Lessons for Our Day From the Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ - 2024
Lesson No. Fifteen

The Miracle at Gapyeong - A Modern-Day Army of Helaman from Southern Utah - Updated

Update: This Lesson was originally conceived shortly after the 50th anniversary of The Miracle at Gapyeong which was celebrated in Cedar City in May 2001 with President Gordon B. Hinckley as described below. I originally published it as Lesson 31 in my book Lessons from the Book of Mormon 2020 on this website. On May 26, 2024, the 73rd anniversary of The Miracle at Gapyeong, a new video became available which was introduced by Jeffery R. Holland, Acting President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This video, now a part of this Lesson, is very well done and gives additional insights, details, and pictures about The Miracle at Gapyeong.

The blessings and protection of the temple - The most important thing I learned from this video is that these young men had been endowed in the St George temple before they left for Korea. In addition to many prayers, they had the blessings and protection of the temple and the temple garment on the battlefield and during their deployment to Korea.

My updated Lesson follows this video.

The 213th field artillery battalion from southern Utah – In 2001, while I was the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Southern Utah University, the University hosted a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of a remarkable event that took place on 26 May 1951 during the Korean War. It involved the 213th Field Artillery Battalion of the Utah Nation Guard headquartered in Cedar City, Utah, and it has been referred to as the “Miracle at Gapyeong”. President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke, and many people made the connection between the boys of the 213th and Helaman’s 2,000 stripling warriors as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

A latter-day army of Helaman – When the 213th served in Korea in 1951 Lieutenant Colonel Frank Dalley was the commander.  After the war Edward R. Murrow, the most prominent newscaster of the time, featured Frank Dalley on his popular national radio program called This I Believe.  What Lt Col Dalley said on this program is in quotes and in bold.

“Early in 1951 I found myself in Korea in Command of a field artillery battalion with the immediate prospects of taking each man into battle against the Communists.  Many of them were relatives or personal friends and practically all of them were from my hometown or nearby communities.”

The 213th was comprised of 600 men made up of brothers, cousins, uncles, and friends all raised in southern Utah.  Frank and Max Dalley were in their thirties and the only ones who had any prior combat experience.  The rest of the 213th were youth most of them just out of high school and had never seen combat.  (The same age and experience of the stripling warriors)  Lt Col Dalley called them his “sons”.  (Helaman also called his stripling warriors his “sons”) The five batteries of 120 men each that comprised the battalion were located in the following towns with their population from the 1950 census: Fillmore 1,890 people; Richfield 4,212 people; Beaver 1,685 people; Cedar City 6,106 people; and St George 4,562 people. That each of these small communities were able to enlist 120 young men speaks volumes about their devotion and patriotism.

“With this to face, I knew I must have help.  I was taught from childhood to seek help from God through prayer.  I had always believed in God as the Supreme Being and believed in the power of prayer.  But the events that happened early in my battalion’s participation in the Korea War did much to strengthen this belief.”

While in Korea Lt Col Dalley often posted a white flag outside his tent. Everyone understood that this meant that he was at prayer, surrendering himself to God, on behalf of his “sons”, and he was not to be disturbed.

The boys of the 213th were raised in homes where they were taught to pray.  Like the sons of the people of Ammon who “never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their live; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:47-48).

“Not long after arriving at the front and during my battalion’s first engagement with the enemy, we found ourselves separated from all friendly forces.  The Republic of Korea forces we were supporting at that time fell back without warning us, making it possible for the Communist forces to practically surround us without being detected.  When my liaison officer, who had been sent out to establish contact with the Korean forces, returned with the information that all the friendly forces had fallen back and we were alone, the extreme seriousness of our situation was immediately apparent to me.  I was responsible for the safety of 600 men entrusted to me.  Then instinctively, my thoughts turned to God and I knew that our safety was in the hands of our Maker.  I humbly asked for help, as I know and felt that many of the others did who were near me.  The change that took place in my feeling, and the events that took place almost immediately, are hard to explain.  They made a lasting impression on me for I feel sure that I was guided by a Supreme Being.”

The 2,000 striplings, like Lt Col Dalley and the boys of the 213th, “did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies….Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.  And we did take courage…” (Alma 58:10-12).

“It became clear to me the course that we must follow, and all the men calmly responded to a rapid series of instructions.  In almost superhuman time the battalion was assembled and headed for the temporary safety of friendly lines.  Over 12-15 miles of rough steep canyon roads and for about nine grueling hours prayer remained in my heart.  Although the situation was precarious, yet not once was the outcome doubtful to me.  I feel positive that we were guided to safety.”

This was like the army of Helaman where the account informs us:  “Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them” (Alma 57:21).

Lt Col Dalley did not go into the details in the radio broadcast of how two brigades of the 213th comprising 240 men were delivered without any serious wounds or death  in a battle lasting all night against 4000 Chinese soldiers. It was reported that bullets fired at close range missed the mark. (This is similar to Samuel the Lamanite who was not harmed by stones or arrows shot at him. See Helaman 16:1-2)  When morning came and the battle was over about 350 of the enemy had lost their lives and 831 initially surrendered.  As the Chinese continued their retreat in confusion, with their escape routes cut off they began to surrender.  Eventually over 2,500 Chinese surrendered.  At the end of the war Frank Dalley brought all 600 men under his command safely back home. This again is like the army of Helaman who twice were preserved during intense battles without the loss of a single life.  (See Alma 56:56; 57:25-27).

Frank Dalley knew, just as Helaman knew, that the Lord had delivered the young men of 213th Field Artillery Battalion. “And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain.  And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe – that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually” (Alma 57:26-27).

The conclusion of Frank Dalley’s remarks on the Edward R. Murrow Show reveals the character of this great man:    

“Through the war in the Pacific from 1942-1945 and again in Korea, I viewed the untold human suffering with horror as I realized that each individual regardless of race, color or creed, was a creature created by God to occupy an equal place on earth.  The thought that each underprivileged person was an individual had a deep impression on me.  In the battle zone one day I found two small Korean children huddled together beside what remained the only home their family had.  They were disease ridden and almost famished from hunger.  The father and mother had been killed and were lying in the ruin of their house.  The picture of these two children returns to me often and at this scene I vowed to do whatever I could in my small way to relieve human suffering wherever I can.  This is my belief.”

After approximately twelve years of war as recorded in the war chapters of the Book of Mormon we are taught an important principle:  “But behold because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility” (Alma 62:41).

During World War II and the Korean War Frank Dalley also experienced approximately twelve years of war.  From the last paragraph of his radio broadcast on “This I Believe” we see that these years of war rather than hardening his heart it softened and humbled him.

Lesson for today: The deliverance of the young men of 213th is an example of the reality for our day of the promises of the Lord found in the Book of Mormon: 

“And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi saying: Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land….And we see these promises have been verified….And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times” (Alma 50:19-22).

Released on May 26th. 2024.