2000 Stripling Warriors

Last Friday in the Bountiful Handcart Days Parade the final entry was an incredible sight.  A local Stake President had decided to reenact the Book of Mormon Story of Helaman and the 2000 Stripling Warriors.  (See here to read the story).  He asked each stake and ward to provide young men and young adults to portray these heroic young warriors.  Our singles ward was asked to choose 10 of our men.  What an impressive sight.  I have grown up reading and hearing the story about these young soldiers defending their freedoms and families in great battles.  2000 sounds like a large number of young men, but until you literally see 2000 young men walk in front of you the enormous amount does not really register.  At least it didn't for me.  They had the young men in rows of 10 walking and costumed in the dress of the time and keeping cadence with their sticks.  They ranged in age from young teenagers to men in their late 20's.  Helaman was leading the entire group and they seemed to have other sub-leaders that were over smaller groups.  There wasn't any laughing, teasing or messing around that you would expect when you get over 2000 young men together.  Their roles were taken seriously.  They actually had 2200 young men because that number is referred to in the scriptures.
It was almost completely silent as the spectators stood while 220 rows of these wonderful young men strode by.  It literally took several minutes for them to pass.

As Helaman was later recounting in a letter to his commander the story of these brave young men, he mentioned that they had fought courageously and miraculously not one of them had been killed though they had all received injuries.  What a miracle to think about as we watched all of these boys march by.  There were so many and they all were so blessed.  The amazing thing about them is that they gave credit to their mothers for their faith and safety.

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the ^aliberty of their ^bfathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their ^cmothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

 48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their ^amothers, saying: We ^bdo not doubt our mothers knew it

What an incredible tribute.  It does make me wonder if my children KNOW of my faith.  Have I taught them and maybe more importantly have I been an example of a true believer?  Am I an example now?  Something to ponder and always something to work towards.