Come, Follow Me
Preparing for Your Spiritual Battles
Like Captain Moroni, you can receive divine help and power for the challenges you face in life.
Illustrations by Rose Datoc Dall
When I first read the Book of Mormon, I was fascinated by the faith, ingenuity, and tactics used by Captain Moroni. He became the leader of all the Nephite armies when he was only 25 years old! He was wise, strong, and totally committed to the freedom and welfare of his people (see Alma 48:11–12).
Instead of crediting military success to himself, Moroni told a defeated enemy leader:
“The Lord … has delivered you into our hands … because of our religion and our faith in Christ.” Moroni also said, “God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion” (Alma 44:3, 4).
Over time, I have come to realize that Moroni’s example can help us meet the challenges of our modern lives. You will fight some spiritual battles in your youth. As you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, He will bless you with His power. He will help you prepare for and win those battles. But for Him to do so, you need to understand your purpose, strategize for success, and prepare for the spiritual battles you will face, just as Moroni did with the real battles in his life. As you do, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will support and preserve you.
Understand Your Purpose
Moroni repeatedly reminded the people who they were (inheritors of the Abrahamic Covenant), whose they were (beloved children of God), and the cause for which they fought (family, faith, and freedom from oppression and bondage).
When some Nephites sought to usurp authority for personal gain, Moroni ripped his coat and wrote on a piece of it: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12). He raised this flag, which he called the “title of liberty” (Alma 46:13), on the end of a pole and used it to remind the people what the fight was all about and to rally them to the cause. We, too, need to be reminded of what the fight is all about.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004), a former member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, did this for me. In 2004, I visited him in his hospital room not long before he died. He was so kind to everyone who visited or helped him. Health care workers went into his room and came out weeping.
“Elder Maxwell, this is really hard,” I said.
“Oh, Dale,” he chuckled. “We are eternal beings living in a mortal world. We are out of our element, like fish out of water. It is only when we have an eternal perspective that any of this will make any sense.”
Never lose sight of your divine nature and eternal destiny. In life’s spiritual battles, “[you] wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against … rulers of the darkness … [and] against spiritual wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12). Correctly understanding Heavenly Father’s plan for you will motivate you to keep fighting for your eternal salvation and for your freedom from spiritual bondage.
Strategize for Success
Throughout many battles, Moroni strategically made plans to ensure success. He effectively used his resources to discover the activities and intentions of his enemies and to fortify and protect cities. He sought direction from the prophet, Alma, and used it in his approach to battle. Moroni was never content with past victories. He continually improved his strategies. This helped his armies gain victory over their enemies.
You can use similar approaches in spiritual battles. Satan is trying to distract you from your purpose. If you yield to even small temptations, you consume “poison by degrees” (Alma 47:18), a most effective strategy used by the powers of wickedness that can lead to spiritually fatal results. When you face temptation, ask yourself:
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“How does this action stack up against the revealed word of God?”
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“What are the consequences of taking this action?”
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“Will this action help me fulfill my purpose on earth?”
You can fortify yourself against Satan’s temptations by following the direction from our latter-day prophet. Doing so helps you keep an eternal perspective. Strategizing how you will face temptations will help you make more correct choices. Preplanned strategies will help you defend against distractions from your eternal purpose.
For example, technology can be a double-edged sword, both useful and detrimental, depending on how we use it. The resources “Taking Charge of Technology” and For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices can help you make wise choices about your devices. They remind you of your purpose, point you to Jesus Christ, and help you invite the Holy Ghost into your life. Planning how, when, and where you use technology will fortify you against Satan’s distractions.
Prepare Now
Moroni prepared for upcoming battles by giving his people breastplates, shields, helmets, and thick clothing. He also encircled cities with forts, throwing up banks of earth around them.
For today’s spiritual battles, you prepare by keeping the commandments of God. You engage in personal prayer, fasting, and scripture study. You act in faith, responding to spiritual direction you receive. You strengthen your family. You attend church and conscientiously prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament. As you progress in the gospel, you will make and keep covenants with God that will draw the power of Jesus Christ into your life.
In doing these things, you will realize that you do not fight your battles alone. The Savior will become more real to you, just as He was real to Moroni. He was firm in his faith in Jesus Christ and knew that he could rely on the Savior for direction and deliverance (see Alma 48:16). You can do the same.
Look to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
Moroni attributed all the happiness of his people to being true to their faith in God and their religion. As you understand your purpose, strategize for success, and prepare for spiritual battles, you will realize that joy comes because of Heavenly Father and His plan, and Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Like Moroni, I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ bring the ultimate freedom from bondage—freedom from death and sin. They will bless you with Their divine help and power when you look to Them in all things.