Stripling Warriors

As the mom of 5 young kids, 4 of whom are boys, its kind of given that I have to love the story of the Helaman and his 2,000 stripling warriors.  Each time I come to it in my study I love to read about their courage, their faith, and their trust in their mother's words about God.  It is inspiring and daunting to consider my responsibility to these children God has entrusted into my care.

The story really starts long before the events we read in Alma 56.  Really, it starts when the people of Ammon covenant to never take up arms against anyone again.  They made this commitment and stood by it.  Not only did they bury their weapons of war, but when they saw the Lamanites

coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.  Alma 24:21

So when the Lamanites were attacking the Nephites around 25 years later, these people felt compelled to take up their weapons and defend the people who had defended & protected them for so long.  However, Helaman, the prophet of the time, thought "that God would strengthen" the Nephites if they were true to their covenant (Alma 56:8).

I'm sure it was a bittersweet moment when the sons of those people (the people of Ammon who made the covenant) realized that they (the sons) hadn't made such a covenant, that they could volunteer to fight.  But what a great difference that little band of young warriors had on the events that transpired in Alma 56.  Below are some of my thoughts while reading of their amazing adventures.
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As I study the scriptures I'm always on the lookout for words relating to happiness and how it can apply to me.  In verses 16-17 of chapter 56 we read about the army of Antipus who had been fighting valiantly for a very long time and by this time they were worn out...

Yea, and they were depressed in body as well as in spirit, for they had fought valiantly by day and toiled by night to maintain their cities; and thus they had suffered great afflictions of every kind.  And now they were determined to conquer in this place or die; therefore you may well suppose that this little force which I brought with me, yea, those sons of mine, gave them great hopes and much joy.

Once again, how can this relate to me?  I like to think of myself as the "little force" and look for ways that I can help others, and thereby give them "great hopes and much joy."  It reminds me of Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk about The Ministry of Angels.   He says that "God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face"  whether it is the unseen angels of heaven or the acts of "angels  that are not from the other side of the veil".  I can be a tool in the hand of God as I heed his words to "try to be a little more angelic... with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and the 'covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted.'"  As I search for ways to bring hope and joy to others, like the stripling warriors, I will undoubtedly find hope and joy in my own life.
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As I mentioned above, I love to read about these young men and their faith and courage.  In verse 45 we Helaman says, "never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites."  This courage is exhibited as they volunteered to turn around and help Antipus again

Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives;yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

When I read this most recently, I was impressed to write in the margin of my scriptures, "What can I do so my kids will not doubt that I know it?"

I am a firm believer that actions speak louder than words.  So, the answer is simply to live like I know it.  Notice the question written wasn't "what can I say?" but rather "what can I do?"  Which reminds me of one of my favorite songs I Am a Child of God.  Did you know that the original words were "teach me all that I must know to live with Him someday"?  When President Spencer W. Kimball heard it, he asked that the word be changed to "do." He later explained, "To know isn't enough... We have to do something." (source).

I am sure that these mothers did plenty and by their doing, their children learned what they must do and had the courage and faith to do it.
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I really believe that the reason the story of the stripling warriors is so beloved and remarkable is that even though they were completely inexperienced with battle

not one soul of them [had] fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; Alma 56:56

Fascinating, isn't it?  And I love that Helaman

justly [ascribes] it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe--- that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power Alma 57:26

Now, that's not to say that if I have faith and don't doubt, I'll be spared all trials and tribulations.  They all survived, but they also all (yep, every last one of them) "received many wounds."  And let's not forget their parents who let the Lamanites slay them without fighting back in any way... or people like Abinadi... or the people burned in front of Alma and Amulek.  There are plenty of people who are doing what is right and aren't spared.
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The last thing that really, really struck me as I was reading this story this week was about the character of these young men.  I have a tendency to think the best of people.  I expect people to be good and to do good.  I hear from different people that grew up outside of Utah and moved there to attend BYU that they were eager to be surrounded by people with their same standards only to be surprisingly let down.  I feel like I am experiencing a similar phenomenon.  I'm surprised by some of the choices that some of my friends are making.  Nothing life shattering, just some things that I never considered to be temptations and so it caught me off guard.  And not that I am in any way perfect, believe me I have plenty of faults.

Anyway... what I love about the stripling warriors is "that they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted" Alma 53:20.  So how can I become true at all times?  I think their example is priceless as "they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness" (Alma 57:21 emphasis added).

Think about it, we expect our kids to do what we ask of them, we expect the youth of church to adhere to the standards outlined in the For Strength of Youth pamphlet, but what expectations do we put on ourselves?  I think we need to follow the example of these young men who had such faith, such courage, and such strength.  If we will obey and keep the commandments with "exactness" we will be true, we will be blessed, and "we will be delivered out of the hands of our enemies" (Alma 57:35).  And we too, will be able to say

blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us.