One of my favorite scripture stories is the story of Captain Moroni and Pahoran in the book of Alma. It comprises chapters 60-62, and I don’t remember how old I was when I first read it, but I was pretty young, and I remember being thoroughly moved to tears.
The many “war” chapters in the book of Alma provide a necessary backdrop for the exchange of epistles between these two men. The chapters inform us of the significance, duration, and intensity of the war in which they are engaged and of the struggles they, and others, experience in waging that war. Word of a short-lived victory led by Helaman prompts Captain Moroni to pen his first epistle to Pahoran in chapter 59, wherein he requests aid to be sent to Helaman, in order that the gains made by Helaman might not be regained by the Lamanites. When Pahoran fails to send that aid, Captain Moroni is “angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country.” (Alma 59:13)
Moroni is prompted to write a second epistle to Pahoran, which I will not quote here, but if you would like to read it, you can find it in chapter 60. When I was young, I thought it quite sad how Moroni assumed the worst in Pahoran, but now I see Moroni as a realist and an honest person. He understood human nature, and he didn’t have time to play nice with anyone who might be fighting against righteousness and facilitating the death of so many and the collapse of his society.
However, when reading the Book of Mormon straight through, the reader has no idea, at that point, why Pahoran failed to send aid to Helaman and his armies. While Moroni’s suppositions are not extreme, they are just that—suppositions, and to his credit, Moroni addresses Pahoran directly and demands a direct response from him in return.
In that response (found in chapter 61), we discover that Pahoran has had battles of his own to fight, so much so that his ability to send aid to Helaman has been effectively eliminated. He is certainly not traitorous. He is not even in a “thoughtless state” with regard to the Nephite nation and his obligations to it. He is doing his best to navigate the flood of opposition crashing in on him. Moreover, in what could be seen as the greatest evidence of his dedication to their shared purpose, Pahoran takes no offense to Moroni’s epistle:
And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. (Alma 61:9)
Whatever misunderstandings existed between the two as a consequence of the distance between them had no effect on Pahoran. He could have replied in anger. In fact, Moroni’s letter could have been the thing that made him throw in the towel on the whole situation, but truth displaces offense, as it should. The shared purpose expressed in Pahoran’s response gives Moroni reason to believe that there is something to work with, instead of against.
And now it came to pass that when Moroni had received this epistle his heart did take courage, and was filled with exceedingly great joy because of the faithfulness of Pahoran, that he was not also a traitor to the freedom and cause of his country. (Alma 62:1)
There are many good things to learn and apply from this story. Maybe a series is warranted. 🤔
We’ll see.