The Army of Helaman

What an amazing thing to read the entire story of the stripling warriors in two days.

For anyone not familiar with the Book of Mormon, the stripling warriors was a group of 2,060 young men who took up arms to fight for their people so that their parents would not have to break a covenant they had made with God to never go to battle again. This group of people known as the Anti-Lehi-Nephites or the people of Ammon had been blood-thirsty and murderous before being taught the truth by Ammon, Aaron, Omni, and Himner. They were willing to lay down their lives rather than kill another person. However, when the people protecting them are attacked, they feel compelled to break their oath with God to help keep the land free from the Lamanites. But instead, their sons, who had been too young to make the covenant, fight. From the scriptures, we can estimate their ages to be early to late teens. They had never fought or used weapons, but they were all miraculously protected in battle, because of their faith and the faith of their mothers. That is the type of mother I would like to be.

Next up: Samuel the Lamanite high on the city wall.