The Character of Men in War Time

My personal experience in war is that it tends to bring out the extremes in a person's character. There are those who use it as an excuse for the worst behavior; they kill for defense of self and others but, having killed once, kill for the thrill, for revenge, for almost any excuse. These men would be involved in whoredom and even rape. They would also be first in line for alcohol and drugs. Others would become like a particular captain who, for one reason or another decided to befriend me. I think he had met me in our church services as I had been called to be a counselor to the LDS unit president, so I conducted our meetings from time to time. There was little structure to our meetings and I had very little to do other than at the meetings themselves as there was no opportunity for home teaching or making visits to other areas of the base, fire bases or out in the bush.

This particular captain had led units of men out in combat, but took the time to succor soldiers who were injured, frightened or who suffered from mental wounds. In one case he took a prisoner who would have been killed by the type of soldier who was less inclined toward mercy. In another case, there was a soldier from Utah who served in a nearby unit and who fell victim to his own inappropriate habits. He took drugs following a period of time in the bush where he had seen action. The drugs, combined with the fear, bloodshed and extreme emotional circumstances caused him to lose control. He took his weapon and begin firing randomly inside the NCO and officers' clubs. I don't believe he killed anyone, but he seriously injured several.

This soldier was lucky enough to have become acquainted with the righteous captain. The captain took the risk of convincing the powers that be to let him take charge of the young soldier. He brought the soldier to church services where I could clearly see that the young man was unstable. The captain worked with him, was kind to, but firm with him and stayed with him until he was sent away. If my memory serves me, the soldier was given a court martial, but sent to Japan to receive treatment for battle fatigue.

Alma, in describing Captain Moroni, describes a man who saw the world from 10,000 feet above the rest of mankind. He fought for principle and never allowed himself to believe that his current circumstances were the only reality. He is described as strong and mighty, which he would have to be to survive and lead. He is also described as a man of perfect understanding who did not delight in bloodshed. He loved freedom and the joy of liberty and could see that the results of losing the war would be captivity and slavery. He was capable of deeply felt thanksgiving, even in the horrors of wartime. He had taken an oath to defend the liberty and welfare of his people, even at the risk of losing his own life.

Alma states, in describing this mighty man, "...If all men...were...like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." While these traits may be seen as gifts from God, the fact is that everyone has the Spirit of Christ and, like Moroni, could have developed their characters to the point that they, like he, could receive such gifts. Instead, most of us tend to think of our current circumstances as reality and don't think in the long term. We suffer disappointment and use that as the excuse for abandoning our faith. We find an opportunity to act on a lustful impulse and take advantage without thinking of the eternal consequence.

Men like Moroni keep an eternal perspective, not only for themselves, but for those in their sphere of influence.

Similarly, the 2000 stripling warriors maintained an eternal perspective. Much credit is given their mothers who taught them, as is proper, but the fact is that many young person who has had the proper teaching and example in the home abandon those teachings when they leave home. A spirit of rebellion can negate the teaching of a righteous parent until circumstances seemingly force them back to the teaching of the home through repentance, usually after they have raised children without the benefit of their faith. Unlike the typical rebellious youth, these men applied their faith by following every command with exactness. They applied the principles of righteousness they learned in the home to their commander. Knowing that Heleman was a righteous leader who would never lead them astray, they were protected by following his directions to the letter. Heleman credits the success of the young soldiers to the fact that they had faith, that their minds were firm and that they put their trust in God.

The war chapters of the Book of Mormon are often used as a metaphor for the battles we face in our lives everyday. That is an appropriate use of these chapters. War, however, like other extreme circumstances we may face reveals our true character. C. S. Lewis says that we must not use extreme circumstances as an excuse for bad behavior. "Dropping the hammer on my toe caused me to swear," for instance. Rather, the extreme circumstance reveals the aspects of our character we have not yet corrected. The rats in the cellar, for instance, are more likely to be revealed when we enter the door abruptly than if we rattle the door handle and enter as usual.

Our focus, then, must be to make of ourselves the men and women whose hearts a pure because we are the children of Christ; his sons and daughters. We do this by constantly reflecting on the blessings of the atonement and calling on God's holy power to change our hearts.