19 But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction; and for this cause he might not bring upon him injustice, he would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in their drunkenness.
(Alma 55:19)
Moroni had a clear sense of right and wrong. He knew that, because he was the commander of the Nephite armies, his decisions affected the lives of the soldiers on both sides of the conflict. As Mormon reminds us in this passage, Moroni was fighting for the freedom of his people, a cause so important that violence was justified. But not unrestrained violence. Moroni preferred to avoid violence entirely if he could. “He did not delight in murder or bloodshed.” Because his motives were right, he was able to identify opportunities to accomplish his military objectives with minimal casualties on both sides of the conflict. By taking care to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, Mormon tells us, he avoided bringing upon himself “injustice.” In other words, he avoided suffering the consequences which would have been the inevitable result of unjust actions.
Today, I will pay attention to my own moral compass throughout the day. When I don’t feel right about a course of action, I will not pursue it, even if it is allowed or if it seems justifiable. I will seek to do what is right, not what is merely acceptable, so that I don’t bring upon myself injustice.
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