Let Every Man Stand in His Own Office

The Lord said in this dispensation: “Therefore, let every man stand in his own office, and labor in his own calling” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:109). This injunction to stand in our own office was repeated multiple times in the Doctrine and Covenants. For example, in another revelation He said, “And again, I say unto you, that my servant Edward Partridge shall stand in the office whereunto I have appointed him” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:10). This must have been particularly important counsel for Bishop Partridge for the Lord said it again: “And let my servant Edward Partridge stand in the office to which I have appointed him” (Doctrine and Covenants 57:7). To Frederick G. Williams the Lord similarly said, “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5). In another revelation the Lord also said, “And also let my servant William W. Phelps stand in the office to which I have appointed him, and receive his inheritance in the land” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:40). The Lord said again to another, “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, my servant Newel Knight, you shall stand fast in the office whereunto I have appointed you” (Doctrine and Covenants 54:2). The Lord wants us to stand in our office, or perhaps put another way, to be diligent in the responsibilities we have received in His kingdom. He doesn’t want us to figuratively sit down and relax in our duties but to perform them with earnestness and diligence.               

                I thought of this invitation from the Lord today as I read Alma 44 and pondered again the story of this unnamed soldier who “stood by” to protect the life of Moroni (v13). He was the perfect example, in my mind, of what it means to stand in one’s office. As Moroni and Zerahemnah sought to negotiate and end to the fighting, the Zoramite captain became angry at Moroni’s insistence that the Lamanites depart with an oath to never fight again, and “he rushed forward that he might slay Moroni; but as he raised his sword, behold, one of Moroni’s soldiers smote it even to the earth, and it broke by the hilt; and he also smote Zerahemnah that he took off his scalp and it fell to the earth. And Zerahemnah withdrew from before them into the midst of his soldiers” (v12). We don’t know for sure if he would have killed Moroni had that soldier not been so quick to act, but it seems very likely. The soldier had not sat down to take advantage of a little reprieve from fighting; he had not left his post to go get some water; he had not put down his guard at all. Instead, he stood ready and waiting for the opportunity to protect his captain, and when Zerahemnah rushed forward, he was ready to act. Mormon continued the story, “And it came to pass that the soldier who stood by, who smote off the scalp of Zerahemnah, took up the scalp from off the ground by the hair, and laid it upon the point of his sword, and stretched it forth unto them, saying unto them with a loud voice: Even as this scalp has fallen to the earth, which is the scalp of your chief, so shall ye fall to the earth except ye will deliver up your weapons of war and depart with a covenant of peace” (v13-14). Not only did this soldier stand and protect Moroni, but he stood and proclaimed to his enemies that which would inspire them to stop fighting, which many did. His actions would prove all the more important as the great war between the Nephites and Lamanites began; how different that could have been without Moroni alive to be the Nephite captain! The fact that we do not know the name of this soldier makes the story all the more applicable to each of us: no matter what our circumstances, we can each stand in the office we have been appointed and fulfill our duty with the same faithfulness.