November 25, 2010

Today is Thanksgiving. We also celebrated my son's second birthday. It was a good day.

Well, tonight I read Alma 54. It tells of two letters exchanged between Moroni and Ammaron, the new leader of the Lamanites, about the exchange of prisoners. I find this chapter really interesting. I don't quite understand it. First of all, the letter Moroni writes is written in anger and filled with condemnation. Moroni even admits he writes in in anger. While I do feel the Nephites are justified in defending their liberty, their families and religion against the attacks of the Lamanites, I don't feel that the war justifies anger and condemnation. Ammaron's letter back brings up an interesting point. He basically says, if you say God created you, he also created us... meaning we both are held to the same standard. So if you say we are going to hell, then won't you be going too since you murdered my brother? I think back to the earlier chapter I read about Teancum killing Amalakiah in his sleep. I didn't sense anything amoral about that as I read it, but now I see the irony of it. At what point is a wicked act justified morally? It wasn't fair for Teancum to kill Amalakiah in his sleep, but then again, it was Amalakiah who began this whole mess. Didn't he just ask for it? I don't fully understand what constitutes as a moral, or a just act. Is it something that is the same across the board? Or is it totally situational? And what situations would an act be just or unjust? What if it was Amalakiah who had killed Teancum in his sleep? I would think of that as unjust, but how is it different the other way around and why is it different? I wonder why these stories are included in the Book of Mormon anyway. Perhaps it is to encourage the asking of such moral questions like these. I wish I had a greater understanding of God's system of morality. What would He have expected or hoped for in these situations? One day I believe I will understand.