Book of Mormon Stories--"The Title of Liberty"

There was dissension in the land of the Nephites.  Certain unrighteous Zoramites who were descendents of Zoram, the servant of Laban from whom Nephi had taken the brass plates in Jerusalem, left the church of God and united with the Lamanites to war against the Nephites.  “And now the design [plan] 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; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires” (Alma 43:9).

The chief captain of the Nephite army was a 25 year-old named Moroni.  He was “a strong and mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people” (Alma 48:11-12).

And when the Lamanites came against the Nephites to put them in bondage, the Nephites, seeing the fierceness of their anger were about to flee but Moroni rallied them by inspiring their hearts with the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, and their freedom from bondage. Even though the Lamanites were more numerous, they were beaten because of the stratagems of Moroni who had prepared his people for war and led them to victory (Alma 43: 48-50). 

After the wars with the Lamanites were over, “Moroni caused that the work of death should cease again among the people.  And he took the weapons of war from the Lamanites; and after they had entered into a covenant with him of peace they were suffered [allowed] to depart into the wilderness” (Alma 44:20).  Because of the wars more “dissensions and disturbances” among the Nephite people made it necessary “that the word of God” should be declared among them again to once more establish the church in the land.  But some of the people had grown proud because of their riches and refused to “walk uprightly before God” (see Alma 45:21-22, 24).

Now a wicked man named Amalickiah who desired power to be King, by “cunning device” began to lead away some of the lower judges and by flattery won over many in the church who were quick to forget their “deliverance by the hand of the Lord” (Alma 46:4-8). 

When Moroni heard of the dissensions [divisions] among the people, he was angry with Amalickiah.  And he took his coat and tore it apart and wrote on a piece of it—“In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children”—and he fastened it on the end of a pole; and called it the title of liberty. With his helmet on his head and his breastplate fastened to his body, with his armor about his loins, holding his shields “he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land” (Alma 46:11-13).  And, he “poured out his soul to God” (Alma 46:17).  After Moroni prayed, “he went forth among the people, waving the rent [torn] part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing…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 Moroni proclaimed these words, the people came running girded with their armor, rending [tearing] their garments as a covenant that “they would not forsake the Lord their God” and they cast their garments at the feet of Moroni vowing to be destroyed rather than fall into transgression (Alma 46:21-22).  Those few who continued to follow Amalickiah, who would not enter into the covenant of a free government, were put to death (Alma 46:35).

Then the title of liberty was “hoisted upon every tower” in the land; “and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.  And they began to have peace again in the land” (Alma 46:36-37).