Israel’s conquest of Canaan as described in Joshua 6-12 has a lot in common with the Nephites’ successful defense of their land from a Lamanite invasion in Alma 46-62. Here are some of the lessons we can learn from both groups of battles:
1. Preparation is key.
Joshua prepared his people for battle by sharing the Lord’s admonition, “Be strong and of a good courage” (Joshua 1:6-9, 18). He sent spies to learn about the enemy (Joshua 2). And he led his armies in activities intended to invite God’s intervention, such as marching around the city of Jericho seven times and blowing trumpets (Joshua 6). When they did not prepare well, such as the first battle of Ai, they lost (Joshua 7:2-5). But Joshua worked to prepare them so that they could be victorious the next time (Joshua 8:1-29).
Captain Moroni similarly emphasized preparation. He led his people in fortifying their cities (Alma 48:7-9; 50:1-11). New recruits flocked to his armies daily as they saw how well he had fortified their cities (Alma 50:12). He and the other leaders used spies to learn about the movements of the enemy (Alma 56:22). And he emphasized spiritual readiness, “preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God” (Alma 48:7) and creating a banner to remind them what they were fighting for (Alma 46:12).
Prepare both temporally and spiritually for the challenges you will face.
2. Avoid distractions.
Both Joshua and Moroni used decoy strategies to entice their enemies out of their secure fortresses. Joshua approached the city with a portion of his army, then fled when the army of Ai began to pursue them. But he had instructed 30,000 men to hide on the other side of the city and to take the city when it was left undefended (Joshua 8:1-29). Moroni used the same strategy to retake the city of Mulek (Alma 52:21-40), and Helaman took several other cities using variations of it (Alma 56:30-56; Alma 58:13-29).
Don’t be lured from your places of security, thinking you are stronger than you actually are.
3. Trust God.
Joshua and his people were repeatedly reminded they were winning because of God’s power, not because of their own strength. The walls of Jericho tumbled down miraculously at the sound of trumpets (Joshua 6:20). The Amorites were defeated because of great stones falling from heaven, and because the Lord lengthened the day. “They were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword” (Joshua 10:11). The author of Joshua marveled at that battle:
There was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Joshua 10:14
The Nephite commander Helaman likewise saw the power of God in the preservation of his stripling warriors. “Their preservation was astonishing to our whole army,” he wrote. “And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith” (Alma 57:26).
Acknowledge the power of God in your life.
Conclusion
There are differences between Joshua’s experience and Moroni’s. Joshua was fighting an offensive war, while Moroni was purely focused on defense. Moroni had a strict commitment to minimize the loss of life, even among the enemy, while Joshua followed the instructions he had received to “utterly [destroy] all the souls” in the cities he conquered (Joshua 10:39).
But the similarities between the two accounts point to universal principles we can apply to our own “battles.” Physical and spiritual preparation will enable us to fight with confidence. Avoiding distractions will help us stand firm in our places of security. And remembering that God is fighting for us will help us be humble and faithful, inviting His sustaining power into our lives.
Today I will remember and apply the lessons from Israelite and Nephite battles. I will face the challenges of the day with appropriate preparation, focus, and faith.
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