Spiritual Leadership During War

When Russia invaded Ukraine 18 months ago I wrote about two of my missionary companions who live in Kyiv. I was not very familiar with Ukrainian history and culture at the time (what American was?), but I cared about and worried about my friends and hoped that they would be safe. Most of the western world assumed that the Red Army would bulldoze across Ukraine meeting little effective resistance, that the President of Ukraine, comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelensky, would be killed or flee into exile, and that Ukraine would cease to be an independent people within a few weeks.

Boy, were we wrong!

My friend Mikhail Tustov posted on his Patreon page during the first days of the invasion: “Ukraine will win.” I thought it was wishful but delusional thinking.

Then I watched a selfie video taken by Zelensky in central Kyiv with the main members of his cabinet, showing that none of them had fled the country. The Russian army was closing in on the Ukrainian capital city, but they were staying. They were in this fight to the end.

At the close of the video they declared, “Slava Ukraini” — “Glory to Ukraine.” At that point I teared up. Later that evening I showed the video to my kids, and said, “That is what courage looks like.”

The next day I made a Ukraine flag with the words “Slava Ukraini” written on the gold stripe and taped it to the window in my office. It is still there today, a little faded from the sun.

Those intrepid Ukrainians defended their capital against all odds, halting the advance of the huge line of Russian military vehicles queued up to ride into the city. The Russian army was beset with logistical problems and terrible troop morale. Ukarine recaptured the suburbs of Kyiv, and the Russian army fell back to the eastern and southern provinces of Ukraine, where the fighting continues today.

I have really appreciated the writings of two American political writers during the Ukraine war: Jay Nordlinger, that champion of freedom-loving dissidents around the world, and Jim Geraghty, who writes a daily column that often revisits the subject of Ukraine.

In fact, Geraghty literally visited Ukraine last month, and his travelogue was fascinating. He crossed over the border from Poland, spent a few days in Kyiv, including two days in Bucha where so many civilians were murdered and ravaged by the invading army, and then visited Odesa on the Black Sea coast before crossing over into the contested region of Moldova.

In the last post of the series Geraghty linked to a music video made by Rabbi Azman of Ukraine:

Vladimir Putin justified this war to the Russian people by telling them that Ukraine was overrun with Nazi secularists (although why would a nation of Nazis elect a Jewish president?), so obviously Russia should re-annex their Ukrainian cousins and set them straight.

In contrast, the Jewish rabbi in his music video is stoking a nationalist spirit, motivating his fellow countrymen to defend their land, their freedom, and their people.

Which approach is more honest? Which is more honorable?

The rabbi’s music video reminded me of this passage from the Book of Mormon:

“14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
“15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
“16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity” (Alma 48:14-16)

This is what spiritual leaders do during wartime. They do not tell their people lies about the enemy or tempt them with the spoils of conquest; they motivate with love of liberty, homeland, and people. Ukrainians are duty-bound to defend themselves against Russia, and it is honorable for those of us in the rest of the world who care about freedom and liberty to help Ukraine. I am proud to live in a nation that has supported the cause of freedom and liberty around the world.

Can the world avoid great power conflict for much longer? I hope that a war between the United States and Russia or China doesn’t happen in my lifetime, so that my sons will not experience the horror of world war like my grandfather did. The best way to avoid war is to prepare for it. Beyond whatever military, economic, and political preparations may be necessary, there are cultural and spiritual things we should do.

The Book of Mormon was written for our day, and it shows how to apply the principles of righteous warfare. Here are several examples:

“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.
“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.
“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— […]
“19 And when Moroni had said these words, he went forth among the people, waving the rent part of his garment in the air, that all might see the writing which he had written upon the rent part, and crying with a loud voice, saying:
“20 Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and enter into a covenant that they will maintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them” (Alma 46:11-13, 19-20)

“45 Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church. […]
“48 And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage.
“49 And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage.
“50 And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon” (Alma 43:45, 48-50)

“2 Behold, we have not come out to battle against you that we might shed your blood for power; neither do we desire to bring any one to the yoke of bondage. But this is the very cause for which ye have come against us; yea, and ye are angry with us because of our religion. […]
“5 And now, Zerahemnah, I command you, in the name of that all-powerful God, who has strengthened our arms that we have gained power over you, by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us—
“6 Yea, and this is not all; I command you by all the desires which ye have for life, that ye deliver up your weapons of war unto us, and we will seek not your blood, but we will spare your lives, if ye will go your way and come not again to war against us” (Alma 44:5-6)

“3 And it came to pass that Moroni took a small number of men, according to the desire of Pahoran, and gave Lehi and Teancum command over the remainder of his army, and took his march towards the land of Gideon.
“4 And he did raise the standard of liberty in whatsoever place he did enter, and gained whatsoever force he could in all his march towards the land of Gideon.
“5 And it came to pass that thousands did flock unto his standard, and did take up their swords in the defence of their freedom, that they might not come into bondage” (Alma 62:3-4).

“23 And it came to pass that I did speak unto my people, and did urge them with great energy, that they would stand boldly before the Lamanites and fight for their wives, and their children, and their houses, and their homes.
“24 And my words did arouse them somewhat to vigor, insomuch that they did not flee from before the Lamanites, but did stand with boldness against them” (Mormon 2:23-24).

What were the Nephites inspired to fight for?

• Liberty: freedom, peace, rights, freedom from bondage, “liberty which binds us to our lands and our country.”
• People: wives, children, “the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children.”
• Possessions: homes, lands, houses.
• Religious freedom: God, religion, “their rites of worship and their church,” faith, “the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness.”

What were the Nephites not fighting for?

• Domination: monarchy, power, “to bring any one to the yoke of bondage.”

Which list looks more like Ukraine’s motivations for fighting the current war? Which one looks more like Russia’s? Which list do you want your country to be motivated by?

Spiritual leaders can do much more than stoke nationalism and patriotism during wartime. They can inspire their people to repent and to call upon God for help. Note how the Nephites did this during one of the darkest hours in Book of Mormon history:

“8 And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies.
“9 And it came to pass that when the armies of Giddianhi saw this they began to shout with a loud voice, because of their joy, for they had supposed that the Nephites had fallen with fear because of the terror of their armies.
“10 But in this thing they were disappointed, for the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection; therefore, when the armies of Giddianhi did rush upon them they were prepared to meet them; yea, in the strength of the Lord they did receive them. […]
“29 May the Lord preserve his people in righteousness and in holiness of heart, that they may cause to be felled to the earth all who shall seek to slay them because of power and secret combinations, even as this man hath been felled to the earth.
“30 And they did rejoice and cry again with one voice, saying: May the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, protect this people in righteousness, so long as they shall call on the name of their God for protection.
“31 And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies.
“32 Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God.
“33 And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction” (3 Nephi 4:8-10,29-33).

The late President Marion G. Romney, former member of the First Presidency, explained the connection between living the teachings of Jesus Christ and achieving world peace:

“If a single person, yielding to Satan, is filled with the works of the flesh, he wars within himself. If two yield, they each war within themselves and fight with each other. If many people yield, a society [reaps] the harvest of great stress and contention. If the rulers of a country yield, there is world-wide contention.

“As the works of the flesh have universal application, so likewise does the gospel of peace. If one man lives it, he has peace within himself. If two men live it, they each have peace within themselves and with each other. If the citizens live it, the nation has domestic peace. When there are enough nations enjoying the fruit of the Spirit to control world affairs, then, and only then, will the war-drums throb no longer, and the battle flags be furl’d” (quoted by D. Todd Christofferson in the April 2023 General Conference).

I pray for the people of Ukraine. May God bless them with love of their liberty, their lands, and their people, and may he give them power to conquer their enemies.

I also pray that the message of Jesus Christ will spread throughout the world, that his teachings will be embraced by good people everywhere, and that this will lead to freedom and peace on Earth.

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Alan B. Sanderson, MD is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a practicing neurologist.