Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 52:13, 19, 21

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 52:13, 19, 21

"And thus he was endeavoring to harass the Nephites, and to draw away a part of their forces to that part of the land, while he had commanded those whom he had left to posses the cities which he had taken, that they should also harass the Nephites on the borders by the east sea, and should take possession of their lands as much as it was in their power, according to the power of their armies. 

And in the commencement of the twenty and eighth year, Moroni and Teancum and the many chief captains held a council of war - what they should do to cause the Lamanites to come out against them to battle; or that they might by some means flatter them out of their strongholds, that they might gain advantage over them and take them and take again the city of Mulek.

And it came to pass that Moroni, having no hopes of meeting them upon fair grounds, therefore, he resolved upon a plan that he might decoy the Lamanites out of their strongholds. 

There were three words that stood out to me in the this chapter: harass, flatter and decoy. These were tactics used by the Lamanites and the Nephites in battle. The Lamanites used harassment, the Nephites used flattery and decoy. So I pondered on why those words and tactics were important for me to understand. 

I have experienced being harassed and the best method of preservation is using flattery and a decoy to defuse the issue. What I am basically doing is feeding their pride. For it appears that a person that harasses others is a person that has an issue with pride. 

Then I thought about how antichrists and others that were wicked in the Book of Mormon used flattery, so was this not a good thing to use?

Describing Sherem, an antichrist.

"And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.  

(Jacob 7: 4)

Description of the Alma the younger and sons of Mosiah before they repented.

"Now the sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the sons of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father; nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a man of many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities."

(Mosiah 27:8)

Pahoran describing the kingmen to Moroni.

"And it is those who have sought to take away the judgment-seat from me that have been the cause of this great iniquity; for they have used great flattery, and they have led away the hearts of many people, which will be the cause of sore affliction among us; they have withheld our provisions, and have daunted our freeman that they have not come unto you."

(Alma 61:4)

As I pondered on this and use of flattery and decoy I realized it is only by pride that the tactic works. Sherem, Alma the younger and the kingmen were only successful because there were people the bought into it and were overcome by it. That leads me to believe that though the use of it can be a tactic in battle against those harassing and causing harm, what is needed is the humility and spirit to recognize it for what it is. It has its purpose. The righteous are not using it to lead people astray and carefully down to hell. They are using it to not have evil overcome them and a means of escape. The key is if you have lost the spirit you are on the wrong side of it.

Day 1910