Protecting Our Families

In the midst of describing a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, Mormon wrote, “And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion” (Alma 43:47).  Throughout the Nephite record we see that many times they had to go to war to do just that—defend their families and their freedom.  The righteous Nephites went reluctantly but did indeed risk, and often gave, their lives in order to protect their families.  These stories may seem to some to have little to do with our own lives if we live in peaceful times where war seems only to happen in foreign countries or past decades, but there is surely great symbolism in the stories about war.  In particular, I believe there is something for us to learn in the way that Mormon emphasized how Nephite fathers sought to protect their wives and children—the way we do that today may be different, but we must do the same thing nonetheless. 

               There are numerous examples in the Book of Mormon in which Mormon told us that the Nephite men fought for their families.  In the time of Limhi when they were surrounded and oppressed by the Lamanites, “The people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight" (Mosiah 20:11).  The Nephites were outnumbered and heavily disadvantaged, but their desire to protect their families and children was so great that they fought “like dragons.”  At the time of Amlici after the commencement of the reign of the judges, great tumult broke out as a sort of civil war began.  When the Nephites found out that the Lamanites had joined with the Amlicites, one exclaimed, "And they are upon our brethren in that land; and they are fleeing before them with their flocks, and their wives, and their children, towards our city; and except we make haste they obtain possession of our city, and our fathers, and our wives, and our children be slain" (Alma 2:25).  It was their families they were concerned about, and that was what pushed them to fight valiantly and defeat them even though the enemy was “so numerous that they could not be numbered” (Alma 2:35).  In the great war between the Lamanites and Nephites that we have so much detail about, Mormon was very clear that the Nephites were fighting to defend and protect their families: "And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies" (Alma 43:9).  He said again, "Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church" (Alma 43:45).  When Captain Moroni stood before Zemnarihah, he likewise proclaimed their purpose to defend their families speaking of the “the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children” (Alma 44:5).  In the years that followed Mormon again said that Moroni “was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God," and Helaman likewise wrote of their desire “to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty” (Alma 48:10, 58:12).  Again and again we see that Mormon wanted us to understand that the Nephites found to defend their families. 

               I think there is certainly a lesson in that for us today.  We may not find ourselves in many situations where we have to physically protect our families—though certainly that is the case for some—but no matter where we live we do have to seek to protect them from the pervasive influence of evil.  As Sister Reeves taught in a recent general conference, we must do those things that will “add protection to our homes” from the evils of the world such as pornography.  Elder Ballard once cautioned parents that we need to “protect our families from the current flood of TV violence”—and that was nearly 30 years ago.  If it was a flood then, then it must be a raging torrent now that the Internet can reach us anywhere and anytime.  As we seek to help our families navigate the wicked world we live in today we can take courage that the Nephites too fought for their families and were willing to make great sacrifices in order to do that.  There’s no question for most of us that we would risk our lives physically to defend our children or spouse from mortal danger.  But with unseen enemies threatening from all around, will we sacrifice the time necessary with our families to read scriptures, pray, perform temple and family history work, and do those activities the prophets have pleaded with us to do if that’s what it takes to protect them?