We Stand Unbroken
WE STAND UNBROKEN:
This song comes from Alma 56-58 and is about the 2000 stripling warriors of Helaman and their conquests. The people of Ammon had made a covenant with God that they would never take up the sword to fight. That's why so many of them died at the hands of the Lamanites before the Nephites invited them into their land. The Nephites promised to protect them and they provided food and sustenance for the armies.
The war between the Nephites and Lamanites had gotten really bad and the people of Ammon were about to take up arms in defense of their friends. Helaman didn't think this was a good idea and admonished them not to for fear that they would lose their souls. However, the rising generation had not taken the oath. They had no history of murder and were raised to trust God. And even though they were all young and had no experience in battle, they became a huge strength to the Nephite armies.
These young men risked everything and they were preserved miraculously by the hand of God. During the whole war, not one of them died. Helaman said that they followed his every command with exactness.
I love this song because it speaks to the heart of the young men on the battle field and not to the glory that we associate with war. Other songs that have been written about them sing about their bravery. I wanted this song to be about their faith. It focuses on the statement from Helaman that "they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them."
One song that has really influenced my in the last year is "The Truth" by Megan Woods. I wanted this song to have the same power and softness as Megan Woods. I could've kept it with a female voice as if the mothers were singing, but I wanted the young warriors to sing because these songs are meant to be internalized. When songs are in first person, they tend to have more impact.
