Long ago in a far away ancient land, a terrible war raged between two mighty armies. An innumerable army of evil invaders had taken many cities. The defenders struggled day and night on many fronts to maintain the cities they had, and to reclaim those which they had lost, but they were too few and spread too thin. However, Heaven justified their cause because they were unlike the invaders who fought for power, land, and conquest. The defenders fought in defense of their families, their freedom, their rights, their liberty, and their religion.

Treachery and treason among the ranks of the defenders, though, had cost them dearly, and weakened their strength when they needed it most. They were now in desperate circumstances, so desperate it seemed that they might lose all – when from out of obscurity came a small band of youth, teenagers – boys if you will, numbering some two thousand. They armed themselves with weapons of war, a covenant to fight to the death, and mighty faith in God. So armed and much needed, they set out and joined forces with their brothers on the southern front.

A plan was devised in which the boys would pass near the fortifications of the strongest army of the enemy to decoy them out. According to the plan, the boys passed the city of the enemy, and the bloodthirsty invaders poured forth against them sensing an easy victory. The boys began to run, pretending to be scared, which caused the enemy to pursue with great vigor, which also allowed the balance of the defenders to fall in behind the duped invaders between them and their stronghold.

The plan was for the main army of defenders to catch the invaders from behind, outside of their fortifications, and defeat them on open field battle. But it went awry; the invaders perceived the trap and sped their march after the boys and away from the main army. If the boys turned back, they’d be turning back to certain death. So they marched on, staying just out of reach of the enemy.

On the third day, the pursuing invaders suddenly stopped, leaving the small band of boys uncertain whether they were being lured into a trap, or if their fellow defenders had caught their pursuers from behind. They didn’t know.

With faith in their God that they would be delivered from whatever might happen, they turned back, only to discover that the two great armies were locked indeed in mortal struggle. But alas, it was their friends who were giving way, not the enemy. With fury and power born of faith in the living God, they threw themselves at the enemy causing the entire army of the invaders to turn upon the small heroic band of boys. But they stood firm! Their fellow-defenders rallied, and the army of the invaders, frightened by the ferocity of a group of boys, was surrounded and compelled to surrender. The victory was won. The strongest army of the invaders in that part of the land was defeated.

The great miracle of this ancient battle was that not one – not one of those boys fell among the thousands of dead and wounded on both sides. All stood! All lived! And all would fight again! In large measure, that band of boys was responsible for saving the freedom of their country.

And now, what of those boys? Where did they learn such faith, such undaunted firmness against evil? In their own words they said, “… We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma 56:48)

And so is the power of a mother, and never was it needed more than now. God bless you.