Alma 46:11 - 46:15

Alma 46: 11 And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

The news of the troubles being caused by Amalickiah came to the ears of Moroni, the commander of the Nephite armies. He became very upset and determined to do something about it.

Alma 46: 12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

First he tore off his coat and second wrote on a part of it: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” Third, he attached it to a pole.

Alma 46: 13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—

Then he dressed up in full military regalia consisting of his head gear, breastplate, and his armor around his loins. He then took the pole which had the writing he had put on a part of his coat, which he called the title of liberty, and bowed down in prayer before the Lord. He prayed that the blessing of liberty would be given to anyone living in this land who professed to be a Christian.

Alma 46: 14 For thus were all the true believers of Christ, who belonged to the church of God, called by those who did not belong to the church.

He used the term “Christian” because that was the name given to the church members by the non-members.

Alma 46: 15 And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called, because of their belief in Christ who should come.

This was not a derogatory term as the non-members probably intended, but the members felt it a honor to be called such because of their belief in the Messiah who would surely come.