Melanie Sarao (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Ricks College, BYU-Hawaii

Central Florida Mission (Spanish speaking)

 Homeschools

Fighting for Freedom

In the Book of Mormon, we have many wonderful examples of soldiers who fought for their freedoms, their lands, their families and for all things which are righteous and good. Captain Moroni is one of those. He was an incredible man who fought for his God.

The scriptures record in Alma 48:17 “Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, 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.” I typically think of his great courage to eradicate the untruths and evils of his day but he displayed much more than just courage.

Verse 18 of the same scripture says “Behold, he was a man like unto Ammon, the son of Mosiah, yea, and also Alma and his sons, for they were all men of God.” Here is a handful of men now who were soldiers of faith in their day. They sought out truth and righteousness and weren’t afraid to do all things in their power to build up the kingdom of God.

Verse 19 says “Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words.”

Great Men

As I think about the greatness of these men, I grow a little emotional. We too have great men and women of faith who are forging the way of righteousness, who are walking in the footsteps of Moroni and his companions. Exemplary men and women are now raising their families in the paths of truth and virtue.

They are serving in the church faithfully. They are meeting the needs of those around them They are sharing their time and talents in the building up of the kingdom of God.

There are young men and young women around the world who carry the mantle of authority to preach and baptize, who aren’t afraid to stand up for what is right and fight for good with the strength of their testimony. These amazing people wear a small badge near their heart that bears the holy name of Jesus Christ. These soldiers of faith receive their training and go out in their regiments on rescue missions across the globe. Never in the history of the world, has there been so many righteous soldiers spread through the entire world.

His Rock

President Eyring recently commented, “The Lord told His leaders of the Restoration, and He tells us, that when we stand with faith upon His rock, doubt and fear are diminished; the desire to do good increases. As we accept President Monson’s invitation to plant in our hearts a testimony of Jesus Christ, we gain the power, the desire, and the courage to go to the rescue of others without concern for our own needs.”1 This explanation perfectly describes a soldier of faith.

When I was at the Provo Missionary Training Center, the Church was celebrating the sesquicentennial anniversary of the pioneers’ arrival in the Salt Lake valley. All of us in the MTC had the unique and wonderful opportunity to leave the grounds and go to the BYU Stadium as surprise performers in the special musical performance. We joined the choirs inside, running onto the field as we sang “Called to Serve and “Faith in Every Footstep” with all the energy of our hearts. This was a moment I will never forget. As I looked out into the crowd, I saw tear- filled eyes and hands clasped over hearts. We were united in the great spirit of the Lord that touched us all. As we missionaries walked back to the grounds of the MTC, our voices joined together in “We’ll Bring the World His Truth.” In that moment, we were literally an army of Helaman, a sea of representatives of the Savior and very literally soldiers of faith. What a beautiful and unforgettable moment that I was blessed to experience.

Walk as Soldiers of Faith

Wherever we are, if we walk with the Lord, we walk as soldiers of faith, forging our paths and leaving a legacy of righteousness in our wake. May we carry on in this great work.

1 “Fear Not to Do Good”, President Henry B. Eyring, October 2017 General Conference, Sunday morning session