In Mormon folklore, the “stripling warriors” have become legendary. Ironically, a great number of members do not know what the word stripling means. Of course, it means “young,” but how young were they? We can safely imagine that they were teenagers, for Helaman said that they were all of them very young (Alma 56:46). The only requirement for service was that they were able to take up arms (v. 16).
“Those sons of the Ammonites made up an unlikely army. They were inexperienced young men reared by parents whose pacifism was their most sacred commitment. Helaman may have had doubts about their fighting ability, but he never doubted their character.” (Jerrie W. Hurd, Our Sisters in the Latter-day Scriptures, p. 34 – 35)