The Ammonites were ready to break their covenant and take up
arms to defend the Nephites and themselves from the Lamanite attack.
14 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. 15
And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls;
therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold
their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances
at this time.
Alma 53:14 – 15 (Emphasis mine)
The decision to take up arms was not a popular
decision. Helaman(1) did all he could to
get them to change their minds. Keeping
the oath was important. The Lord
expected oaths to be kept. “If a man vow
a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall
not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his
mouth” (Numbers 30:2).
Helaman(1) and his brethren were not the only ones trying to
persuade the Ammonites to change their minds.
Hugh Nibley explains, “[t]hey were complete pacifists, and Moroni gave
them his unqualified support along with Helaman, another great commander, who
labored successfully to dissuade the Ammonites from taking up arms even to come
to the aid of his own sorely pressed troops in a desperate military crisis
(Alma 53:14).”[1]
One key point to remember is Moroni(1)’s support. Failing to defend the land from enemies (“In
memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our
children” [Alma 46:1]) led to (in some cases) execution. To have Moroni(1)’s “unqualified support”
emphasizes the importance of the oath the Ammonites made.
John Welch explains that there were exemptions in
traditional Jewish law.
“[Why were] the able-bodied Ammonites granted exemption?
There may be several reasons. Unquestionably, their reason for not fighting was
righteous and bona fide. But beyond that, it may have been justified by … provisions
in the law of Moses, especially as they were interpreted in traditional Jewish
law.
“The rabbis limited the exemption for the ‘fearful and
fainthearted’ to ‘voluntary’ exploits of the king; in a ‘compulsory war’ of
national defense, even the fainthearted were obligated to go into battle. A
similar distinction may have contributed to the Ammonites' feeling, several
years later, that they could no longer claim their exemption in the face of the
extreme ‘compulsory’ war that threatened the Nephites' entire existence.
Moved by compassion and no longer afraid, they were willing to take up arms (see
Alma 53:13). Only Helaman's fear that they might lose their souls if they were to
violate their oath stopped them. “[2]
(Emphasis mine)
Another option presented itself. And this leads to one of the most well-known
and much-loved accounts in the Book of Mormon.
16 But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not
entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend
themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble
themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and
they called themselves Nephites. 17 And they
entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to
protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they
covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in
all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage. 18
Now behold, there were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this
covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country.
Alma 53:16 – 18 (Emphasis mine)
The sons of the Ammonites had not participated in making the
covenant, so they were free to take up arms to defend themselves and their
families. They came together and made a
covenant of their own. “[T]hey entered
into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the
land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they
never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect
the Nephites and themselves from bondage” (verse 17).
Like their parents, they too entered into a covenant with
the Lord, this time to “protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.
“There arose a time, however, when the pressure of war was
so great against the Nephites that the Lamanites who had taken the oath were
about to take up arms again to aid in the cause of their friends. They
were dissuaded from doing so when it was shown that their sons, who had grown
up without taking the oath, could help their Nephite brethren just as well. Two
thousand and sixty was the number of these young Lamanites who took up arms under
Helaman's direction (Alma 57:19; cf. Alma 53:18). They called
themselves Nephites (see Alma 53:16),”[3] (Emphasis
mine)
19 And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a
disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a
great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be
their leader. 20 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. 21 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.
22 And now it came to pass that Helaman did march at
the head of his two thousand stripling soldiers, to the support of the people
in the borders of the land on the south by the west sea. 23 And thus
ended the twenty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of
Nephi.
Alma 53:19 – 23 (Emphasis mine)
The stripling warriors took up their arms and prepared for
war. They wanted Helaman(1) to be their
leader. They were valiant, courageous,
and “true at all times in whatsoever thing they were trusted.” “The ‘exceeding faith’ and purity of the
stripling warriors of Helaman were their most distinctive virtues (Alma 53:21;
57:26). God gave them victory because ‘they did obey and observe to perform
every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it
was done unto them (Alma 57:21).”[4]
As with all armies, a formal organization was followed. A. Brent Maxwell explains that the stripling
warriors were a variation in the traditional organization.
“Some variations are common in most military organizations,
with the pressures of combat forcing armies to modify the normal standard.
Actual unit manning often does not match exactly with the official designated
size. In some cases, special types of units are created in response to
unusual circumstances not in conformance with the normal, established pattern.
“Helaman's band of ‘two thousand stripling soldiers’ (Alma
53:22; 56:5) may be such an exception. In this case the sons of the people of Ammon
desired to support the Nephite war effort by creating their own fighting force,
which they asked Helaman to command. This was no ordinary military unit created
in response to a governmental levy, but instead it was a special group of
people who wanted to serve their adopted nation.”[5]
(Emphasis mine)
“The story of the Ammonite stripling soldiers is also striking for its
religious content: the young men who entered a covenant with God (see
Alma 53:17) not only were ‘exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength
and activity,’ but their lives also reflected outstanding purity. ‘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). Their
protection in war was attributed directly to their righteousness.”[6]
(Emphasis mine)
[1] Freemen
and King-men in the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah:
Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2012.
[2] Exemption
from Military Duty, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,
accessed April 28, 2012.
[3] Types
of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Epistles, Psalms, Lamentations, Sidney
B. Sperry, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2012.
[4] Law
and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed April 28, 2012.
[5] Nephite
Captains and Armies, A. Brent Merrill, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed April 28, 2012.
[6] "Holy
War" in the Book of Mormon and the Ancient Near East, Stephen D. Ricks,
Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 28, 2012.
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