When Helaman brings his two thousand young men to aid Antipus, he finds him in the city of Judea. They are greeted with joy, perhaps in spite of the fact that they were so young, because Antipus and his men had been fighting hard and were tired and depleted in numbers. They were laboring to fortify the city, and even the young hands would be helpful in that task.
Helaman does praise Antipus and his men, noting that they might be “depressed in body as well as in spirit,” but that “they had fought valiantly by day and toiled by night.” They were doing the best that was possible, but the situation was difficult. It is no surprise that they welcomed reinforcements, no matter how young and inexperienced they were.