Virginia U. Jensen
"While his enemies gained power through fraud and deceit, Moroni empowered the Nephites by teaching them to be faithful to God (see Alma 48:7). How do we, like Captain Moroni, create places of security for those around us in these sometimes frightening and perilous times? We can begin by following the admonition found in 1 Timothy 4:12: ’Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.’
"…In Primary we sing, ’Keep the commandments! In this there is safety; in this there is peace’ (Children’s Songbook, 146). Above all, Captain Moroni showed his people the Lord would guide their efforts if they followed His commandments. A woman who keeps the commandments is using our Heavenly Father’s blueprint to build a place of security for herself and her family. Those around her know they can trust her. They can feel safety and peace within her influence. Adherence to the Lord’s commandments is the foundation of her fortress.
"To provide safety for those around us, we as sisters need to expand our knowledge of all things spiritual. We need to learn and progress in understanding and teach our children those things that will make them less vulnerable to deceit and to the designs of those who conspire against righteousness. Ignorance is not bliss; it is dangerous.
“In the 68th section of the Doctrine and Covenants, parents have been commanded to teach their children the simple, lifesaving truths of the restored gospel. Our homes should be the great centers of gospel learning. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: ’When parents fail to transmit testimony and theology along with decency, those families are only one generation from serious spiritual decline, having lost their savor. The law of the harvest is nowhere more in evidence and nowhere more relentless than in family gardens’ (”Take Especial Care of Your Family," Ensign, May 1994, 90). Like the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon, our children can be motivated, blessed, and, most of all, protected by the faith and wise counsel of righteous mothers.
“Sincere prayer can be more effective in protecting our families than the earthen walls Moroni erected around the Nephite cities…A righteous woman’s strength and influence are great. Her opportunities to create safe havens for struggling souls are abundant…Let us be like Captain Moroni in using all available resources to protect that which is precious to us and to our Heavenly Father.” (“Creating Places of Security,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 89)