The Church

With the hundreds and thousands of new, and younger, missionaries flocking to the missionary field, it reminds me a bit of when the Lamanite mothers sent 2,000 young men to war. Of course serving a mission is different than going to war, but it still hits close to home for many of us. Our sons or daughters are leaving and will be outside the scope of our protective care.

For the Lamanite mothers, the fear of death or serious injury was a tangible experience in their lives. They may have been reconciled that their sons were doing the right thing . . . yet, they certainly prayed for the safe return of their children.

We might also think of the fathers who sent those same sons to war. In our culture, just as cultures of ancient days, a father is committed to protect his family. But in the Lamanites’ case, the fathers had promised long before to never take up arms against their enemy again. Could they have foreseen the days that their sons would have to go in their stead?

With the young men’s promises to fight so that their fathers didn’t have to break their vows, we can imagine the bittersweet emotion that this brought to the parents (see Alma 56:8). The war was real, and happening all around them. There was no turning back when these two thousand young men joined Helaman and marched with the Nephite army led by Antipus (see v. 10).

The mothers of the stripling warriors were women who had witnessed the death of loved ones when one thousand and five of them were killed by the Lamanites soon after conversion. These women were no stranger to the consequences of battle. The mothers had also been witnesses to the heinous event of the Lamanites killing defenseless families-because of their belief in the true God.

It had been fifteen years since the Lamanites’ conversion, and adoption of their new names of Anti-Nephi-Lehies, and they’ve managed to teach their sons to stand up for their beliefs. We know that “they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” (Alma 56:47)

These women had raised their sons to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ since birth. These sons also knew their people’s history, and they knew of their parents’ oath. They were respectful of sacred things and were “sober” (see Alma 53:20-21). They believed their mothers when they were told that “God would deliver them” (Alma 56:47). We also learn that they did not doubt their mothers, and they did not doubt their God.

Before their first battle, the stripling warriors had no physical training for battle. “They had never fought,” but this did not stop them (Alma 56:47). And even though their determination to go and fight likely brought great fear to their families, it seems the mothers turned to the Lord for comfort and peace. The mothers testified to their sons, “that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.” (Alma 56:47). The only requirement from the Lord was that the young men not doubt.

With reassurance from the Lord, the mothers were able to let their sons leave for war. Armed only with blessings from their parents and with no battle experience, these 2,000 young men marched forward with faith in their hearts to face fierce warriors. It’s a remarkable thing that so many young men from one culture were valiant and faithful.

As my own children grow and mature, I constantly wonder if I have taught them enough, or if I should have taught them differently. Have I prepared my own children to face the battles they’ll encounter? We raise our children in the gospel, but once they’re away from the protective arms of family, will they turn to their faith?

Even with the assurance that the mothers had from the Lord, it must have been extremely difficult to bid farewell to their boys. All of the moments of preparation culminated into a final embrace and one last kiss. Yet, the mother had to trust in their hearts and relied on the comfort of the spirit, like all of us have to. And we can only pray that our children will know that “their mothers knew it.”

Heather B. Moore is the author of Women of the Book of Mormon and Christ’s Gifts to Women, and the most recent Book of Mormon novel: Daughters of Jared. Visit her website: www.hbmoore.com