Alma 56:1-9

Chapter 56

Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites—Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites—Helaman's two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power and none of them are slain. Verse 1, about 62 B.C.; verses 2–19, about 66 B.C.; and verses 20–57, about 65–64 B.C.

¹ AND now it came to pass in the commencement of the thirtieth year of the reign of the judges [62 B.C.], on the second day in the first month, Moroni received an epistle from Helaman, stating the affairs of the people in that quarter of the land.

² And these are the words which he wrote, saying: My dearly beloved brother, Moroni, as well in the Lord as in the tribulations of our warfare; behold, my beloved brother, I have somewhat to tell you concerning our warfare in this part of the land. ³ Behold, two thousand of the sons of those men whom Ammon brought down out of the land of Nephi—now ye have known that these were descendants of Laman, who was the eldest son of our father Lehi; ⁴ Now I need not rehearse unto you concerning their traditions or their unbelief, for thou knowest concerning all these things—⁵ Therefore it sufficeth me that I tell you that two thousand of these young men have taken their weapons of war, and would that I should be their leader; and we have come forth to defend our country.

Alma 56:1 – 5 (Emphasis mine)

Mormon breaks into the narrative of the battle between Moroni(1) and Ammoron.  He turns to the epistle sent to him by Helaman(2) telling him, “I have somewhat to tell you concerning our warfare in this part of the land.” 

This is the first Moroni(1) has heard from Helaman(2) since his 2,000 stripling warriors left to battle the Lamanites.  “[T]he campaign by Helaman's young warriors and allied forces against Lamanite armies in the Manti-to-Antiparah sector remained completely unknown even to chief commander Moroni for at least four years (Alma 56:1, 7; 59:1–2).”[1]

Sidney Sperry observes:

“The longest epistle in the Book of Mormon is found in Alma 56:2—58:41. It was written by Helaman, a Nephite leader and general, to the Nephite general, Moroni, mentioned in connection with the epistles on exchange of prisoners. It is a faith-promoting letter of heroic mold, concerning certain phases of the war between the Nephites and Lamanites during the years 66—62 BC. The epistle should be classified as a war story concerning two thousand young warriors known affectionately as the ‘sons of Helaman.’ These young men were sons of Lamanites (converted by Ammon, a great Nephite missionary, and his brethren) who had taken a solemn oath never to bear weapons of war again. 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).”[2] (Emphasis mine)

“From the Nephite sphere, too, we find that there were clear-cut tribal distinctions. For example, though the Anti­Nephi-Lehies (people of Ammon) were converted to the Nephite religion and came to live with the Nephites, yet they were not left to intermingle with the rest of the people. Rather, they were given a special territory named Jershon (see Alma 27). That they remained separate from the main Nephite body is indicated by the statement that they continued to be called by the name of their mentor, Ammon, ‘ever after’ (Alma 27:26-27).

“Though the sons of the Ammonites, who fought under Helaman in the great war, called themselves by the more general term of Nephites (see Alma 53:16), they nevertheless appear to have been segregated from the main Nephite army. Helaman noted that his two thousand Ammonite warriors ‘were descendants of Laman, who was the eldest son of our father Lehi’ (Alma 56:3). This implies that none of them was descended from Lemuel or the sons of lshmael, who also formed the Lamanite league. It is true that Helaman notes that his two thousand were joined ‘to the army of Antipus’ (Alma 56:10), but they were kept as a separate subunit.”[3] (Emphasis mine)

⁶ And now ye also know concerning the covenant which their fathers made, that they would not take up their weapons of war against their brethren to shed blood. ⁷ But in the twenty and sixth year, when they saw our afflictions and our tribulations for them, they were about to break the covenant which they had made and take up their weapons of war in our defence.

⁸ But I would not suffer them that they should break this covenant which they had made, supposing that God would strengthen us, insomuch that we should not suffer more because of the fulfilling the oath which they had taken. ⁹ But behold, here is one thing in which we may have great joy.  For behold, in the twenty and sixth year [66 B.C.], I, Helaman, did march at the head of these two thousand young men to the city of Judea, to assist Antipus, whom ye had appointed a leader over the people of that part of the land.

Alma 56:6 – 9 (Emphasis mine)

Helaman(2) recounts the covenant the Ammonites had made.

And now it came to pass that when the king had made an end of these sayings, and all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man's blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth.

And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man's blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

Alma 24:17 - 18

Helaman(2) recounts how he “would not suffer them that they should break this covenant which they had made.”

But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country.

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.

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 53:13 - 15

He expresses his gratitude that the parents did not take up their arms.  Instead, they sent their sons.  “[T]heir children relied on the faith of their parents and their own obedience to God to help preserve the Nephites (see Alma 56-58). Their children's contribution to the Nephite cause fulfilled Helaman's belief that ‘God would strengthen us, insomuch that we should not suffer more because of the [parents'] fulfilling the oath which they had taken’ (Alma 56:8).”[4]

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[1] Mormon's Sources, John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 5, 2012.

[2] Types of Literature in the Book of Mormon: Epistles, Psalms, Lamentations, Sidney B. Sperry, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 5, 2012.

[3] Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 5, 2012.

[4] The Impact of Shifting Cultural Assumptions on the Military Policies Directing Armed Conflict Reported in the Book of Alma, Matthew M. F. Hilton, and Neil J. Flinders, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed May 5, 2012.

Alma 53:14-23

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)

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[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.