In honor of Mother’s Day this weekend, we’re republishing this post from May 16, 2017.

It’s a hypothetical letter from one of Helaman’s 2,000 stripling soldiers to his mom.

Dear Mom,

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you, Dad, and the family are doing alright. We had one of the toughest battles today. Out of the 2,000 that left Jershon with Helaman, 200 were wounded today. But, by the grace of God, none of us died in battle, and we won the day.

I am so thankful for what you and the other Sisters taught me and the rest of us while we were growing up.

You taught us how to have faith in God, and you shared the stories of old that showed what faith leads to.

You taught us how to pray and how someday the Savior will come. All we need is faith.

I’ll never forget the day all of us volunteered for this unit. Our people needed to help with the war effort, but Dad and the rest of the older generation couldn’t break their covenant with the Lord. That left it up to the young men, who were just little children when we first came to Jershon from the land of Nephi.

You and the rest of the Sisters weren’t real happy with us boys. But what we said then holds true today. We do not fear death because you taught us that if we did not doubt, then God would deliver us.

And we did not doubt that you and the rest of the moms knew it. Today those words were fulfilled; none of us perished, and the wounded will heal.

Mom, thanks for all the things you taught me about God.

Thanks for taking me to synagogue, even on those mornings I didn’t want to wake up.

Thanks for helping me to understand the scriptures when they were read to me and when I started to read them myself.

Thanks for listening when I didn’t know which way to go.

And, last but not least, thank you for your undying, unconditional love.

Give my love to all my spiritual mothers. Their teachings helped to mold me, too.

Have a great Mother’s Day, and know that I love you with all my heart.

Hopefully this war will end and I’ll be home soon. Tell Dad and the rest of the family I love them, too.

Love,

Your Son

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