Lessons from the War Chapters: What Manner of Soldiers and Men Ought We to be?

For those who are unfamiliar with the Stripling Warriors, they were a group of 2,000 young men, Lamanites by birth, but Nephites by affiliation, and Christians by religion.  Their parents, a group of converted Lamanites, had made a covenant to never take up arms again, and were under the protection of the Nephites (Alma 23-27).  Because the Nephites were struggling in their war with the Lamanites, these people were about to break their covenant and again take up arms to help the Nephites.  Rather than see their parents break their covenant, these young men, who had not made the same covenant, volunteered to join the Nephite army under the command of their church leader, Helaman (Alma 53:10-17).

The story of the Stripling Warriors is the one part of the war chapters that is widely read and known by members of the church, but I'm going to look at it from a slightly different perspective.  I am going to use the descriptions of the Stripling Warriors as a guideline for who we should be as young men, men and soldiers.

"And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him." (Alma 53:20-21)

Can you imagine if all our young men fit this description?  

These young men were placed where they could reinforce the Nephite army belonging to the commander Antipus.  In an effort to decoy the Lamanites out of a stronghold, like was discussed before, Helaman's 2,000 were used as the decoy.  The Lamanites took the bait, and Antipus' army went after the pursuing Lamanites.  The following day, the untested, tired, and probably nerve-wracked 2,000 realized that the Lamanites had stopped their pursuit.  

Not knowing if Antipus had caught up to the Lamanites, or if it was a trap to draw Helaman's army in, Helaman said, "Behold, we know not but they have halted for the purpose that we should come against them, that they might catch us in their snare; Therefore, what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them unto battle?" (Alma 56:43-44)  The answer of these untested and inexperienced young men was, "Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus." (Alma 56:46)

"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." (Alma 56:47, 48)

This passage is often used to teach the influence that mothers have on their children.  Not to take away from that very important message, what this example describes to me is the true courage of these young men.  They had never fought.  They had never killed, or had an army fighting to kill them.  Combat is scary, and that's all there is to it.  Their faith overcame their fear.

They returned to find the army of Antipus about to fall, and provide the relief needed to defeat the Lamanites.  After the battle, Helaman took accountability to see how many of these young men had been lost.

"But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them 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; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war." (Alma 56:56)

Not only were they valiant and successful in their first battle, they dominated.  Not only did they not fear the battle, they did not shy away from using maximum violence to achieve their end state.  They knew that when it was time to fight, you fought with everything.  It probably helps that they were already strong, and had probably spent significant time training.  But they also knew that their cause was just, and therefore held back nothing.

After subsequent battles, Helaman said of his army: "But behold, my little band of two thousand and sixty fought most desperately; yea, they were firm before the Lamanites, and did administer death unto all those who opposed them. And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted." (Alma 57:19, 20)

"And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.

And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe 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.

Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually."

To all those who are, or desire to be soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, etc... we should look to Helaman's Stripling Warriors as an example of who we should be, and how we should be.

Parents, raise your boys to be young men who can fit the description of these young men, so that they can stand firm and undaunted in the face of physical and spiritual threats.