Moroni's Response to the Cunning Flattery of Amalickiah

In Alma 46, we read of Amalickiah "a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words" who "led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly" and "[sought] to destroy the church of God, and  to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted [the Nephites]." Amalickiah caused dissensions in the church as well as a rift in the government.

How did Moroni, the military leader of the Nephites, respond to this?

 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 headplate, 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—

Moroni chose to combat the wicked tactics of the persuasive Amalickiah by helping the people remember what really matters: God, religion, freedom, peace, and family. He knew that the people would rally around this truth and be willing to do whatever it took to defend what truly matters.

When people get prideful, caught up in the newest trends or movements, and begin to fight against that which is good, it is because they have forgotten what really matters. The best weapon to combat this is to help them remember what truly matters.

So what was the result? After Moroni "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: Behold whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord...and it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together" to make a covenant with God.

People will rally around the truth, and the truth is the only way to cut through the deceitful evil of people like Amalickiah who quickly blind the eyes with cunning flattery.