Lessons from the stripling warriors and Pahoran: ‘Come, Follow Me’ Alma 53–63

Fortifying children to become sin-resistant is a task and a blessing for parents, grandparents, family members, teachers, and leaders. We each bear responsibility to help. However, the Lord has specifically instructed parents to teach their children “to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost” and “to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord.

Day by day, through small and simple means, we can fortify faith and our family fortress. The home is a crucial training ground for helping children learn lifelong behaviors that will provide increased protection during personal times of trial and temptation.

The Book of Mormon describes such homes and the parents who raised valiant young soldiers despite difficult circumstances. Although they lived in a different time and place, their story contains significant parallels and critical combat strategies for latter-day warriors.

We all are aware of the fiery darts of the enemy of righteousness being sent like a terrible wind against the young priesthood holders we love so much. To us, they seem like the stripling warriors, who called themselves the sons of Helaman. They can survive, as those young warriors did, if they keep themselves safe, as King Benjamin urged them to do. The sons of Helaman did not doubt. They fought bravely and came off conquerors because they believed the words of their mothers. We understand the power of the faith of a loving mother. Mothers provide that great support to their sons today. We holders of the priesthood can and must add to that support with our determination to answer the charge that as we are converted, we are to reach down to strengthen our brethren.

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that now, meaning our day, is the eleventh hour and the last time that He will call laborers into His vineyard for the express purpose of gathering the elect from the four quarters of the earth. My question tonight to every one of you between the ages of 12 and 18 is this: Would you like to be a big part of the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth today? Would you like to help gather Israel during these precious latter days? Would you, who are the elect, be willing to help find the elect who have not heard the message of the restored gospel? Would you like to be among those “swift messengers” of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke? Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?

Do ye suppose that God will look upon you as guiltless while ye sit still and behold these things? Behold I say unto you, Nay. Now I would that ye should remember that God has said that the inward vessel shall be cleansed first, and then shall the outer vessel be cleansed also (Alma 60:23).

What are some steps we take to cleanse our inner vessel? You have the read your scriptures, and say your prayers, and go to church, and the reason I say those is because they work. And sometimes people think, "Well, those are the trite trivia, you know, seminary answers," and I'm like, "Well because they absolutely work."

The first step to any kind of change is awareness, by being able to be aware of it. . . . [when] we are cleaning our outer vessel and we're neglecting our inner vessel, that is a product of shame because we want people to see, we want people to see that we're doing great, and we don't want them to see the things that aren't going great because we feel ashamed of it.

[We] feel ashamed of the floaties [in our cups], and so we're polishing the outward vessel, you know, we're always looking at the outward vessel. "How do I look? How do I seem? How are people perceiving me? Because I know that there's something not quite right inside and I don't want people to look at it, I don't want people to point it out," instead of being like, and not to everybody but to those that are close to you and love, "I'm really struggling with these floaties," and then being aware of it and reaching out and speaking up about the things that you're struggling with, are really the first step to getting rid of them.

The inability to sense God’s love can stem from sin or from not pressing forward on the covenant path. The inability can also be due to physical or mental illness. For instance, clinical anxiety and depression require professional help. God expects us to seek professional help when indicated. Remember Captain Moroni’s rhetorically sarcastic question to Pahoran: “Do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we . . . do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?” (Alma 60:21). Prayers in this situation may seem somewhat insincere to God as they are manifestations of faith without works.

I’m confident Pahoran knew one of the great secrets of life. How many of us can be successful each and every day without the help of other people? Anyone? One of the great secrets of life is that we all rely upon each other to some degree to be successful. Pahoran knew he needed Moroni, and taking offense or reacting badly to Moroni’s scathing letter could have been disastrous. The first line of the chapter heading in Alma 62 sums up the direct result of Pahoran’s intelligent response: “Moroni marches to the aid of Pahoran in the land of Gideon.” What a beautiful outcome for what initially could have been a great conflict.