I have been reading about the wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in Alma. There are various times that strategy comes into play. Moroni and his captains use strategy repeatedly to conquer their enemies and retake cities that have been taken by their enemies. Amalekiah uses strategy to try to become king of the Nephites and when that fails, he uses strategy to become king of the Lamanites. Also, at various times, the Lamanites unsuccessfully uses strategy to try to conquer the Nephites.
It is interesting that Moroni feels it necessary to defend his use of strategem in defending his country. He says that he only uses it because their enemies have attacked them. He only uses it in a time of war to defend himself, never to vanquish an opponent.
How does all this use of strategy apply to our lives, specifically in the fight against the forces of evil that are attempting to conquer us at every turn? Amalekiah's strategy worked against the wicked and the unaware, but did not work against the righteous. When we are actively turning to our Heavenly Father and following His Son, we will be made aware of the strategies used against us and will be less likely to fall for them. If by chance we do fall, we have the Lord as our strength to conquer again. We can turn to Him and He will provide the guidance and strength we need to overcome our weaknesses and temptations. And as far as using strategy ourselves, we should actively seek to find every advantage we can against our enemy. Moroni dressed his men in armor, fortified the cities, used every bit of his military knowledge, asked the prophet for guidance, and thought creatively to outmaneuver his enemy. We have so many tools available from the Lord to help and strengthen our army. We would be foolish not to use them all.
