He was also a great prophet. Captain Moroni wasn’t the first Chief Captain to seek Alma’s gifts to be used in matters of war either, for Alma was a highly beloved prophet among all those who loved God (see Alma 43:23-24; see also Alma 16:5-8). Moroni had written to Pahoran for help in the war, and the Lamanites attacked before the help could arrive. [12] Peck writes, "Many many years before George Washington, Captain Moroni did the same thing George Washington did. A browser game based on Captain Moroni's battles. 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. "[14] Lee's comparison was met with some backlash. 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. Moroni is often easily confused with Captain Moroni, a much earlier Book of Mormon figure that Mormon greatly admired. See more ideas about Moroni, Lds art, The church of jesus christ. Moroni may have been named after the noble captain, but he seems to have identified with the solitary prophet who hid in a cave. Moroni—A Church Leader According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was the son of Mormon, the prophet for whom the Book of Mormon is named. [17] Moroni was a righteous general who among many notable accomplishments became angry with his government over its "indifference concerning the freedom of [its] country. Moroni left command of his armies in the hands of his deputies and led an insurrection of the people against the king-men. Mormon prophet Captain Moroni is an example of a true hero. When the Lamanites devised effective counter-measures, Captain Moroni responded by altering his tactics and strategies. "[17], 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. 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 shares a name with Captain Moroni, a much earlier Book of Mormon figure, of whom Mormon wrote highly. 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 Hides the Plates in the Hill Cumorah Moroni was a (Moroni Burying the Plates), by Tom Lovell. And many Mormons take his words as if he is one. Oct 7, 2013 - Explore Rich Martin's board "Captain Moroni" on Pinterest. He is later known as the Angel Moroni, who presented the golden plates to Joseph Smith, who translated the plates upon which the Book of Mormon was originally written. He is probably the most easily identifiable person connected with the Restoration since statues representing him appear on many temple spires heralding the glorious restoration mentioned in the book of Revelation. [7] 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. Mormon prophet Captain Moroni is an example of a true hero. Moroni was the last known survivor of the Nephite nation. Of Moroni, the prophet Mormon declared: “If all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, … the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men” ( Alma 48:17 ). According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander and patriot who lived during the first century BC. Conclusio n Moroni’s perceived weakness did become his strength, just as the Lord had promised. Talk to a Mormon Missionary - http://mormon.org Talk to a Mormon - http://lds.net But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing".[4]. But Captain Moroni is a deeply problematic figure. TEDx Talks Recommended for … The overwhelming majority of comments on Lee's Facebook accounts found it to be "shameful" or "blasphemous. He sounds almost like a prophet. Moroni is the ascribed author of chapters 8 and 9 of Mormon's record within the larger Book of Mormon, the entire Book of Moroni, and the Title Page of the Book of Mormon. He kept the people physically safe while he prayed, guiding and leading his armies by divine intervention. Upon completion of the record, written on golden plates, Moroni is said to have buried the plates in a stone box in a hill in what is now Wayne County, New York, from where Joseph Smith reported that he recovered them; a 12-m granite and bronze monument to Moroni has been placed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on this hill. Captain Moroni could motivate his people to action because he understood the cultural and spiritual power of these themes from Father Jacob (Israel) and Joseph of Egypt as well as their own Nephite prophet and patriarch, Lehi. In Latter Day Saint belief, Moroni was resurrected after his death and became an angel who directed Joseph Smith to the location of the buried golden plates in the 1820s. Latter-day Saints and non-Mormons alike first identify Moroni as the angel, the “messenger sent from the presence of God” who visited the boy-prophet Joseph Smith (JS—H 1:33). 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. He sent spies to investigate the Lamanites' weaknesses, and then he led his troops with the plan to surround those of the Lamanites. Captain Moroni is a different figure from the angel Moroni, whose statue sits atop many Mormon temples today. Latter-day Saint men still like Donald Trump", "Sen. Mike Lee explains comparing Donald Trump to Capt. Mormon Justifies Captain Moroni… Captain Moroni represented the golden days of the Nephite civilization, a time when the people still repented of their sins and qualified for the blessings of God and the strength that comes Captain Moroni was a Nephite leader long before the Angel Moroni was around to finish the last few chapters of Mormon and the Book of Moroni (after putting in Ether) into the Gold Plates. Lee told rallygoers in Arizona: "To my Mormon friends, my Latter-day Saint friends, think of him as Captain Moroni." Moroni from Book of Mormon", "Mike Lee issues statement after Captain Moroni-Donald Trump comparison", "The Mormon Warrior the Bundys Revere Actually Wanted the Government to Do More", https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/heres-what-you-need-to-understand-about-mormon-history-if-yo#.xvBPKv2pj, "Why the Bundy militia mixes Mormon symbolism with anti-government sentiment", "Church Responds to Inquiries Regarding Oregon Armed Occupation". [20], On January 4, 2016, the LDS Church released a statement, distancing itself from the standoff at the wildlife refuge. He aptly described the people of his day as being “past feeling” (Moroni 9:20). [17] 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. Who was Moroni? Moroni was the son of Mormon, and wrote the last book in the Book of Mormon. Lee comparing Trump and Captain Moroni — who is a different character than the prophet and later angel Moroni whose statue tops many of the faith’s temples — quickly brought attacks on social media and elsewhere. He was the last righteous Nephite alive, and watched his people get slaughtered by the Lamanites. [5], The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Moroni, the Last of the Nephite Prophets", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moroni_(Book_of_Mormon_prophet)&oldid=978293977, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 September 2020, at 01:40. No he is not. He is first mentioned in the Book of Alma as "the chief captain over the Nephites." “Captain Moroni was a government official, not a prophet. Moroni, according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet, historian, and military commander who lived in the Americas in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Actually, the book positions him almost as one. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Captain_Moroni&oldid=991835423, Articles lacking reliable references from September 2011, Articles needing more viewpoints from September 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 December 2020, at 01:50. Moroni shares a name with Captain Moroni, a much earlier Book of Mormon figure, of whom Mormon wrote highly.[2]. He wrote the Title of Liberty, and put on his military uniform, to show he would fight for his liberties if it was necessary." He knew that there is a price to be paid for Liberty and that everyone must pay it. He also added the Book of Ether into the plates, which is primarily an abridgment of Jaredite writings, but also contains extensive commentary by Moroni, especially in Ether 4, Ether 5, Ether 8, and Ether 12. ", In the Book of Mormon, Moroni is a military leader who takes command of an oppressed people and battles a corrupt king for their freedom. "[4] With those words, he rallied his people to defend their families and their freedom and drive out the armies of Amalickiah. . Knowing the difficulties his son would encounter, Mormon, no doubt, named his infant son after the legendary prophet and military leader Captain Moroni, whose history he had abridged (see Alma 43:16–62:43). It is not explicitly stated in the Book of Mormon whether this Moroni is named after Captain Moroni and at least one alternate theory has also been proposed . Of course, the Lamanites could never compete with Moroni’s secret weapon, his reliance on the inspiration of the prophet. Speaking directly to modern-day readers of the Book of Mormon, Moroni writes, "Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. [9][10][8] When the U.S.-led War in Afghanistan commenced during the LDS Church's October 2001 General Conference, 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. First, Captain Moroni equipped those in his military with personal armor that shielded the “more vital parts of the body” (Alma 43:38). The Book of Mormon tells that Moroni served under his father, the commander in chief of 23 groups of about 10,000 Nephites each,[3] who battled against the Lamanites. As a general, he led the last army of his people in a desperate fight for survival. To assert that Captain Moroni is better understood within the tradition of a covenant people is not a particularly radical thought. Four years later, in the 36th year of the reign of the judges (or around 56 BC), Moroni died. Moroni (/məˈroʊnaɪ/), according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet, historian, and military commander who lived in the Americas in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Translating Captain Moroni’s language into Donald Trump’s, he has relentlessly tried to “drain the swamp”—for example, by avoiding new wars while winding down existing ones, reducing federal regulations, relieving the federal tax burden on working families, … The living prophet of his day, Alma, was prone to quote the covenant promise and cursing revealed centuries earlier by Father Lehi: “Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land . He is first mentioned in the Book of Alma as "the chief captain over the Nephites."[1]. Captain Moroni shares a name with the prophet Moroni; the former is indexed[2] in the LDS edition of the Book of Mormon as Moroni1. When asked for a clarification on the analogy Lee’s spokesman, Conn Carroll, said: “Captain Moroni was a government official, not a prophet. Upon the Nephites' defeat at Cumorah, Moroni was forced to go into hiding and to wander from place to place to avoid being killed by the Lamanites. According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was the son of Mormon, the prophet for whom the Book of Mormon is ostensibly named. He sought not power, but to pull it down. Captain Moroni is presented as a righteous and skilled military commander. Moroni then writes that he had spoken to Jesus and received extensive visions of the future. Moroni had been commanded by his father to complete the Nephite record, which Mormon had abridged from previous records. "[13], On October 28, 2020, United States Senator Mike Lee, a Latter-day Saint from Utah, compared President Donald Trump to Captain Moroni. A general, a historian, a son, a prophet and an angel of glory. "[11], Some Latter-day Saint authors, such as Nicholeen Peck, have drawn comparisons between the lives of Captain Moroni and General George Washington. The leader of the king-men, Pachus, was killed and his followers were taken prisoner. "[19] The man calling himself "Captain Moroni" was later identified in media reports and a criminal complaint as 34-year-old Dylan Wade Anderson. @reluctanteng tweeted, “@SenMikeLee, I knew Captain Moroni. According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was the son of Mormon,[1] the prophet for whom the Book of Mormon is named. Moroni and Pahoran regained control of the city of Nephihah, which they had lost, restoring the previous form of government by judges. Captain Moroni was a man of such integrity, sincerity, and passion that he would move Heaven and earth to fulfill his covenants, defend his country, and secure his people’s Freedom. One member of Bundy's antigovernment extremist group refused to give any other name to the press than "Captain Moroni, from Utah. Comments have been closed because this question is so old. [8] 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. "[18] 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. Sen. Mike Lee explains ‘awkward’ comparison of Trump to Captain Moroni in ‘Book of Mormon’; ‘I do not believe Pres. [3] The appointment came in response to a looming war with Lamanites and Zoramites, a force led by Zerahemnah and included many Nephite dissenters. In this war, Moroni set to work readying the Nephite people with body armor for the first time. Moroni's overriding objective was to defend his people and their right to worship their God as they pleased. Moroni declared that the Nephites were a remnant of the seed of Joseph and would only continue to be preserved as long as they served God (see Alma 46:22–24). . After fortifying the Nephites' lands, Moroni transferred command of his armies to his son Moronihah and permanently retired to his own home. He is later known as the Angel Moroni, who presented the golden plates to Joseph Smith, who translated the plates upon which the Book of Mormon was originally written. We should all aspire to be like Captain Moroni,” Carroll said In a Facebook post, Lee explained the point he was trying to make, admitting that comparing Trump to Moroni was “perhaps awkward.” The most important lesson from 83,000 brain scans | Daniel Amen | TEDxOrangeCoast - Duration: 14:37. 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. He sought not power, but to pull it down. 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. A fight against a hostile force that outnumbered them thousands to one. Mormon, the warrior-historian-prophet who wrote the majority of the narrative contained in the book of Alma, had much to say about Moroni, the young chief captain over the Nephite armies. Moroni, as a mortal man, was the last author of the Book of Mormon, burying the metal plates upon which it was recorded, some 421 years after the birth of Christ.He followed in the footsteps of his father, Mormon (after whom the Book of Mormon is named) as keeper of an ancient record detailing the history and eventual destruction of their people, the Nephites, by their enemies, the Lamanites. Ultimately, Moroni met that objective, which resulted in keeping many of the Lamanites from ever coming to combat against the Nephites again. Trump is a prophet’ By Gephardt Daily Staff Alma was man of much wisdom. According to the Book of Mormon, Moroni was "only twenty and five years old when he was appointed chief captain" of the Nephites. Moroni introduced to the Nephites revolutionary strategies in military tactics, safety, and precaution. [5], 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.[6]. government. 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. The torn coat of Moroni—the title of liberty—was a reminder of the preserved remnant of the coat of Joseph of Egypt. Moroni was the last prophet to write in the Book of Mormon. The Lamanite army attacked the Nephites in the land of Jershon and the battle ended on the banks of the river Sidon. According to the Book of Mormon, Captain Moroni was an important Nephite military commander and patriot who lived during the first century BC. Instead of describing Trump as Captain Moroni, Barbara Jones Brown tweeted that Lee should have realized “King Noah is more like it.” He was an evil ruler in the Book of Mormon who overtaxed his people to support harlots, and who burned a prophet at the stake for criticizing him. The Book of Mormon tells that Moroni served under his father, the commander in chief of 220,000 Nephites … President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) commented on the symbolism and prophecy regarding the preserved part of … The historian Mormon, a linguist, a scholar, a general, and a prophet himself once said of Moroni, “Yea, verily, 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 the children of men.” [16] 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. Instead, you might want to: Moroni was so angry with Amalickiah's dissention 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. "[15] In a followup 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. [21], Significance in modern Latter-day Saint culture, Modern references by antigovernment activists, texts from within a religion or faith system, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd, occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, "Violence and the Gospel: The Teachings of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon", "Sen. Mike Lee is just one example. 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. Captain Moroni was a great leader of the Nephite Army, as well as a great prophet and man of the Lord. Surely, President Russell M. Nelson reminds us of a modern-day Captain Moroni. 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.