A pressing question: why did Helaman, Mormon, and Captain
Moroni spend time writing about the sixty young men who enlisted later? In Alma chapter 57 verse 6 we read that “sixty of the sons of the Ammonites... had come to join their brethren.” In all of scripture, we see unique numbers; we frequently see the importance of the one, and we often see certain numbers like three and twelve. These numbers are significant. In all of scripture, there is only one time that the precise number of sixty is mentioned. I find it both intriguing and fascinating the Lord would have the prophets take the time to write of sixty isolated young men, when there were already thousands and literally tens of thousands serving
for the Nephites in the military. When the sixty arrived to support Helaman, there were 6,000 others arriving with them, but those 6,000 are never spoken of in detail. There is a possibility that all 60 of those young men could have joined sooner, but they didn’t. It is of note that they didn’t enlist initially, but more importantly, that they did eventually engage and enlist.
Let me share one possible explanation as to why Helaman spoke with meticulous
precision about the sixty. I want to call this the “Symbolism of the Sixty.” For me, “the Sixty” are a constant reminder that when we miss an opportunity, it is not the end. The Sixty are a reminder that when mistakes or sins are committed, we haven’t defaulted our spiritual standing permanently. The Sixty are a symbol of second chances. The Sixty are an example that it is better to enlist, embark, and engage late than not at all. The Sixty show that repentance still brings about incredible blessings. The Sixty are a symbol that repentance at any time still brings a purity of spirit and body. The Sixty send a message that opportunities missed or lost can be restored. The Sixty will forever be a sign that repentance rightfully restores. Repentance restores blessings, faith, hope, sacred experiences, priesthood, power, relationships, opportunity, losses, the Spirit, and the gift of eternal life. The Sixty could be a precious reminder to every one of us that we don’t always do things right the first time; we procrastinate, we neglect, we postpone, we reject opportunity, we defer blessings, we delay growth, we sin, we turn away from God, we fall short, and we make some awful decisions. But God will not allow us to be defined by poor
decisions.