The Stripling Warriors

Materials Needed: Flannel Board Story and Figures, Stripling Warrior worksheet for each person,
Scripture Poster, Stripling Warrior Game, Scriptures, marking pencils, lesson outline

Opening Song: “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” (Children’s Songbook, p. 172)

Lesson: Read Alma 24:19. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies set a wonderful example for their children. What
are some important principles you have learned from your parents? (i.e. Keep Sabbath day holy,
honesty, kindness, etc.) Heavenly Father gave us parents to love, teach, and guide us through our
lives. In this lesson we will learn how the two thousand young warriors, who were the sons of the
Anti-Nephi-Lehies, used the teachings and examples of their righteous parents to keep their
covenant to defend their freedom.

Present the flannel board story.

Use the following questions to promote discussion and understanding of the story
* What covenant had the parents of the two thousand young warriors made? (Alma 53:10–
12.) Why did they think about breaking this covenant? (Alma 53:13.) Why did Helaman not want the
Anti-Nephi-Lehies to help fight the Lamanites? (Alma 53:14–15.) Why is it so important to keep our
covenants?
* Why did the two thousand young men decide to fight? (Alma 53:16.)
* What were these young men like? (Alma 53:20–21.) What does it mean to be “true at all
times in whatsoever thing [you are] entrusted”? What are some ways you can be true and walk
uprightly before the Lord?
* What had their mothers taught them? (Alma 56:46–48.)
* How did these warriors follow Helaman? (Alma 57:21.) What does it mean to follow with
“exactness”? Why is it important to follow the counsel of your leaders and parents with exactness?
* . How was the great faith and courage of these young men rewarded? (Alma 56:56; Alma
57:25; Alma 58:39.) What power saved them from death? (Alma 57:26–27; Alma 58:40.)

Pass out the Stripling Warrior worksheets and have everyone fill in the blanks. Post them
somewhere as a reminder of how to be like the Stripling Warriors.

Together as a family look up and mark the following scripture references about the Stripling
Warriors in your scriptures.

Alma 53:20–21 Alma 56:45–48 Alma 57:21 Alma 57:25–27 Alma 58:10–11 Alma 58:39–40

Read the Scripture Poster. Set a goal to memorize the scripture by next week. Hang the poster
where it will be seen daily for review.

Play the Stripling Warrior Game

Closing Song: “Dare to Do Right” (Children’s Songbook, p. 158)

 The 2,000 Stripling Warriors
(use flannel board figures as you tell the story)

The sons of Mosiah, great Book of Mormon missionaries, converted many Lamanites to the gospel of
Jesus Christ. This group of Lamanites had been a wicked, murderous people, and now they wanted
to show Heavenly Father that they were sorry for their past sins. So they made a covenant with Him
that they would never again shed the blood of another man, and they buried their weapons.

A group of wicked Lamanites wanted to start a war with these converts. Because the righteous, who
now called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies, had promised not to fight anymore, the Nephites who
were defending them were being killed. The Anti-Nephi-Lehies wanted to break their promise and
help the Nephites fight. Helaman and other Nephite leaders persuaded them to not break their
covenant. Their sons, however, had been too young to make the covenant. Two thousand of these
young men chose to defend their country. They asked Helaman to be their leader.

These young warriors are described as “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.

“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)

Helaman led his 2,000 young warriors into battle. He called them his sons, and they called him their
father. Although the sons of Helaman had never fought, they were not afraid. Their mothers had
taught them to have faith in God and to know that he would help them.

Helaman and his army fought several battles against the Lamanites. These young men obeyed all of
Helaman’s orders. They fought bravely and helped drive the enemy away. After the battle Helaman
found that all his sons had been hurt but not one had been killed. It was a miracle! Helaman was
very ahppy. He knew that these young men had been protected because of their great faith in God.

Just as those young warriors were rewarded for being righteous, we will be blessed for being honest
in all our dealings and remaining pure.

Although seven-year-old Caylen Craven of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, has not ever had to go to war, he
is a “stripling warrior” because he has learned how to be honest, too. One day while walking
through the airport with his family, he saw a man in front of him accidently drop some money. Even
though he is normally very shy around strangers, Caylen ran to pick up the money and return it to
its owner.

Caylen’s mother wrote, “We were thankful that his first reaction was to do the right and honest
thing, that he didn’t even think about keeping the dollar.”

(Taken combined from “The Army of Helaman” Friend, Aug. 2000, 34 and “Helaman and the 2,000
Young Warriors” Book of Mormon Stories, 93-94)
Assemble the game board by lining up the pages. They will overlap so there is room to tape on the
back.