7 Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.
In this passage, Mormon draws a clear distinction between the leadership styles of Amalickiah and Moroni. Several contrasts are highlighted, including deceit vs. faithfulness and pursuit of power vs. patient preparation. However the one that strikes me most, and which I’ve been thinking about today is selfish ambition vs. selflessness. Amalickiah wanted to conquer and control other people. He was concerned with his own success and happiness. Moroni, on the other hand, was concerned about the welfare of his people. He wanted them to be righteous and happy, and he labored alongside them for their collective success. Moroni did not want power for its own sake (Alma 60:36). After he led the Nephite army to victory, “he retired to his own house that he might spend the remainder of his days in peace” (Alma 62:43). The message is clear: righteous leaders are selfless; they do not lift themselves up at the expense of others.
Today, I will follow the example of Moroni. I will concern myself with accomplishing goals which bless the lives of the people around me, not with increasing my own power or influence.
Great post. Thank you. What a need we have in all aspects of our lives for leaders like Moroni!