In the dictionary valiance is defined as boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted. One who is bold is neither hesitant nor fearful in the face of possible danger or rebuff. Courage is not the absence of fear, but is rather the ability to face fear and do what is right.
In Alma 53:20-21 we can read the first description of a small band of Ammonite youth, Helaman’s Stripling Warriors:
“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.
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.”
Elsewhere in the scriptures we learn that their valiant courage was a result of their faith in Jesus Christ and their obedience to God’s commandments. Walking uprightly before God emboldened them and gave them the courage to stand firm and undaunted in the face of overwhelming odds.
On occasion it is helpful to remember that these young men were not seasoned warriors. They were not graduates of West Point or members of an elite Navy Seals team. They were young men who were leading otherwise normal lives, who had been taught to have faith and trust in God. While on the other hand their enemy, the Lamanites, had weathered years of battle and were accompanied by Zoramites, Nephite dissenters who could appropriately be labeled mercenaries.
Hardly seems like a fair fight, does it?
Likening this story to today’s young people, our children and grandchildren, can provide us with valuable insights. Having trouble picturing your 18 or 19 year old engaged in hand to hand combat with Satan and his allies? What about your 11 or 12 year old?
“But wait a minute,” you object. “That would never happen.”
Oh really? Think again.
And it’s even more difficult to imagine a positive outcome, especially when we focus on the outward appearances such as physical stature and strength alone.
Several months ago I listened to a young man tearfully share how he had struggled for 10 years to overcome his addiction to pornography. He was only 11 when a neighborhood friend first showed him some pornographic pictures. Now I’m not suggesting that his young friend was a seasoned peddler of illicit materials. Most likely he was probably no different than the kid who while out playing unknowingly steps in a pile of dog poop (keeping this G rated) and then proceeds to track it everywhere he goes, including into his own house.
However, I do think we can safely assume that those who produce and distribute pornography are no doubt professionals, mercenaries enlisted in Satan’s vast army. An army assembled for a single purpose, to destroy the happiness of all mankind. Remember the war in heaven is not over, it continues on earth and is fought by young and old alike on a daily, if not hourly basis.
Often when the world portrays valiant youth heading into battle there is much attention given to their physical prowess and raw athleticism. When I think of such rallying images my mind always returns to the inspiring rendition of the stripling warriors by Arnold Friberg, but in the war with Satan the weaponry and physical requirements are quite different.
Helaman's Stripling Warriors — Arnold Friberg
Elder Robert C. Oaks taught, “The muscular young men of Helaman’s 2,060 stripling warriors, shoulder to shoulder, imply the need for great physical strength to join their ranks. But there is room for every stout-hearted soul in this endeavor. We have an 11-year old grandson, Andrew, who is confined to a wheelchair, maybe for the rest of his life.
“He will be ordained a deacon in the fall and will join the priesthood army of the Lord. His physical handicap will not limit him in this war, because the weapons of choice are not spears and swords wielded on a chaotic field of battle.
“Rather, the weapons of eternal worth reflecting the whole armor of God are truth, righteousness, faith, prayer, and the word of God (see Ephesians 6:13-18). These weapons are wielded in our minds, mouths and movements. Every righteous thought, word and deed is a victory for the Lord” (“Who is on the Lord’s Side? Who?,” Ensign, May 2005, p. 48).
For today’s spiritual warriors being valiant for courage includes standing for what you know to be correct, defending the truth of the gospel and its teachings, magnifying your callings in the priesthood, paying your tithing and honoring the Sabbath day. It could mean doing things that are uncomfortable or taking a stand for something that may not be fun or popular.
When I think of being valiant for courage one of my most memorable experiences was the example of a 12 year old boy. His bold courage stood in stark contrast to my own inner fears on that day. It happened in the winter of 2001 on a Little League baseball field. It was dark and the night air was cold. Their final practice had just finished, the winter season would begin in one week. The field lights remained on. His teammates had all headed to the parking lot and the coach was preparing to leave. The young boy stood before his coach to explain a difficult decision he had made.
In this community baseball was very competitive and to continue to improve and keep up with the skills of the other boys, it was often necessary to join a traveling team or play winter ball.
Practices had been going on for weeks. Several practice games had been played. A few days earlier during practice the coach had named him the starting first baseman, something he had worked hard for. A palpable excitement was present at the conclusion of their last preseason game. The coach complimented the boys for their hard work, announced that there would be one final practice before their first real contest and then handed out the schedule of league games. Much to the dismay of this young boy, nearly half of the games for his team were scheduled on Sundays. He tucked the paper into his pocket.
The ride home was quiet. Should he play on Sundays? He felt in his heart he should not play on Sunday. But what about his teammates? They were his friends. What would they think? As he pondered his dilemma, he thought of his coach, a large Jewish man who had played professional baseball. He was committed to helping each boy reach his full potential and gave of his time freely even though he didn’t have a son on the team. The young ball player respected his coach and worried how he would respond. The coach’s size and sternness made the thought of telling him even more intimidating.
The boy in this story is my son, Dean Jr.. He returned home from practice that night visibly saddened. When he showed me the schedule I knew immediately what was troubling him. I counseled him to pray about what he should do and offered my support. Several days later he informed me of his decision, he would not play on Sundays and would let the coach know, even if it meant losing his starting position or being dropped from the team.
Looking back, I realize I was more worried about the coach's response than Dean Jr. was. After practice was over we waited for the other parents and teammates to pack up and leave. We stood near the coach and let him know that when he had a moment we needed to speak with him.
In my mind I was rehearsing of all sorts of excuses for why he wasn't going to play on Sundays: lack of time, a need for greater emphasis on school work, scheduling conflicts, anything which would prompt empathy and avoid making the coach upset or angry with him for his decision.
When the coach was finished speaking with the other coaches he turned to us; it was our turn to speak with him. As luck would have it, just then my cell phone rang. It was my answering service, undoubtedly some patient needed to speak with me. I answered it and stepped back. Dean Jr. stepped forward and began. To this day I cannot remember who called me or what they said; it all became background noise to what my son was saying. He started off by explaining, “We are Mormons and we don’t play sports on Sunday. We go to church and do family things on Sundays.”
A brief dialogue between Dean Jr. and his coach ensued and then it was over. Even though it was difficult he felt better as soon as he had courageously shared his decision and why he had made it. I was proud of him for his choice and for his honesty with his coach.
The stripling warriors encountered considerable challenges. The Lamanites were attacking the Nephites on multiple fronts. Support for the troops was weakening among a portion of people, including some in the government (known as king-men). Yet these young men stepped forward and made the hard but correct decision to defend their Nephite nation. I can only imagine the concern their parents had, along with the pride they must have felt, as they witnessed these young men act valiantly with courage.
Although for Dean Jr. and me the paramount outcome of this story was that he had the courage to do what was right despite any fears or negative repercussions, you might be interested in how it played out. Dean’s coach listened and then said he would see what he could do. By the next week, his coach had called all of the other teams and explained Dean’s choice: each team agreed to reschedule their games with our team for days other than Sundays.
As a result of this experience and our petition to the league organizers, the following season I was granted permission to coach a team whose schedule was devoid of Sunday games. The only requirement was that I draft as many boys as I could who had requested no Sunday games or practices.
With a team made up of boys who had chosen not to play on Sunday we consistently found ourselves in the semi-finals and championship games each season. Some of the other coaches complained that our team made up of Sabbath day observing boys had an unfair advantage. I think they were right, after all who would want to oppose a group of stripling warriors on the battlefield or the baseball field. For several years many boys played without Sunday scheduling conflicts because one boy stood courageously.