When is war and self-defense justified?

Thomas R. Valletta

“I mention another plain and precious insight that did not come with the first reading in the Book of Mormon. When I was 18 years old, I was inducted into the military. While I had no reason to wonder about it before, I became very concerned if it was right for me to go to war. In time, I found my answer in the Book of Mormon: … ‘Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion’ (Alma 43:45–47). Knowing this, I could serve willingly and with honor” (Packer, “Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ—Plain and Precious Things,” 7–8).

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References