The Hebrew word qum (קוּם) means literally “rise.” It can refer to physically standing up, but it can also mean to begin a journey, to rise to a challenge, to assume a position of responsibility, or to stand as a witness.
As Deborah stood with Barak, who led the Israelite army, facing a formidable foe, she knew that it was time for decisive action. But Barak had previously expressed uncertainty about this battle. “If thou wilt go with me, then I will go,” he had told her, “but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go” (Judges 4:8). Now she needed him to go into battle with confidence, and her words would matter.
And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? Judges 4:14
The word qum with all its connotations was her first word, and the King James translators rendered it simply as “Up.” Barak followed her order and won the battle.
Captain Moroni gave a similar command in the Book of Mormon. Near the end of a massive war, Moroni was angry at the lack of support from the government leaders in the capital city of Zarahemla. Not knowing the reason, he wrote a stern letter to the chief judge, Pahoran, urging him to stir himself “more diligently for the welfare and the freedom of this people” (Alma 60:10). His central appeal: “begin to be up and doing” (Alma 60:24).
Pahoran was facing a larger challenge than Moroni realized. He had been driven from the judgment-seat in a violent coup and was gathering an army to fight back. However, Moroni’s admonition was needed, even if he hadn’t been aware of the details. “I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do,” Pahoran wrote, “whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren. But ye have said except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them” (Alma 61:19-20).
It’s easy to misjudge Moroni’s intent, since midway through the epistle he writes, “We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country” (Alma 60:18). But you wouldn’t encourage a traitor to be “up and doing.” You would want him to do less, not more. Moroni is trying to spur Pahoran to greater action by emphasizing how his inaction could be perceived. The epistle correctly diagnoses Pahoran’s failing: timidity, not treachery.
Both Deborah and Moroni motivated colleagues who were overly cautious with simple and urgent commands. Their words were brief and direct, modeling the decisive action they were calling for. Barak and Pahoran responded not because the command was easy but because it was clear.
