Moroni's Courage by Michaela

Moroni's Courage by Michaela - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

The stories in this book took place a long time ago, in the ancient America’s. The Nephites had just won a war against their enemies, the Lamanites, under the direction of their chief captain, Moroni. The people were proud that they had bested their adversaries, once again. However, their pride for their victory and prosperity grew too much. They started to forget the sacrifices that had been made to ensure peace in the land, and a new battle arose amongst the people.
A man named Amalikiah desired power at the expense of others. He began convincing the rest of the people to help him overthrow the current government of the time (which was based on judges who were called to serve by the voice of the people), and name himself king over all the Nephites. Though most people are fooled by Amalikiah’s words, Moroni knew that if made king, he would become a burden to the people. He would treat them like slaves, destroy the church, and take away their lands and properties. They would have no freedom to choose if Amalikiah were to reign.

In an effort to show this truth to his fellow people, Moroni tore his coat off and wrote on it: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” He then tied this to a pole and carried his “Title of Liberty” unto the people and called loudly to them, reminding them of the efforts that had previously been made to protect their freedom. He asked anyone who would help uphold the words which had written, to make a stand against Amalikiah and his followers. Looking to Moroni as their example, the people took courage and followed him. When Amalikiah saw that he would have no success, he took his band of cohorts and fled the land.

Moroni was able to unite the people by reminding them to stand by their beliefs and to not forget the sacrifices that had been made in order to protect them and their freedom. Moroni’s strength and courage amazes me. He knew something was wrong and chose to do the right thing, even though at first he stood alone. This story reminds me that if I am being pressured to do something I know is not right, I need to have the courage stand up for my beliefs. Perhaps my strength will help others to make the right choice, just as Moroni’s strength helped those around him.