Alma 49

(October 24, 2015)

                The symbolism that is common of the war chapters (the symbol of our fight against the Adversary for our souls) leads to some important understanding here.  In the time when Moroni was building the walls around Ammonihah and Noah, there were no Lamanites attacking.  They were at, if not peace, a time with an absence of conflict.  And it was during this time that Moroni laid the foundation for winning the next conflict.

                There is a military dictum that you don’t want to be caught fighting the last war (meaning that you must update strategy and tactics).  This is also true with us in mortality.  When Satan has attacked us in a given way for a long period of time, we may come to believe that the point of conflict will always be there.  But, during those times when we are at relative peace we must use those moments to shore up our defenses and prepare for the next war – to prepare for Satan’s next attack.  We may not know what is coming, but the Lord does and with His help we can be prepared for it.

                But just because we are in a period of relative peace in our lives doesn’t mean that we have reached the point where Satan has abandoned his designs for us.  No, it is a pause to allow us to prepare for the next war and we must always use it in that fashion.