Moroni preempts a perceived excuse by the governing leadership, anticipating that some of those in charge may have assumed that the fallen soldiers are simply victims of their own wickedness and folly. Such is not the case, Moroni emphasizes. The fallen are righteous people, but the Lord allows such tragedies to happen “that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked” (verse 13). We are reminded about the inspired comment of Alma to Amulek when the faithful in Ammonihah are martyred in a most cruel fashion: “for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that … the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day” (Alma 14:11). Helaman says similar things about his fallen comrades in his own letter to Moroni: “I trust that the souls of them who have been slain have entered into the rest of their God” (Alma 57:36).
When we are prompted to judge others and assume that their misfortunes come simply as a consequence of their misdeeds or sins, do we forget that judgment is in the hands of God and that His designs for our perfection include tribulation and tests of faith and patience? Do we forget that part of our own probationary experience is to love others and withhold judgment, honoring and reverencing the hand of God in all things? Remember the words of King Benjamin unto those who withhold of their substance from the beggar, saying that “the man has brought upon himself his misery; … . For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have?” (Mosiah 4:17, 19).