Experiencing Opposition is part of being a Latter-day Saint | Moroni 1-5 | Come Follow Me

For some people, it’s easier to be faithful in times of ease and comfort. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must remain faithful even when we face trials and opposition.

In the first chapter of Moroni, we see the struggles that Moroni has to face. Hopefully, we will not have to experience the same anger and hatred that members of the Church faced in the times of the Book of Mormon, but it's good to go through each verse and relate them to ourselves. Let's look at these verse one-by-one.

Moroni 1:1-3

1 - Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

In the first verse we are given context to the life that Moroni is living. He is currently being hunted by those that oppose him.

2 - For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

During this time, it's not good to be member of the Church. The opposition, I would assume, would cause some to deny the faith in order to save their life. This would be such a hard choice to make because of the amount of fear. Similarly, in these latter-days, members are asked to deny the faith, whether that be by breaking the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, or other commandments, with the fear of losing social status, friends, family, and acceptance. 

3 - And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.

As we read, we learn that Moroni refuses to conform and deny his faith. Because of this, he lives a life of solidarity, and loneliness. He does this for the sake of safety, and while we hopefully will never have to face this kind of opposition, we will have to at times experience loneliness in order to keep the commandments.

Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints comes with many blessings and knowledge that brings joy to all those who embrace the Gospel. Being a member also brings pain, sorrow, opposition, and loneliness. 

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!