Alma 44 - 46

Concerning this land, Alma said to his son Helaman -

"...Thus saith the Lord God—Cursed shall be the land, yea, this land, unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, unto destruction, which do wickedly, when they are fully ripe..." (Book of Mormon Alma 45:16)

When is it that people become "fully ripe"? When they-

"...dwindle in unbelief and fall into the works of darkness, and lasciviousness, and all manner of iniquities; yea, ...because they shall sin against so great light and knowledge..." (Book of Mormon Alma 45:12)

"So great light and knowledge" meaning that they once knew what was right and of their own free will, chose that which wasn't, for -

"...we see how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:8)

As a result of -

"...they [grow] proud, being lifted up in their hearts, because of their exceedingly great riches; therefore they [grow] rich in their own eyes, and [do] not give heed to [prophets] words, to walk uprightly before God." (Book of Mormon Alma 45:24)

Moroni, a righteous captian of the Nephite army stated that this land is -

"...A chosen land, and the land of liberty...and surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:17 - 18)

suggesting that they themselves would perish

"...if we do not stand fast in the faith of Christ." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:27)

Because Moroni understood that -

"...the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." Book of Mormon Alma 45:16)

Learning of the dissension and wickedness of a prideful group of Nephites, Moroni -

"...rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
13 And he fastened on his head–plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty)..." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:12 - 13)


And Moroni challenged the people -

"...whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:20)

And -

"...he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part, and crying...whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:19 - 20)

and the -

"...people came running together with their armor girded about their loins, rending their garments in token, or as a covenant, that they would not forsake the Lord their God; or, in other words, if they should transgress the commandments of God, or fall into transgression, and be ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ, the Lord should rend them even as they had rent their garments." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:21)

And seeing the peoples great faith, a few of the dissenters fled while many entered into a covenant to support the cause of freedom. And -

"...Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites.
37 And they began to have peace again in the land..." (Book of Mormon Alma 46:36 - 37)

Peace tends to follow the righteous, while destruction follows the wicked.