According to an article by Donald Parry, prophetic symbolic curses are well attested in the Bible. The people of the Book of Mormon demonstrated this Old World tradition of performing symbolic actions that revealed a prophetic curse. The incident of the title of liberty was much more than a rally behind a standard. After Moroni made the title of liberty and went forth with it among the people, he likened his rent coat to the garment of Joseph that had been rent by Joseph's brothers and proclaimed, "Let us remember to keep the commandments of God, or our garments shall be rent by our brethren, and we be cast into prison, or be sold, or be slain" (Alma 46:23). A curse is clearly implied. [Donald W. Parry, "Symbolic Action as Prophetic Curse," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 206-207]