Many readers of the Book of Mormon consider Captain Moroni one of their favorite heroes due to his strength of character and devotion to liberty and freedom. This story is not just a story of war. It is a love story, a story of family and devotion. A story of dissentions and treachery. It is a story of learning.

Moroni is introduced when he is nine years of age. He is described as overweight and physically slow, unable to keep up with his peers. He is also very sensitive, quick to learn, and shows his love for family and country.

In Mosiah 27: 8, we are told Alma had more than one son, so the author has constructed Alma’s family as such: his oldest son is Neum, then Zoram, and the youngest is Alma. Moroni is the son of Neum, and his best friend and cousin is Lehi, son of Zoram (Alma 16:5).

Lehi’s sister, Tirzah, age eight, finds Moroni very appealing, and does not see his weight or clumsiness as a deterrent. Rather she sees in Moroni a person of strong convictions and personal strength. Their friendship deepens, and at the appropriate time and age, they marry.

Years of research was conducted in order to discover the different aspects of the Nephite culture which might have existed during the time of Moroni. Hugh Nibley, John Welch, and others gave great insights on what Nephite life may have been like. Accordingly, the impact of Israel’s years of servitude in Egypt and the life of the Bedouin has a profound impact on what is written in the Book of Mormon.