Z. N. Morrell was a friend to Houston and served in battles with the military leader.  Morrell came to Texas as one of the first Baptist ministers.  The first few years he served as a mission leader he had to kill a few men.  He said the state was so tough he killed far more than he baptized early on.  He once sought help from the city of Houston seeking an important ingredient for the survival of the community he resided in.  That item was gun powder.  He once went bear hunting with Davy Crockett and often placed his life in danger by traveling to speak at churches.
     He related an interesting story about a meeting he was conducting at a pool hall.  A man who was drunk kept sticking his head in the window twisting a chicken and causing the crowd to roar with laughter at the commotion.  The man kept interrupting Morrell's sermon.  Finally, Morrell had had enough and clunked the man on his head  with a cane, knocking him out cold.  After the meeting was over several thugs started to follow Z.N. home seeking to assault him.  He was rescued by Col.  Matthew Caldwell.  Caldwell stated he would harm any man who dared lay a hand on Morrell.  Caldwell stated Morrell was on the side of civilization and religious liberty.  
     We forget that the state of Texas at this time was officially part of a Christian nation.  It was a land where it was illegal for anyone to start a church.  It was against the law for someone to own a Bible which was only for Mexican Priests to possess.  Morrell, and other ministers fought with Sam Houston for the right to have religious liberty in Texas.  Thus, the largest statue dedicated to an American hero was constructed to honor a man who fought for religious liberty.
     The battle of the Alamo is as much about religious liberty as it is American independence.  Later on Houston lost his influence with the state.  One of the contributing factors in his lack of popularity was his refusal to start a guerrilla war against the North after the Civil War.   Sam Houston refused to go along with the succession of Texas from the Union.  Later on it would be oil from Texas that helped provide the victory in World War II over Nazi Germany.  
       People forget Texas was a Christian nation before the battle for Independence.   Stephen F. Austin had to join the national church of the land before he could run for office or even vote.   The free church movement replaced the state church.  The church began to spread by leaps and bounds in the frontier state.  Texans held a deep distrust for the state sponsored church that made Christianity the official faith of the land.  One might view the Battle for the Alamo as the Christian nation versus the crude, independent freedom loving renegades.  Morrell was part of the state Declaration of Independence, battle against Mexico, founding of the state and its first University, Baylor.  His own son was captured by Mexican troops and spend years in a Mexican prison.  The incarceration of his son probably cost Morrell's wife her life.  To Morrell, true faith was not coerced by state, but personal and individual.  That was the way he and Houston saw it.