now as ye are in our hands we will spill your blood on the ground, or ye shall submit to the conditions which I have proposed. [MUSIC PLAYING] Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace. Now there were many, when they heard these words and saw the scalp which was upon the sword, that were struck with fear; and many came forth and threw down their weapons of war at the feet of Moroni, and entered into a covenant of peace. And as many as entered into a covenant they suffered to depart into the wilderness. Why did he let them go? He could have wiped them right out. Yes, but he didn't. Moroni's reason for fighting wasn't to do away with the Lamanites. He wanted to protect his people and preserve their freedom. After he had done that, he didn't want to fight anymore. Moroni wanted to do the right thing, even for the Lamanites. Does a hero always have to do the right thing? A hero is the kind of person that others want to be like. He helps them become better people. Is that why Captain Moroni is your hero? Yes, but there's something about Moroni that makes him even better. Listen to the rest of this story and see if you can figure it out.

Now, in this part of Moroni's story, a wicked man named Amalickiah wanted to make himself king over all the land. He wanted to take away the freedom of Moroni's people and destroy the true Church. Do you think Moroni was going to let him get away with that? No way.

And Moroni was angry with Amalickiah, and it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it--in memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children--and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. [MUSIC PLAYING] Surely, thou shalt not suffer ... Moroni's heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people. And Moroni went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing.

Whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them. [CHEERS] The people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token that they would not forsake the Lord their God. So they all tore their clothes? That's right. That was their way of promising they would follow God.

And they cast their garments at the feet of Moroni saying, we covenant with our God that we shall be destroyed if we shall fall into transgression. Behold, we are a remnant of the seed of Joseph, whose coat was rent by his brethren into many pieces. Let us remember to keep the commandments of God, or our garments shall be rent by our brethren, and we be cast into prison. And even shall we ourselves perish if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ. [CHEERS] And Moroni was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, who believed that if his people were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land. So do you think you can see why Moroni was even better than the other heroes? I'm not sure. What was the first thing that Moroni did? Made the banner. Good, what did he do then? Put on his armor. And then? Said a prayer. Why? He needed help? Moroni always put God first in his life. So that's why Moroni was smarter and stronger than all of his enemies? Yes, but he also wanted his people to remember the Savior, so the Savior could strengthen them too. Do all heroes follow Jesus? All the ones like Captain Moroni. Moroni knew that the Savior can help us make more out of our lives than we ever could on our own. Are there any heroes like Moroni today? Sure, lots of them, but they aren't always famous. Sometimes they're just regular people. They don't have to brag or boast about themselves. They just quietly do the things they should. They follow Jesus. So I guess Mom was right. About what? You really are a hero, Grandpa.

You think so?

What do you say we go have some of Grandma's peach cobbler? Then I can have a chance to talk to that mother of yours. Okay. [MUSIC PLAYING]