Do What is Right

We should be willing to stand up for our convictions. In the Book of Mormon we read about while Amalikiah was campaigning to be king of the Nephites, there were many Nephites who began to follow Amalikiah. Moroni became frustrated with the dissension caused by Amalikiah and his followers and rent his coat and wrote "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." (Alma 46:12)  Moroni then, "went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part, and crying with a loud voice, saying:

Behold, 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." (Alma 46:19-20) After he did so people came to him and stood with him. 

Moroni was someone who was willing to stand by what he knew to be right in spite of what other people believed. In contrast to Moroni who stood firm in his convictions we have Lehonti who when he heard that the Lamanites were going to go to war, went with a large group of fellow Lamanites to Mount Antipus to avoid being forced to fight the Nephites. This group was determined to do whatever it took to avoid fighting the Nephites and were prepared to defend themselves from the Lamanite army to this effect. In order to get them to join him Amalikiah took an army to the base of Mount Antipus and sent for the leader of the Lamanites on Antipus, named Lehonti. Lehonti refused to go down to the base of the mountain to meet with Amalikiah. So Amalikiah sent for him again, Lehonti refused and Amalikiah sent for him again. Lehonti then refused Amalikiah for a third time. Amalikiah then went up the mountain nearly up to Lehonti's camp and asked Lehonti to meet him there. Lehonti agreed and met with Amalikiah. Amalikiah then proposed that Lehonti go down to the base of the mountain and surround Amalikiah's army. Amalikiah then promised that he would surrender his army to Lehonti if Lehonti would agree to make Amalikiah his second in command. Lehonti agreed, went down to the bottom of the mountain and captured Amalikiah's army. However, after Lehonti took command of Amalikiah's army, " it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died." (Alma 47:18)

Commenting on the story of Lehonti Brad Wilcox taught, "You're in control! I only want to talk! You have your guards! You only have to come down a little bit!" Amalickiah assures his victim. Lehonti, feeling secure although undoubtedly mistrustful, made his first mistake: He descended from the heights of the mountain. In his own mind, however, he was still safe, because he was in control (Don't Leap with the Sheep [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2001], 35-36). 

Today we have Satan tempting us to come down, just a little. He tells us that God "will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God." (2 Nephi 28:8) He wants us to believe that we are fine if we commit just a little sin. Gordon B. Hinckley taught the men of the church, “You cannot be immoral in any sense. You cannot be dishonest. You cannot cheat or lie. You cannot take the name of God in vain or use filthy language and still have the right to the ministering of angels.” (Personal Worthiness to Exercise the Priesthood)

In speaking to the priesthood Thomas S. Monson taught, "As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? As holders of the priesthood of God, it is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way. Remember the words of Tennyson: “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.”" (Dare to Stand Alone) If we choose to stand up for our convictions we have been promised that "if we must stand alone in the process, may we do so courageously, strengthened by the knowledge that in reality we are never alone when we stand with our Father in Heaven." (Dare to Stand Alone) 

When we are willing to stand up for what is right we can know that the Lord is pleased with us. We will have peace in our lives that comes from knowing that we have done what is right and be able to help those around us.