Modern day stripling warriors? The miracle of Gapyeong, Korea.
In one of the most remarkable battles of the Korean War, 240 young Utah National Guardsmen,many of them Latter-day Saints, found themselves surrounded by nearly 4,000 Chinese and North Korean troops near Gapyeong, South Korea.
240 young Mormon soldiers fought 4,000 enemy troops, and by morning, not one of them was dead. In 1951, a Utah National Guard battalion made up largely of young Latter-day Saint men from small towns across southern Utah was sent to fight in Korea. Many of them had grown up together. Before they left for war, they received a powerful promise. A temple president named Elray El Christianansen gave them a blessing and told them that if they remained faithful, stayed morally clean, and kept the commandments, the Lord would watch over them.
For months, these young men carried that promise with them. Then came the night of May 25th, 1951, near a place called Gapyang, South Korea. Everything went wrong. The soldiers believed friendly forces stood between them and the enemy. But because of communication failures, they suddenly found themselves directly in the path of a massive Chinese and North Korean assault. 4,000 enemy soldiers against only 240 young Americans.
The attack came in darkness. Gunfire erupted across the valley. Some accounts describe brutal hand-to-hand combat. Machine guns fired until barrels melted. Explosions echoed through the mountains. The young battalion fought through the night, completely outnumbered. Yet somehow, they held the line. By dawn, the enemy began retreating back into the mountains. Hundreds had been killed, and more than 800 were captured.
And then came the astonishing discovery. Not one member of the Utah battalion had been killed. Not one. Later, captured enemy soldiers were reportedly asked how such a small force had defeated them. Their answer became legendary. We shoot them, but they don't fall down. Today, hidden among the hills of Gapyong stands a memorial of gratitude for the young men who helped save that region during the Korean War.
Like the 2,000 strippling warriors from the Book of Mormon, these young men trusted God, remained faithful, and experienced an impossible miracle. Jesus teaches us that if you will have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
