Alma 48

Take His name (Christians)

Christian — one who bears the name of Christ

And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians. Alma 48:10

Moroni's preparations protected a people who lived unto the Lord and whose cause was known, even by their enemies, as the cause of Christians — those who bore Christ's name.

• alludes to Alma 46:15-16 — Believers gladly took the name of Christ and Moroni prayed for the cause of the Christians.

Faith in Christ

Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. Alma 48:13

The root of Captain Moroni's greatness was that he was firm in the faith of Christ. His courage, restraint, and love of his people grew out of that faith.

How we know: the verse itself names Him

Meeting God at judgment

Now, they were sorry to take up arms against the Lamanites, because they did not delight in the shedding of blood; yea, and this was not all—they were sorry to be the means of sending so many of their brethren out of this world into an eternal world, unprepared to meet their God. Alma 48:23

The Nephites grieve to send enemies unprepared to meet their God. Amulek taught that this life is the time to prepare to meet God, and the Book of Mormon teaches that all will stand before Christ to be judged.

• alludes to Alma 34:32 — This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God.

Jehovah

Yea, they could not bear that their brethren should rejoice over the blood of the Nephites, so long as there were any who should keep the commandments of God, for the promise of the Lord was, if they should keep his commandments they should prosper in the land. Alma 48:25

The covenant promise of the land was given by the Lord, Jehovah, to Lehi and Nephi. The Nephites defend their families because they trust that promise.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4)

• alludes to 2 Nephi 1:20 — Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.
• alludes to 1 Nephi 2:20 — The Lord first gives Nephi the promise that keeping commandments brings prosperity in a land of promise.