Be Up and Doing

One of the themes of Moroni’s letter to Pahoran recorded in Alma 60 is the need to no longer be idle but to act. Before receiving the letter, Pahoran was not sure what to do and so was in a state of indecision it seems, as he subsequently explained: “And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren” (Alma 61:19). Moroni’s language in his letters urged Pahoran and the leaders of the government to no longer metaphorically sit and do nothing: “Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you?” (v7) He also wrote, “Ye ought to have stirred yourselves more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people; but behold, ye have neglected them” (v10). He again urged them not to sit: “Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you?” (v11) He condemned their lack of action in these words: “I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people, because of their exceeding slothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our government” (v14). He again urged them to no longer sit in inaction: “Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us? Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding? Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things?” (v21-23) Moroni insisted that they act immediately: “And now, except ye do repent of that which ye have done, and begin to be up and doing, and send forth food and men unto us, and also unto Helaman” (v24). I love that language: when we are tempted to languish in a state of inaction, we all need at times to be pushed to “be up and doing” in the responsibilities that God has given us.

Moroni summarized his call to action to the leaders of the land in these words: “Behold it is time, yea, the time is now at hand, that except ye do bestir yourselves in the defence of your country and your little ones, the sword of justice doth hang over you” (Alma 60:29). The 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines the word this way: “To put into brisk or vigorous action; to move with life and vigor.” It appears that this is exactly what Pahoran did when he got Moroni’s letter. It was precisely the wake up call he needed to move to act and retake Zarahemla. He wrote back that he had immediately sent provisions to his army, and then he put forth this plan of action: “Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us resist them with our swords, that we may retain our freedom, that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God…. we will go speedily against those dissenters, in the strength of our God according to the faith which is in us. And we will take possession of the city of Zarahemla, that we may obtain more food to send forth unto Lehi and Teancum; yea, we will go forth against them in the strength of the Lord, and we will put an end to this great iniquity” (Alma 61:16-18). They did exactly that, and “Moroni and Pahoran went down with their armies into the land of Zarahemla, and went forth against the city, and did meet the men of Pachus, insomuch that they did come to battle. And behold, Pachus was slain and his men were taken prisoners, and Pahoran was restored to his judgment-seat” (Alma 62:7-8). Their quick action soon led to the end of the dissensions in Zarahemla and ultimately to the end of the war with the Lamanites. This story encourages each of us to act in our respective duties. When we are tempted to be lazy, we need to bestir ourselves to do the things that the Lord has called us to do. We too can “be up and doing” what we have responsibility for so that the Lord can bless our efforts.