The Unwritten Debates in Moroni1's Letter

by Morgan Deane

Overview

Abstract: Moroni1's letter in Alma 60 is not simply an angry and intemperate screed against the government; it also responds to arguments about just tactics (what modern readers would call ethics) taking place among Nephite leaders at this time. Moroni1's letter argues for his preferred strategies of active defense and ambush, while interpreting defeat as a failure of leaders. His rhetorical strategy is particularly noteworthy for associating his Nephite opponents' hopeful trust in the Lord with the passive resistance of the king-men, and shifting blame for defeat away from his strategies and onto his political opponents. Overall, Moroni1's arguments exemplify sophistication and debate within Nephite thought.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940185945476
Publisher:	Interpreter Foundation
Publication date:	04/18/2024
Series:	Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , #61
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	559,963
File size:	248 KB

About the Author

Morgan Deane has a BA from Southern Virginia University and an MA in History from Norwich University specializing in military history. He is a military historian and former U.S. Marine. His publications include Offensive Warfare in The Book of Mormon and a Defense of the Bush Doctrine; Bleached Bones and Wicked Serpents: Ancient Warfare in the Book of Mormon; and the forthcoming The Book of Mormon and the Historical Just War Tradition.