“The Armor of Righteousness” – 2 Nephi 1:23

Lehi urged his sons to “awake” and “put on the armor of righteousness” (2 Nephi 1:23). This mirrors a passage in Paul’s epistle to the Romans:

The night is far spent,

the day is at hand:

let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,

and let us put on the armour of light.

Romans 13:12

Captain Moroni was able to defeat armies much larger than his own in part because he prepared his soldiers with armor. The army of Zerahemnah, which was nearly double the size of Moroni’s army, was hesitant to attack because they saw that Moroni had “prepared his people with breastplates and with arm-shields, yea, and also shields to defend their heads, and also they were dressed with thick clothing” (Alma 43:19-21). They were right to be afraid; Moroni’s army won the battle decisively.

In the last general conference, President Russell M. Nelson said, “The more self-reliant we are—temporally, emotionally, and spiritually—the more prepared we are to thwart Satan’s relentless assaults.” He also said that, even though temporal preparation is important, “I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation” (“Embrace the Future with Faith,” General Conference, October 2020).

In his epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul elaborated on the image of armor as a metaphor for spiritual preparation. I’ve been thinking about the following components of spiritual armor today as I’ve reviewed my own spiritual preparedness:

• Loins girt about with truth – Am I fully committed to live in harmony with truth, even when that truth may be uncomfortable or inconvenient?
• The breastplate of righteousness – Am I proactive in doing what’s right, without waiting for direction?
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace – Am I helping others grow closer to God?
• The shield of faith – How deeply to I trust God? Is my relationship with Him strong enough to withstand disappointment or confusing experiences?
• The helmet of salvation – Am I focused on the things that matter most? Do I keep an eternal perspective, even as I’m involved in the details of life?
• The sword of the Spirit – Am I constantly listening for promptings from the Holy Ghost? Am I willing to act on those promptings when they come?

(See Ephesians 6:11-17, Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18.)

Today, I will put on the armor of righteousness. I will strive to improve my spiritual preparedness, so that I can be ready for the challenges of the future.