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Captain Moroni

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Not to be confused with Moroni (son of Mormon).
Captain Moroni
The centered figure is Captain Moroni, a figure in the Book of Mormon. He has both arms aloft. In his right arm he holds a sword. In his left arm he holds the flagpole of a flag made of torn cloth approximating the shape of a pennant. He seems to wear a helmet (either that or have a topknot), breastplate, and an armored skirt. Behind Captain Moroni, slightly to the left, is a darkened and open square-cornered arch: an entrance into a large building behind him. In the bottom right corner of the image, another figure sits, apparently in the middle of reading something. In the bottom left corner of the image is a person, half their body visible, with the left arm held aloft.
Cropped from George M. Ottinger's 1888 Moroni Raises the "Title of Liberty"
Personal
ChildrenMoronihah
EraReign of the judges (in the Book of Mormon)
Military service
RankChief Captain
CommandsNephite military
Battles/wars
  • Zoramite War
  • Amalickiahite Wars
Senior posting
SuccessorMoronihah

According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander who lived during the first century BC. He is first mentioned in the Book of Alma as "the chief captain over the Nephites."[1]

Captain Moroni is presented as a righteous and skilled military commander. Among his accomplishments were his extensive preparations for battle and his fierce defense of the right of the Nephites to govern themselves and worship as they saw fit.

Captain Moroni shares a name with the prophet Moroni; the former is indexed[2] in the Book of Mormon as Moroni1.

Narrative

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Part of a series on
People in the Book of Mormon
Lehi (far right, bearded) bestowing a blessing on his family. At least 21 different figures are visible (inclusive of infants and children). There is a mix of men, women, and children. A man in blue appears to be writing, perhaps transcribing what Lehi is saying. One infant is nursing. Several men have beards. All but the children wear hats or scarf-like head coverings. The fashion and style is reminiscent of nineteenth-century Christian art of Old Testament scenes. There is a vibrancy of color, with clothing in blues, greens, whites, and reds. The family gather in something like a circle, on a green, grassy field. There are tents visible in the background. This is cropped from a full version of the scene.
Lehi Blessing His Posterity, C. C. A. Christensen (1890)
Prophets and priests
Rulers
Judges
Military leaders
Other leaders
Others

In Alma 43:16, the Nephites appoint Moroni, twenty-five years old, to be chief captain of their armies.[3] Moroni leads the Nephite military in the Zoramite War (Alma 43–44) and the Amalickiahite Wars (Alma 46–62).[4]

Early command

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Moroni is appointed in response to a looming war with Lamanites and Zoramites, a force led by Zerahemnah and included many Nephite dissenters. The Lamanite army attacked the Nephites in the land of Jershon and the battle ended on the banks of the river Sidon. In this war, Moroni set to work readying the Nephite people with body armor for the first time. He sent spies to investigate the Lamanites' weaknesses, and then he led his troops with the plan to surround those of the Lamanites. Moroni's overriding objective was to defend his people and their right to worship their God as they pleased. Ultimately, Moroni met that objective, which resulted in keeping many of the Lamanites from ever coming to combat against the Nephites again.

Moroni introduced to the Nephites revolutionary strategies in military tactics, safety, and precaution. He kept the people physically safe while he prayed, guiding and leading his armies by divine intervention. He was also known by his people for his firm ideology and integrity and his constant willingness to support the causes of personal freedom gaining the people's trust.[citation needed]

Title of Liberty

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A figure (presumably Captain Moroni) stands with arms aloft, a sword in his right arm and a flag in his left, at the top of a wide set of outdoor stairs that appear to descend from a large public building; implicitly, in the context of the Book of Mormon, a religious edifice like a temple. Two figures flank Captain Moroni, one seated and the other standing, a few steps down. Behind them, a the building looms, with two gaping square-arched entrances. Crowds seem to be trailing out from each. At the bottom of the steps, another crowd gathers. They are animated, and many have their arms raised up. Captain Moroni has evidently energized the crowd, rallying them to arms in defense of Nephite society.
George M. Ottinger's Moroni Raises the "Title of Liberty", published in The Story of the Book of Mormon (1888)

Moroni is associated with the "title of liberty", a standard that he raised to rally the Nephites to defend their liberties from a group of dissenters who wanted to establish their leader as a king. Moroni was so angry with Amalickiah's dissension and wicked influence that he tore his coat and wrote upon it, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children."[5] With those words, he rallied his people to defend their families and their freedom and drive out the armies of Amalickiah. Moroni put to death any dissenters who did not flee and would not support the cause of freedom, and his "title of liberty" was raised over every Nephite tower.[6]

According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni sought to strengthen the Nephites spiritually to be better prepared against the Lamanites, leading Mormon to comment on Moroni's righteousness.[7][better source needed]

King-men

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Years later, Moroni encountered problems with a group of men called "king-men", who were so called because they wanted to replace the chief judge and democracy with a king, an aim seen as destroying the liberty of the people. Moroni had written to Pahoran for help in the war, and the Lamanites attacked before the help could arrive. Moroni wrote again, chastising Pahoran in the process for failing to respond, even threatening to "stir up insurrections" against what he perceived to be the nonresponsive government authorities.[8] Pahoran wrote back, saying that the king-men had driven him from the judgment seat, and he had been unable to respond to Moroni's requests for assistance. Moroni left command of his armies in the hands of his deputies and led an insurrection of the people against the king-men. The leader of the king-men, Pachus, was killed and his followers were taken prisoner. Moroni and Pahoran regained control of the city of Nephihah, which they had lost, restoring the previous form of government by judges.

Retirement

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After fortifying the Nephites' lands, Moroni transferred command of his armies to his son Moronihah and permanently retired to his own home. Four years later, in the 36th year of the reign of the judges (or around 56 BC), Moroni died. According to the chronology of years, listing the time from when Moroni took command of the armies at 25, he would have been about 45 when he died.

Reception

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Rhetoric

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The narrative of Captain Moroni plays a significant role in how members of the LDS Church understand and justify the political realities of war and violence.[9] In this context, important aspects of Moroni's narrative include that he "did not delight in the shedding of blood," his warfare was strictly defensive, he sought the guidance of prophets before battle, and he did not seek for power.[10][11][9] When the U.S.-led War in Afghanistan commenced during the LDS Church's October 2001 General Conference, Church President Gordon B. Hinckley referenced the story of Captain Moroni saying, "There are times when we must stand up for right and decency, for freedom and civilization, just as Moroni rallied his people in his day to the defense of their wives, their children, and the cause of liberty."[12]

Some Latter-day Saint authors, such as Nicholeen Peck, have drawn comparisons between the lives of Captain Moroni and General George Washington.[13] Peck writes, "Many many years before George Washington, Captain Moroni did the same thing George Washington did. He wrote the Title of Liberty, and put on his military uniform, to show he would fight for his liberties if it was necessary." Mormon writer Heather Hemingway makes similar observations by noting, "Captain Moroni’s humility and valor is similar to that of George Washington during the winter of 1777–1778."[14]

On October 28, 2020, United States Senator Mike Lee, a Latter-day Saint from Utah, compared President Donald Trump to Captain Moroni. Lee told rallygoers in Arizona: "To my Mormon friends, my Latter-day Saint friends, think of him as Captain Moroni." Lee went on to say that the president "seeks not the praise of the world" and wants only "the well-being and peace of the American people."[15] Lee's comparison was met with extensive backlash. The overwhelming majority of comments on Lee's Facebook accounts found it to be "shameful" or "blasphemous."[16] In a follow-up Facebook post, Lee pointed out that he had praised Trump for his willingness to "threaten the established political order" in spite of the "constant ridicule and scorn" to which this has subjected him and his family.[17] To those who were offended by any suggestion that Trump should be held up as an example of personal righteousness, Lee wrote: "Finally, in no way did I suggest that people should seek to emulate President Trump in the same way they might pattern their lives after Captain Moroni."

Militancy

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Cliven Bundy, an antigovernment activist and a member of the LDS Church, has frequently made references to the Book of Mormon in his conflicts with the U.S. government.[18] According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, during the Bundy family’s 2014 occupation of federally owned lands in Nevada, Bundy used banners quoting Moroni: "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children."[18]

In 2016, Ammon Bundy, a son of Cliven, used much of the same language as his father, "mixing Mormon religious symbolism with a disgust of the federal government," during an occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. One member of Bundy's antigovernment extremist group refused to give any other name to the press than "Captain Moroni, from Utah."[19] The man calling himself "Captain Moroni" was later identified in media reports and a criminal complaint as 34-year-old Dylan Wade Anderson.[20]

On January 4, 2016, the LDS Church released a statement strongly condemning the armed seizure of the facility by the antigovernment activists in the standoff at the wildlife refuge, expressing deep concern the activists were suggesting their actions were justified on a scriptural basis, and affirming American civic life provides for peaceful resolution of conflict between government and private groups, according to the laws of the land.[21]

On January 6, 2021, a banner copying the Title of Liberty was displayed by those attacking the US Capitol. That evening, the church released a statement. "We peacefully accept the results of elections. We will not participate in the violence threatened by those disappointed with the outcome," Dallin H. Oaks said. "In a democratic society, we always have the opportunity and the duty to persist peacefully until the next election."[22]

References

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  1. ^ Alma 43:16
  2. ^ Index
  3. ^ Thorne (1992, p. 955); Moran (2014, p. 105).
  4. ^ Davis (2007, p. 50); Hardy (2010, pp. 174–175); Perry (2015, p. 132n40).
  5. ^ Alma 46:10-12
  6. ^ Alma 46:35-36
  7. ^ Alma 48:16-18
  8. ^ Alma 60:27
  9. ^ a b Wood, Robert S. (1992), "War and Peace", in Ludlow, Daniel H (ed.), Encyclopedia of Mormonism, archived from the original on 2016-04-04, retrieved 2016-01-31
  10. ^ Nibley, Hugh (1983). "Leaders to Managers: The Final Shift" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 16 (4): 12–21.
  11. ^ Firmage, Edwin B. (1985). "Violence and the Gospel: The Teachings of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon". BYU Studies. 25 (1): 31–53. Archived from the original on 2016-02-07. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  12. ^ Jenkins, Ryan. ""Peaceable Followers of Christ" in Days of War and Contention". Religious Educator. 10 (3): 87–102.
  13. ^ Peck, Nicholeen (7 July 2011). ""Give Me [Tree Bark], or Give Me Death": Liberty Yesterday and Today". Meridian Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  14. ^ Hemingway, Heather. "America and the Price of Freedom". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  15. ^ Riess, Jana. "Sen. Mike Lee is just one example. Latter-day Saint men still like Donald Trump". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  16. ^ Romboy, Dennis (29 October 2020). "Sen. Mike Lee explains comparing Donald Trump to Capt. Moroni from Book of Mormon". Deseret News. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  17. ^ Stauffer, McKenzie (30 October 2020). "Mike Lee issues statement after Captain Moroni-Donald Trump comparison". KUTV.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  18. ^ a b Krule, Miriam (January 5, 2016). "The Mormon Warrior the Bundys Revere Actually Wanted the Government to Do More". Slate. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  19. ^ Sepulvado, John (January 4, 2016). "Why the Bundy militia mixes Mormon symbolism with anti-government sentiment". PBS NewsHour. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  20. ^ Mesh, Aaron (January 28, 2016). "Captain Moroni Arraigned in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  21. ^ "Church Responds to Inquiries Regarding Oregon Armed Occupation". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  22. ^ Salt Lake Tribune January 6, 2021 - In reaction to Capitol assault, LDS Church points to Oaks’ speech denouncing post-election violence

Sources

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Further reading

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Preceded by
Zoram
 Nephite military leader
From the 18th year of the reign of the judges, or c. 74 BC, to the 31st-35th years, or 60-57 BC 		Succeeded by
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