Helaman's Sacrifice
In Alma 53:10-23 we have the account telling why the 2000
stripling warriors joined the war between the Nephites and Lamanites. As I read this today I was impressed by the
role that Helaman played in all of this.
In the midst of the great war between the Nephites and Lamanites, the
people of Ammon were concerned about “the many afflictions and tribulations
which the Nephites bore for them.”
Because of this, they were contemplating breaking their covenant not to
fight in order to help the Nephites. They
were ready to place sacrifice before obedience, but Helaman, the leader of the
Church at that time, convinced them otherwise: “But behold, as they were about
to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of
Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had
made.” Helaman was afraid that they
would “lose their souls” if they were to take up arms, and so they held fast to
their covenant. It was at this point
that they decided instead to send their sons to fight in their place, and the
young soldiers “entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the
Nephites.”
The text of the Book of Mormon doesn’t say whose idea it was for the sons to take the place of their fathers in the war, but is seems very likely that this was part of the solution that Helaman offered to the people of Ammon. Elder Scott suggested that this was the case: “Their wise priesthood leader, Helaman, knew that breaking a covenant with the Lord is never justified. He offered an inspired alternative. He reminded them that their sons had never been guilty of the same sins and therefore had not needed to make the same covenant.” What happened after Helaman made the suggestion for them to fight shows how committed to helping the people of Ammon to keep their covenants he really was. After the stripling warriors had made their covenant to fight for liberty, “they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.” As far as know from the text that we have, Helaman was not a war leader and was not up to that point directly involved in the war. All of the references to his work among the people before that time related to his spiritual responsibilities. We read that “Helaman and his brethren went forth to establish the church again in all the land” and (after the war started) that “Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God” (Alma 45:22, 48:19). So I have to think that this request of the stripling warriors for Helaman to lead them came as a surprise to Helaman. He was the man responsible for the Church, not the affairs of the war. He was not a soldier but a preacher. And yet to his great credit he went and led the young boys into battle at the risk of his own life. He had told their fathers that he wanted them to keep their covenant, and I wonder if he realized at that time that he would have to make a great sacrifice to help them do that. But he went and showed not only by word but also by deed that he believed in the keeping of covenants.
The text of the Book of Mormon doesn’t say whose idea it was for the sons to take the place of their fathers in the war, but is seems very likely that this was part of the solution that Helaman offered to the people of Ammon. Elder Scott suggested that this was the case: “Their wise priesthood leader, Helaman, knew that breaking a covenant with the Lord is never justified. He offered an inspired alternative. He reminded them that their sons had never been guilty of the same sins and therefore had not needed to make the same covenant.” What happened after Helaman made the suggestion for them to fight shows how committed to helping the people of Ammon to keep their covenants he really was. After the stripling warriors had made their covenant to fight for liberty, “they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader.” As far as know from the text that we have, Helaman was not a war leader and was not up to that point directly involved in the war. All of the references to his work among the people before that time related to his spiritual responsibilities. We read that “Helaman and his brethren went forth to establish the church again in all the land” and (after the war started) that “Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for they did preach the word of God” (Alma 45:22, 48:19). So I have to think that this request of the stripling warriors for Helaman to lead them came as a surprise to Helaman. He was the man responsible for the Church, not the affairs of the war. He was not a soldier but a preacher. And yet to his great credit he went and led the young boys into battle at the risk of his own life. He had told their fathers that he wanted them to keep their covenant, and I wonder if he realized at that time that he would have to make a great sacrifice to help them do that. But he went and showed not only by word but also by deed that he believed in the keeping of covenants.
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