The Army of Helaman is one of my favorite stories from the Book of Mormon. I am inspired by the faith and courage of the two thousand sons who went to battle to defend their families and their homes. They were young men of character and honor. We know that they were young men “who were true at all times in whatsoever they were entrusted.”
As I ponder the challenges that face our sons and daughters today I can’t help but think of it as a battle. It may not be a battle like the two thousand sons of the people of Ammon fought but it is a battle. This battle that our sons and daughters face today may even be far more dangerous than the one Helaman’s army marched against.
Today, you who are our sons and daughters are challenged by an enemy that appears faceless and yet is everywhere. You are attacked by unindentified enemies use of modern day “weapons” at their disposal to attack you day in and day out.
Obviously, I’m refering to the attacks on morality and values that you face everyday on the Internet, on television, in the movies, magazines, and many other places. I am not being melodramatic! I really do look at this as a battle, a war that is being fought for you; for your minds, hearts, and souls.
How do you fight such an enemy? You do so by becoming a modern day Army of Helaman.
You do so by looking to the two thousand stripling warrirors and their examples of valor and faith. We know from the Scriptures that they were young men of their word, that they were young men who kept the commandments of God. So the first thing that you need to do is to be sure that you are keeping the commandments that you promised to keep. Keeping the commandments helps you to be strong in the face of adversity. After all, you can’t fight for the truth if you aren’t living it yourself.
We are told that the Army of Helaman took their weapons of war with them. This makes sense, you don’t want to march into battle without any sort of weapon. So what weapons do you have? Remember, you are a modern day Army of Helaman. Your field of battle is the Internet. At least, that’s the one where most of the attacks are coming today. Your weapons are the Scriptures and the teachings of the modern day prophets. Your weapons are your testimonies of the Savior and his gospel. Your weapons are the same tools that they enemy is using in his fight to win you over.
The enemy is not the only one with access to modern technology. You do too. Use it for good. When the enemy uses the Internet to spread evil, you can use it to spread the word and will of our Lord. You can combat the rise of those who would argue that there is no God, by using the Internet and other kinds of modern technology to tell everyone that you know God lives.
Finally, we are told in the Scriptures that the two thousand young men chose Helaman to be their leader. They chose to follow a leader who they knew and trusted. They chose to follow a leader who they knew was a man of God. You too, as a modern Army of Helaman, can choose to follow a leader that you trust. You can choose to follow a leader that is a man of God. President Gordon B. Hinckley is such a leader. He is a prophet of God. He is someone you can all trust. Listen to him, follow his counsel. He loves you. I’ve heard him speak on a number of occasions and I’ve always felt the love he has for all of us and especially for you, the youth of the Church.
I pray that each of you, as a young son or daughter of God, realizes how much he loves and values you. I pray that each of you recognizes the potential you all have to become a mighty modern day Army of Helaman.
