Alma 60:12-15

Moroni is preaching doctrine in verse 12 that is very hard for people to understand. When bad things happen to people, in this case, death, it is not because they were wicked. Sometimes it is because of other people’s wickedness, sometimes it is just the nature of a fallen world. I remember when Rich Sebo got cancer and his church, I think it was Glad Tidings, believed it was because he was wicked, and he was trying so hard to purify himself. It made me really sad, because he was so kind and big-hearted with all those troubled kids. It was terrible to me that he felt like he deserved it. I am not sure how they explain all the truly wicked people who never got cancer? In any event, I am grateful to know that it isn’t true. Moroni was using that knowledge as a weapon here, but it is usually a great comfort, because crummy and awful stuff happens to all of us.

Moroni says that the Lord suffers the righteous to be slain that his judgement may come upon the wicked. I think what he is really saying is that the Lord gives us our agency and doesn’t interfere, even when our choices our horrible. But the righteous who are killed enter into Paradise, and are happy and at peace, and the peace can even come in this life when things are going bad because of other people, through the atonement of Christ. So while it seems, to our small understanding, unfair that the righteous should suffer at the hands of the wicked, all suffering is swallowed up in the glory of Christ, with blessings far beyond what we could have ever earned through that suffering. While the wicked are allowed their agency and even opportunity to repent.

Moroni is afraid that the wickedness and slothfulness of the government will cause God to withdraw his support for all of the people and their cause. It is a sobering reminder that our sins can bring destruction to other people. I always wonder what more good I could have done if I had been in tune with the Spirit, or been a good example instead of bad. And as the leaders of the government in my home, how much pain our bad examples could cause our children, even destruction. It also highlights the importance of trying to choose righteous leaders. If they lead us into unrighteous causes, we have no Heavenly support. But mainly, for my life, it is so important to try to ALWAYS be a good example, and behave as an example of the believer.

Alma 60:12-15