Anti-Nephi-Lehies Weapons of War, Not Just Laid Down....BURIED!

Our story continues with the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who had just laid down their weapons of war.  They would fight no more against their brethren.

The Amalekites, Amulonites and Lamanites who were in the lands all around were stirred up in great anger toward this people who had changed so completely.

Their hatred was so extreme that they began to rebel against their King.  Remember this King was King Lamoni's Father.  The HEAD King of Kings, so to speak.  They did not want him as their King any longer.  Weapons and arms were soon coming against the Anti-Nephi-Lehies.




Artist: James H. Fullmer
 

The King conferred the Kingdom over to his son.  He re-named his son Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  (I wonder if the son was thrilled with the name change?  But I digress.....)  This good old King who had changed his ways completely, embraced the gospel himself and allowed his people to freely choose the gospel if they desired it, died in that same year. 

If we are talking heroes, this Lamanite King had become one of the best.  The old King died as the Lamanites were making their final preparations for war.  

When Ammon and his brothers and all those who had come to do missionary work, saw the nightmare that was about to happen, they came back to the land of Ishmael to meet in council with King Lamoni and also with his newly appointed brother, King Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  They wanted to help.  They wanted to help defend against the brutal army that was coming soon with no mercy in sight.

"Now there was not ONE soul among all the people who had been converted to the Lord that would take arms against their brethren; nay, they would not even make any preparations for war; yea, and also their king commanded them that they should not."  Alma 24:6  

King Anti-Nephi-Lehi spoke to his people.  He thanked God for the Nephites, the sons of Mosiah and others who had come to preach repentance. He had gratitude for those who had convinced them of the wicked traditions of their fathers.    He thanked God for the spirit that had been given so that their hearts would be softened.  He was thankful for the open correspondence they now had with the Nephites, who were truly their brethren in the gospel.  The King went on to say:

"I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.....Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren....Let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins."  excerpts from Alma 24:10-13

The King continued his heartfelt speech.  He gave one more piece of counsel to his people:

"And now, my brethren, if our brethren seek to destroy us, behold, we will hide away our swords, yea, even we will bury them deep in the earth, that they may be kept bright, as a testimony that we have never used them, at the last day; and if our brethren destroy us, behold, we shall "go" to our God and shall be saved."  Alma 24:16

As the King finished, all of the people there gathered their swords.  They had previously laid down their weapons of rebellion vowing to never use them again.  Now they were taking an even bigger step.  The King had asked them to commit further.  They would not only lay down their weapons, but they would bury them deep in the earth never to retrieve them again. 

Image from www.lds.org

"They took their swords, and all the weapons which had been used for the shedding of man's blood, they did bury them deep in the earth."  Alma 24:17

This they did as a testimony to God.  They vowed and promised that rather than shed blood of their brothers, they would give up their own lives.  Rather than take from their brother, they would give to him.  They would not be idle any more.  They promised to labor abundantly with their hands for the rest of their lives.

"And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war for peace. "Alma 24:19

While the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were burying their weapons, vowing to do good to their brethren, the Lamanites were continuing their preparations in the opposite direction.

They had an agenda.  Their purpose was to destroy the king, to place another in his stead and to ultimately destroy the Anti-Nephi-Lehies out of the land.

When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies realized that the Lamanites were truly coming against them, what do you think they did?  What would you do?  Would they race back and un-bury their weapons?  Would they run for cover?  Would they denounce their new religion?  

What they did next was the reason I think they are heroes of epic proportions....

"Now when the people saw that they [Lamanites] were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.  And thus without meeting any resistance, they did slay a thousand and five of them; and we know that they are blessed, for they have gone to dwell with their God."  Alma 24:21-22

Image from www.lds.org

I can scarely imagine the scene.  Rather than retreating, they laid on the earth, praying and rejoicing in their God and were massacred as they did it.   I wonder how those that were doing the killing felt about this?

"....When the Lamanites saw that their brethren would not flee from the sword, neither would they turn aside to the right hand or to the left, but that they would lie down and perish, and praised God even in the very act of perishing under the sword--Now when the Lamanites saw this they did forbear from slaying them; and there were many whose hearts had swollen in them for those of their brethren who had fallen under the sword, for they repented of the things which they had done."  Alma 23-24

The scene of 1,005 dead innocents must have been so disturbing that many of these hard and fierce Lamanites stopped.  They stopped the killing and they repented of what they had done.  They threw down their weapons and would not take them up again.  The Scriptures say they were "stung" for the murders which they had committed.

"The people of God were joined that day by more than the number who had been slain and those who had been slain were righteous people, therefore we have no reason to doubt but what they were saved." Alma 24:26

On that dramatic day, over a thousand Lamanites were brought to the knowledge of the truth!

"Thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people"  Alma 24:27

Some of the Lamanites were most angry because they had slain their own brethren.  In this anger they turned their vengeance upon those who they thought had created all of their problems to begin with.....the NEPHITES.   They took their armies and fought many battles with the Nephites in which they were driven and slain.

So many had suffered so much loss and so many trials.   Sometimes in the depths of despair, as is often the way of human nature, they began to be stirred up to remember the words of Aaron and his brothers who had preached to them.  Many converted to the ways of the Lord.   Many more did join with this people of God.  They too did bury their weapons of war, as their brothers before them had done.  They walked in the ways of the Lord and observed to keep the commandments of God.

A happier group of people you couldn't find than Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni and their brothers in the gospel.  They did rejoice for the success which they had among the Lamanites.  It had been a long 14 years but the Lord had granted unto them their greatest desires.  He had kept them safe as he had promised their father, Mosiah. 

The Anti-Nephi-Lehies had grown in converts, the sons of Mosiah were thrilled with their success.  There were however some that didn't share the love.  Some were extremely angry.  Their quest for revenge would not stop.  They turned their attention and their weapons once again toward the Anti-Nephi-Lehies vowing to destroy again. 

It had become a vicious cycle, but Ammon wouldn't have it.  He and his brothers had a plan.....

PRINCIPLE POWER:

In this section of the Book of Mormon, what principles did you discover?  Here are a few of my own thoughts....

1.  Just as the Anti-Nephi-Lehies buried their weapons of war, we should bury our weapons of rebellion.  They did not just 'lay them down'.  They buried them deep in the earth.  As was mentioned in the last post, it's important to get rid of the weapons that we use to keep us from progressing spiritually. These weapons can range from pride to disobedience to judgement of others, to anything that keeps us from the Lord and our Heavenly Father.  As natural men and women, we carry these weapons of rebellion with us each day.   The trick is to lay them down, which to me, means to recognize first that we're even carrying them!  The next step as King Anti-Nephi-Lehi directed to his people, would be to bury them deep in the earth.   To me in order to liken this to myself, that means to completely free ourselves from whatever that weapon is that is impeding our spiritual growth.   Definitely easier said than done.  Some of our weapons of rebellion are hard to release.  We can use the Anti-Nephi-Lehies as our example.  They buried them and NEVER looked back.

Challenge:

A great family night or class activity might be to get a big pot of dirt (or an area of the garden) and have each family member write down their personal weapon of rebellion that they are going to "bury" never to dig back up again. They could seal up their 'weapons' in an envelope and bury them deep in the soil. This activity would be a tangible reminder of what the "Anti-Nephi-Lehies" accomplished and would further turn our hearts to our Savior as we get rid of our own personal weapons of rebellion.


2.  Can I show my complete love and devotion to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ by following and abiding by the rules they have set down for me?  Can I remember my covenants and promises like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies did?


3.  I love this simple verse from Alma 24:27 "Thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people"   Can I look at my own life and see how the Lord is working and has worked in many ways for my salvation?

The Lamanite King's Request of Aaron

What would the old Lamanite King request of Aaron?  This could have gone ALL bad...but instead another tender mercy!

The request made by the Lamanite King was the following..."I insist that ye shall administer unto me; for I have been somewhat troubled in mind because of the generosity and the greatness of the words of thy brother Ammon; and I desire to know the cause why he has not come up out of Middoni with thee." Alma 22:3



image from www.lds.org

His request to Aaron was simple. "Where is your brother, Ammon?" Awesome! 

Aaron has a great reply. "Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way" Alma 21:4. 

The King was intrigued by Aaron's choice of words. "What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me." Alma 22:6

The King was also concerned about repentance and salvation.  Aaron began to teach and preach to the aged King. The King was receptive to his words. Can you imagine how Aaron must have felt? Such joy and probably relief! The King was teachable as he said "If now thou sayest there is a God, behold I will believe".  Alma 22:7

Aaron's heart rejoiced.  He began a great teaching discussion speaking of everything from the creation of Adam, the fall of Adam, the plan of redemption, Jesus Christ, faith, repentance, the atonement, resurrection and basically the whole plan of salvation from beginning to end.

After Aaron spoke these powerful words, the King wondered..."What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? What shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy." Alma 22:16

Talk about a golden contact!!  

Aaron said with great conviction, "If thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest." Alma 22:16  

As Aaron said these words, the King did exactly what he was asked to do. He bowed down right then and there before the Lord on his knees and actually went a little further and laid down upon the earth and cried mightily saying:

"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God, and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day." Alma 22:18

As the King said these words...he was struck as if he were dead.  Uh, oh...sound familiar? Here we go again.

In another deja vu moment, the servants ran and told the King's wife. She came in and saw the King laying on the ground as if he were dead and saw Aaron and his brothers standing as though they were the cause of the fall. She put 'two plus two' together assuming that Aaron had killed the King. She was very angry with them and commanded that her servants should take Aaron and his people and kill them.

The servants saw what had actually happened and so they would not do as the Queen asked because they saw the power with which Aaron spoke. As the Queen saw the fear of the servants, she began to fear too. So she told her servants to go find some other people that they would kill Aaron and his people.  She wasn't letting this go!

As Aaron realized the determination of this Queen and the hardness of the Lamanite people which he had seen first hand, he made a split second (smart!) decision.  Aaron put forth his hand and raised the King from the earth and said unto him. "STAND" And he stood upon his feet, receiving his strength." Alma 22:22.   WOW....another blessed miracle for a son of Mosiah.

Artist: James H. Fullmer
 

As the King stood he began to minister to his wife and the servants. The whole household was converted unto the Lord. Did that last sentence soak in?  Yes....the WHOLE household was converted unto the Lord!

A large group gathered together at the King's residence and many murmurings began among them. The King stood forth in front of them and caused that Aaron and his people should preach the word of God unto them. The king went further.

He caused a proclamation to be sent throughout the land, among all the people in the vast Kingdom that he ruled over. This proclamation said that no one could lay their hands on Ammon, Aaron, Omner or Himni, nor any of their brethren as they went forth preaching the word of God, in whatever place they should be in any part of their land. The proclamation went further.

It stated that no one could bind them, cast them into prison, spit upon them, hit them, or even cast them out of their synagogues. They couldn't scourge them or hit them with stones.  The brothers could have FULL access to their houses, their temples and their sanctuaries. They were basically given free and safe reign to preach the word of God and the gospel to whoever and wherever the Lord sent them!  Another tender and gigantic mercy of the Lord!

Aaron and his brethren went from city to city, from house to house, establishing churches, consecrating priests and teachers throughout the Land of the Lamanites. Thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, to believe in the traditions of the Nephites and taught the records and prophecies which had been handed down from generation to generation of Nephites.

"....Through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them--yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, NEVER DID FALL AWAY." Alma 23:6   They NEVER did fall away.

They became a righteous people...and all of this because four brothers decided to leave the comfort of their homes and go to a strange land of enemies to preach the Gospel in full faith.....no matter what the consequences.

PRINCIPLE POWER:

What principles did you discover in this section of the Book of Mormon?  Here are a few to consider:

1. Don't be afraid to approach someone about the Gospel. Aaron approached the powerful King because the Spirit directed him to. When the Spirit directs me, do I hesitate, ignore or listen and act?

2. Heavenly Father will always hear our prayers. Always. Even when you don't think he is listening. He is. The Spirit has taught this to me over and over in my life. Pray. Even when you don't want to, or don't think it will matter. It will matter and He will be there.

3.  Through all the hard work, road blocks, setbacks and tribulation that happened to Aaron and his brethren, great miracles were had.  In my mind, the greatest being the group of amazing Lamanites who embraced the gospel and NEVER did fall away from it.  Sometimes the greatest blessings come AFTER the trials.  I wonder if Aaron realized when he was sitting in prison being tormented that his greatest accomplishments would soon occur!  We need to look beyond our trials and disappointments.  Have faith in the Lord and our Heavenly Father and look to them for guidance.  The greatest things will happen after the trial of our faith!

4.  Tender mercies came abundantly to Aaron and his brothers.  Tender mercies can and do come to each one of us.  Sometimes we just don't realize it.  We think it's a 'coincidence' or just 'good luck'.  I testify that as we write down tender mercies that occur in our own lives, the spirit of the Lord will testify to each of us that they are NOT coincidence or luck.  They are gifts from the Lord.

Challenge:  For 30 days, put a pad of post-its by your bathroom mirror.  Each day, reflect and write each tender mercy that comes into your life on a post-it and attach it to your mirror.  You will be able to see the hand of the Lord working miracles in your life.  Sometimes we are so busy we don't recognize or realize it until it's spelled out in front of us!

 

The Rest of Aaron's Story...A story of Determination and Courage

Artist: James H. Fullner

Our last adventure included the freeing of Aaron and his friends from prison at the hands of his brother, Ammon and King Lamoni.  The end of that story?  I think not!  Why did Aaron get put in prison in the first place?

My thoughts trail back to the beginning of the story of the sons of Mosiah. 




Image from: LDS Book of Mormon Student Seminary Manual

They wanted to go amongst the Lamanite people to teach the gospel that they dearly loved.   Remember their parting?  How difficult it must have been to leave each other especially as they were embarking on unfamiliar enemy territory.

Image from: mormonchannel.org

 

Remember that Ammon had chosen to go to the land of Ishmael where he had met King Lamoni.  Ammon, through divine inspiration converted the King and his wife plus many, many more in this land.

On the other hand, as these brethren parted ways, Aaron took his journey towards the land called by the Lamanites, Jerusalem, named after their forefather's original birthplace.  This city, Jerusalem was impressive.  It had been built by the hands of the Lamanites, Amalekites and the Amulonites.  The Lamanites themselves were a very hardened group, but the Amalekites and Amulonites were even harder!  These people were strong in wickedness and abominations.  Just Aaron's luck that he would find himself in this most wicked city among these most wicked people!? 

However, Aaron was filled with the Holy Ghost and armed with his precious testimony.  He began to preach in the Lamanite synagogues. 

Aaron entered into one of these synagogues to teach and preach. There rose up an Amalekite who began to argue with him asking him many questions.   Can you picture that this guy with loads of questions speaking to Aaron in a very prideful and huffy manner?  Remember that Aaron was just a young man too, which adds even more drama to the story.

The Amalekite questions:
"What is that thou hast testified? 
Hast thou seen an angel? 
Why do not angels appear unto us? 
Behold are not THIS people as good as THY people? 
Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. 
How knowest thou the thought and intent of our hearts? 
How knowest thou that we have cause to repent? 
How knowest thou that we are not a righteous people? 
Behold, we have built sanctuaries and we do assemble ourselves together to worship God. 
We do believe that God will save all men.
Alma 21:5-6

Having the spirit wrapped around him, Aaron could have lost his cool, been afraid or been tongue-tied, but instead he asked a simple question of the Amalekite:  
"Believest thou that the Son of God shall come to redeem mankind from their sins?" Alma 21:7

The Amalekite replied: "We do not believe that thou knowest any such thing.  We do not believe in these foolish traditions.  We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come, neither do we believe that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake, of that which is to come."  Alma 21:8

With complete composure, Aaron calmly opened the Scriptures and spoke concerning the coming of Christ, and spoke concerning the resurrection of the dead.  He testified that there could be no redemption for mankind except thru the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ and thru the atonement of his blood.  As Aaron spoke of these sacred teachings, the group began to be VERY angry with him.  They began to mock him and they would not listen to any of the words he spoke. 

Aaron realized that his preaching was falling on deaf ears.  He left their synagogue and went to a village called Ani-Anti.  There he found Muloki, his friend, along with Ammah and his brethren, preaching the word of God.  They were contending with many about the Word of God in that place, as well.

These guys realized they were getting nowhere fast and so they traveled into the land of Middoni.  There they did preach the word of God to many people, but few believed their words.  Can you imagine their discouragement?  Can you imagine their disappointment?

At this point, to make matters worse, Aaron and some of his companions were taken into prison.  The remainder fled out of Middoni into the lands round about.

Aaron and his companions suffered greatly in prison until they were delivered by the hand of his brother Ammon and King Lamoni.

If it were me, I would have been re-thinking my plan to teach among the Lamanites.  Not a lot of success had come Aaron's way to this point.  But did he give up?  NO!  He went forth again declaring the word of God in EVERY synagogue of the Amalekites and in every assembly of the Lamanites were they could be admitted.  And guess what began to happen??

"And it came to pass that the Lord began to bless them, insomuch that they brought many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, they did convince many of their sins, and of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct."  Alma 21:17 

This is a major principle alert!  These guys had not had much success to this point.  But they DID NOT give up.  Even after prison, they kept teaching and preaching and what happened?  Things began to change.  The Lord began to bless them and people started listening, learning and becoming teachable.  In our lives, when things may not be going well, we can't give up.  As we continue with our righteous endeavors, the Lord will bless us!

Let's talk about Ammon for a moment:
AMMON and King Lamoni went back to Ishmael.  King Lamoni caused that synagogues should be built in his land and he taught his people that they should assemble together often.  He taught them many righteous things.  He declared that they were a free people.  Free from the oppressions of his father, the King and from himself.  He also taught them that they could have freedom to worship the Lord their God according to their own desires, in whatever way they chose.  Ammon taught King Lamoni's people as well.  He taught them ALL things pertaining to righteousness.  He did preach to them every day with diligence, and the beautiful part was that they listened.  They were "zealous for keeping the commandments of God." Alma 21:23

While Ammon continued teaching King Lamoni's people, let's return to AARON.  Aaron was led by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, to a very important house.  To the house of the father of King Lamoni.  The BIG head honcho of all the land.  Remember this had been the King who had originally tried to kill Ammon! 

Don't you find it interesting that the spirit is leading Aaron right to him.  Aaron went into the King's palace and explained who he and his brethren were.  Aaron stated they they would be the King's servants.  The King told them that they didn't need to be his servants, but he did have one insistent request...  Oh, no what would that request be??

Would Aaron be thrown back in prison?  Would the King try to kill Aaron as he had previously tried to kill his brother?

PRINCIPLE POWER:

What principles did you discover in this section of the Book of Mormon? Here's a few of my personal thoughts:

1.  When life is difficult, do not give up.  Have faith.  Heavenly Father will bless our lives.  Sometimes we have to learn patience, long suffering and courage as part of the plan for our life. 

2.  We need to remember to ask for help from Heavenly Father!  When in doubt, PRAY! 

3. Don't be afraid to approach someone about the Gospel. Aaron approached the powerful King because the Spirit directed him to. When the Spirit directs me, do I hesitate, ignore or listen and act?

4.  Do not give up on dreams.  The sons of Mosiah had a big dream.  They could have lost their confidence and courage in the face of adversity, but they did not.  They were buoyed up by the strength of the Lord and GREAT and incredible things happened in the end.

Lamoni's Courage & Aaron's Patience

Our last glimpse of the story revealed King Lamoni's father, demanding that Lamoni kill his beloved friend Ammon.  What would Lamoni do?  Would he have the courage to stand up to his father?  Or would he buckle to the pressure and kill Ammon as his father demanded?
        
I love Lamoni's surprising response back to his Dad. "I will not slay Ammon, neither will I return to the land of Ishmael, but I go to the land of Middoni that I may release the brethren of Ammon, for I know that they are just men and hold prophets of the true God. Alma 20:15

That took some major guts to say those words! He was bearing his testimony to THE King of the Lamanites! The old King didn't say, "Ok great do whatever you want". He was of course very angry with his son. I'm sure he didn't want to be disrespected in this manner, having his son defy him, especially in front of a Nephite! In fact, he was so angry that "he drew his sword that he might smite him to the earth"Alma 20:16

Image from: www.lds.org

Ammon stood forward and said "Behold, thou shalt not slay thy son; nevertheless, if were better that he should fall than thee, for behold, he has repented of his sins; but if thou shouldst fall at this time, in thine anger, thy soul could not be saved. And again, it is expedient that thou shouldst forbear; for if thou shouldst slay thy son, he being an innocent man, his blood would cry from the ground to the Lord his God, for vengeance to come upon thee; and perhaps thou wouldst lose thy soul." Alma 20:17-18

Lamoni's Dad admitted that if he killed his own son, he would be shedding innocent blood. He turned to Ammon and told him that it was he who had tried to destroy his son! Lamoni's Dad then tried to kill Ammon. "Ammon withstood the blows, and smote his [the King's] arm that he could not use it." Alma 20:20 (Remember once again, that awesome promise to Ammon's father, Mosiah, that his sons would be spared in the land of Lamanites! The promise continues!)



Image from: Book of Mormon Seminary Student Guide

When the King realized that Ammon could overpower him, he started pleading for his life. What Ammon did next was brilliant.   He raised up his sword and said to the old King that he would smite him unless he promised that his brothers would be let out of prison. The king was so relieved with this request that he said "If thou wilt spare me, I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom"! Alma 20:23

Ammon had him right where he wanted! Ammon requested the following:
1. That the king would allow Ammon's brethren out of prison.
2. That Lamoni would be able to keep his kingdom.
3. That the King would not be angry with his son.
4. That the King would allow his son to do whatever he wanted.

If the King would agree to these terms, Ammon would spare his life, and if not, he'd be toast!

The old King rejoiced because his life was spared and he realized that Ammon didn't want to destroy him at all. He also saw the brotherly love that Ammon had for Lamoni. The King agreed to all of Ammon's conditions. The king was so overcome that he even requested that once the brethren were released from prison that Ammon and they might come to see him. He desired to learn more about what Ammon had been teaching!  He wanted to hear more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!  What a missionary moment for Ammon.  Can you imagine the joy he must have felt!?

After all that scary drama, Lamoni and Ammon were back on the road again heading toward Middoni to gain freedom for Aaron and his companions. Lamoni found favor with his friend, King Antiomno of Middoni and just like that, Aaron and his friends were released from prison.

Can you imagine the joyous reunion Ammon and Aaron enjoyed.  However, when Ammon laid eyes on his brother and their friends he was 'exceedingly sorrowful'. They were "naked, and their skins were worn exceedingly because of being bound with strong cords. And they also had suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were patient in all their sufferings."   

Major Principle Alert: These guys had been thrown in prison, bound, been deprived of food and drink and who knows what else...AND then after ALL that, they were still patient in their sufferings? 

As we each contemplate our own lives are we patient in our sufferings? I most definitely am not!  Are we patient in situations that do not seem fair in our lives? Are we patient in situations that are out of our control? Patience is something that is a difficult virtue to master, but one that I believe requires our constant attention.

"And as it happened, it was their lot to have fallen into the hands of a more hardened and a more stiff-necked people; therefore they would not hearken unto their words, and they had cast them out, and had smitten them, and had driven them from house to house, and from place to place, even until they had arrived in the land of Middoni; and there they were taken and cast into prison, and bound with strong cords, and kept in prison for many days..." Alma 20:30

I have often thought about these two sons of Mosiah, Ammon and Aaron. Why did Ammon end up in the land of Ishmael with King Lamoni who basically at the first meeting offered him his daughter to marry? And why did Aaron, his brother, end up naked and bound in prison in Middoni?  It doesn't seem fair does it? As we research a little more of Alma 20:30, the words stand out to me...It was their LOT to have fallen into the hands of.....

It goes back to the age old questions, why do bad things happen to good people? Why did Ammon seem to get a much easier path than Aaron, when both are righteous boys trying to do what is right? I think that we each have certain trials, problems, obstacles and temptations to discover and overcome in each of our own lives. Some may seem to have an easier 'lot' while others don't.  We really truly never know another's 'lot' in life though, do we?   All we can do is focus on our own.  As I look over my own life, I see that my greatest trials have in fact, become the things that have made me grow, develop and strengthen the very most.

Ammon and Aaron, both righteous people who each had a different LOT or path in life to fulfill.  Each becoming stronger because of their own trials, problems, obstacles and temptations.

At this point, was the Lamanite mission over for Ammon and his brethren?  Could they finally now return to their home, having accomplished everything they set out to do?  Would Lamoni's Father end up accepting  the gospel?  What would happen to all the new Lamanite converts to the gospel?  SO many questions....and thankfully so many answers are yet to come!

 

PRINCIPLE POWER:

What principles did you discover in this section of the Book of Mormon?  Here's a few of my personal thoughts:

1.  Am I willing to stand up for righteousness, even when I feel pressure to do otherwise, like Lamoni did when he stood up to his father?  Do I 'go with the crowd' and just keep quiet?  Do I continue to watch the TV show or listen to the song on the radio or look at something on the Internet, when I know the content is not appropriate for me?

2.  Do I have courage like Ammon did when he stood up to the old King?  Do I have righteous courage to stand in holy places to stand up for what I believe and share my beliefs with others and not be afraid?

3. Do I unwisely compare my problems with other people's problems? Or do I consider that my personal problems can be viewed as a refining fire and a learning experience for me rather than a stumbling block?

4.  Do I complain at the slightest inconveniences in my own life?  Do I have patience and draw nearer to my Heavenly Father and Savior during the most difficult times or do I pull away from them because I am so angry with my own set of personal trials, tribulations, temptations or circumstances?  

5.  I can be patient in ALL my sufferings!

 

The Lamanite Kings, Father & Son

Our Scripture journey has led us to Ammon having had major success in converting King Lamoni's people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   A church had been established there.

With all the drama behind them, King Lamoni asked Ammon to go with him to the land of Nephi, to meet his father, who was King over all of Lamanite land. 

The Lord's voice came to Ammon and said "Thou shalt not go up to the land of Nephi, for behold, the king will seek thy life; but thou shalt go to the land of Middoni; for behold, thy brother Aaron, and also Muloki and Ammah are in prison." Alma 19:2

When these things were revealed to Ammon he said to Lamoni, "Behold, my brother and brethren are in prison at Middoni, and I go that I may deliver them." Alma 19:3  

I LOVE what King Lamoni said next to Ammon,  "I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things." Alma 20:4   Lamoni recognized that with the Lord's strength and help Ammon could do anything, but he wanted to help his friend as well.  The King of Middoni, Antiomno was a friend to Lamoni.  Lamoni felt that he could flatter Antiomno and that surely he would let Ammon's people out of prison.  Can't you just feel that King Lamoni's kindness and testimony were growing by leaps and bounds!

Lamoni's next question to Ammon is fantastic.  He just realized something important!  "Who told thee that thy brethren were in prison?  Alma 19:4  

Image from: www.lds.org

Of course, Ammon told him that no one had told him except God.  When Lamoni heard this he really stepped up their travel plans.   Isn't it interesting how quickly things changed!?  King Lamoni was the one who would have killed Nephites previously without even giving it a second thought!  Now he was going to rescue them!


King Lamoni's Father
Image from: Book of Mormon Seminary Student Study Guide

As Ammon and Lamoni were traveling to Middoni, they met Lamoni's Father along the way.  Lamoni's Dad was the head honcho of all the Lamanites in the area.  The old King had two questions for his son: 

First, "Why didn't you come to the feast that I prepared for all my sons and for my people?" 
Second, "Where are you going with this Nephite, who is the child of a liar?"  

Lamoni explained to his Dad where he was going and why he had not been able to attend the feast.  There had been a LOT going on in Lamoni's Kingdom lately....

 

 Lamoni's father was VERY angry.   He said the following:"Lamoni, thou art going to deliver these Nephites, who are sons of a liar.  Behold, he robbed our fathers; and now his children are also come amongst us that they may, by their cunning and their lyings, deceive us, that they again may rob us of our property" Alma 20:13

(Side note: The hatred that the Lamanites had for the Nephites dated back to the days of Lehi, Nephi, Laman & Lemuel in the early pages of the Book of Mormon.   Laman & Lemuel felt that Nephi had robbed them of the brass plates.   In addition, they did not like that Nephi had assumed a 'leadership' role over them.  They were the 'older' brothers and felt that they should have been the leaders, not their kid brother. This anger and feud lasted for hundreds of years and was passed down from generation to generation.)

Lamoni's father had intense hatred toward the Nephite people because of the traditions of his fathers.  He COMMANDED his son to kill Ammon with the sword.  He also commanded him that he should not go to the land of Middoni but should return to his own kingdom. 


Just think how devastating this must have been to Lamoni.  He had grown to love Ammon and yet he was still under the governing rule of his father who had now told him he had to kill his new friend. 

What would Lamoni say to his Father? 

Would he buckle under the pressure? 
 
Would he actually kill Ammon?

Would he be able to speak up for what he knew was right?

****************************

PRINCIPLE POWER



What principles can you pull from these verses?  The beauty of the Scriptures is that as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we each will be drawn to different verses or passages that we can liken to our own individual lives.  My principles may be different than the ones you come up with....and that's just how it should be!

 

1.  Do I listen to the spirit as carefully as Ammon did when the Spirit whispered to him not to go to the Land of Nephi?  Or do I dismiss those whisperings as coincidence?  Am I so 'busy' that sometimes I don't even hear the Spirit's whisperings at all?

 

2.  What can I do to magnify and clarify the voice of the Spirit in my life? 

 

3.  When I hear the promptings of the Spirit, do I act upon them or disregard?

 

3.   Lamoni was quick to say he would go to help Ammon get his brethren out of prison.  Am I as quick when asked to serve others in any capacity, whether large or small?  Am I willing to help my fellow man even when I'm not asked to?

 

4.   The hatred, prejudice and anger that the Lamanites had for the Nephites lasted for hundreds of years.  Do I hold feelings of hatred, prejudice or anger toward my fellow man?  If I do feel prejudice, do I desire to make a change and rid myself of it, or do I perpetuate it and carry on the prejudice to the next generation?  Do I stand up for the right if others speak prejudice?

 

5.  My favorite principle in this section:  With the strength of the Lord, I can do ALL things!

 

 



Ammon, Part II, A Story of Tender Mercies

Image by: Josh Cotton (www.wikimedia.org)

Last we saw the four sons of King Mosiah; Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni had given up their father's kingdom for a chance to preach the gospel to their mortal enemies, the Lamanites.  They had packed up their bags filled with the spirit of God and began their missions for parts unknown. 

Ammon being the oldest of them, "...did administer unto them.....after having blessed them according to their several stations, having imparted the word of God unto them, or administered unto them before his departure; and thus they took their several journeys throughout the land."  Alma 17:18

Image: www.lds.org

I wonder what that brotherly goodbye was like.  After Priesthood blessings, words of wisdom and admonition, I picture hugs, smiles and probably many tears.  These boys had already been through so much together.  Now they were embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives, each alone with only God by their sides.

Ammon went to the land of Ishmael.  As he entered the borders of the land, the Lamanites took him and bound him.   This was the Lamanite custom as the scripture points out, "...to bind all the Nephites who fell into their hands and carry them before the king..." Alma 17:20   Great custom, huh?

At this point, the Nephite intruder would be taken before the King who would have four options.  The King could:

1.  kill them

2.  keep them held captive

3.  cast them into prison

4.  throw them out of his land. 

All of these things being done "according to his [the King's] will and pleasure."  Alma 17:21  

The King over the land of Ishmael at this time was a Lamanite named Lamoni.   The first thing King Lamoni asked of Ammon was "...If it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people." Alma 17:22.   

TENDER MERCY ALERT:  Don't you find it strange yet totally awesome that with all the frightful options that the King had at his disposal, he would simply ask Ammon if he would like to stay in his Kingdom?   I testify that the Lord blesses all those who are willing to serve Him!  

Ammon's response was "Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die. Alma 17:23    Of course the King was very pleased with this reply.  But remember as King he still had those 4 options!  Instead, he loosed the bands that tied Ammon. 

Here comes another TENDER MERCY ALERT:  The King asks Ammon if he would want to marry one of his daughters!!!!  What?  Of all his options, marrying the Nephite intruder off to one of his daughters, was not in the normal play book, I'm sure!

Ammon responds in all humility that he could not take a daughter to wife, but that he would be a servant to the King.   Lamoni agrees and so Ammon sets off with the rest of the servants to guard and care for the King's flocks. 

After only 3 days of service, Ammon just going about his business, takes the flocks to a place where they could drink water.  This place was called Sebus and was where all Lamanites would have taken their flocks to do the same thing.  I can picture in my mind the busy hubbub of comings and goings there.

While the animals were receiving water, another group of Lamanites who had been at the same place watering their own flocks decides to scatter the flocks that Ammon and the others were tending to.  The flocks went in every direction.

I always like to picture myself in these situations.  Can you imagine you have been on the job 3 days among these people who really are your adversary, you are trying to impress the King and some group of hooligans come along and make all the animals you are in charge of, run away! 

The other servants who were with Ammon began to be afraid and said, "Now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren because their flocks were scattered by the wickedness of these men.  And they began to weep exceedingly." Alma 17:28

I can picture sheep everywhere, servants crying in fear of their lives and Ammon composed and full of the spirit as ever he could be.  As a matter of fact, the scriptures say that Ammon was "swollen within him with joy, for said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power, which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe my words." Alma 17:29

Ammon was not puffed up within himself because of pride, so that he could be the big man and save the day.  He was swollen with joy because he could see this situation would win over the hearts of the people and then if he won over their hearts HE COULD TEACH THEM THE GOSPEL!  Which was his only priority in the first place!

Ammon so full of positivity says, "My brethren, be of good cheer and let us go in search of the flocks, and we will gather them together and bring them back unto the place of water; and thus we will preserve the flocks unto the king and he will not slay us." Alma 17:31 

And that is exactly what they did.  The servants followed Ammon and they rushed forth "with much swiftness" Alma 17:32  and gathered all the flocks together again at the place of water. 

Another TENDER MERCY ALERT:  Only with the hand of the Lord and the total faith of Ammon, could these flocks have been gathered all back together so quickly or at all.  Another miracle!

Just as the flocks were again together, the hooligans that scattered them in the first place came back.  Annoying and ridiculous!  Ammon gave swift direction to his fellow servants, "Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not, and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks."  Alma 17:33.  Of course the servants jumped on Ammon's words and did exactly as he commanded. 

Ammon went up against this terrible group and the scriptures state "...they were in number not a few." Alma 17:34  and "they delighted in the destruction of their brethren." Alma 17:35.  What a wicked bunch!

Of course these guys did not fear Ammon, just one lone guy.  What they did NOT know however, was anything about the Lord or the faithfulness of this young Nephite!

Image: www.lds.org

Ammon stood up.  At first he cast stones at them with his sling (aka David & Goliath).  The scriptures say that Ammon had "mighty power".  He actually killed a few of them.  After he did this, the group "began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him."  Alma 17:36

As every single Lamanite lifted up his club to hit him, Ammon would cut off their arms with his sword.  "He did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him, yea, and they were not few in number, and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.  Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew non, save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few."  Alma 17:37 

Another TENDER MERCY ALERT:  Of course Ammon was strong, but could any mortal have been that strong in and of himself? Of course not!  The Lord was there, helping him, strengthening him and fulfilling the promise he had made to Ammon's father that he would be safe in the land of the Lamanites. 

After the group was driven away, Ammon simply returned to watering the flocks and returned them to the King's pasture.  The arms were then carried into the king for a testimony and proof of the things which had happened that day.

King Lamoni listened to the stories of his servants as they recounted everything that had happened.  He learned of the faithfulness of Ammon and also the great strength and power that Ammon had displayed against the enemies.  King Lamoni was "astonished exceedingly." Alma 18:2

King Lamoni hearing all of this, knew that Ammon indeed must be the Great Spirit of whom their Lamanite forefathers had spoken.   Lamoni's conscience must have begun to prick him because he began to fear greatly because of his previous sins.

In the space of three short days, tender mercy after tender mercy had occurred:  Ammon found favor with the King of the Lamanites, brought the King's flocks back to safety, endeared himself to the King's servants, calmed their fears and nerves, and withstood a whole group of Lamanite killers.

Ammon now has this people right where he wants them.....

What tender mercies have you received from the Lord today?

Ammon, Man of Arms?

Image: www.lds.org

 

If someone says the name, Ammon, what's the first thing that comes to mind?   You'd probably say, "He cut off a bunch of guys' arms, right?"  Ammon was a man whose accomplishments and life reflected much more than just one story.

Image: www.lds.org

Ammon was one of the sons of a King.  King Mosiah to be exact.  Peace had come once again to the land.  Peace in Book of Mormon times was always fleeting, however.  King Mosiah had four sons, Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni who were numbered among the unbelievers, along with Alma, named after his father, Alma the Elder.


These boys were a huge hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God.  The scriptures say they were "stealing away the hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a chance for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them."  Mosiah 27:9  

Image: www.lds.org

This was serious stuff!  They were striving to destroy the church.  They were causing big problems for their Dad, not to mention the church!  As they were going about rebelling against God, they are witnesses to an Angel who smote Alma the Younger dumb. 
Long story short....this event is a pivotal life changing event not just for Alma but for all four of the sons of Mosiah, Ammon included.

It was such a game changer that they began "traveling round about through all the land publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them."  Mosiah 27:32 

So now those that had probably been their friends prior, are now hitting and persecuting them!  With friends like that, who needs enemies?  But that does not deter them.  The scripture says they 'zealously strived to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church, confessing all their sins, and publishing all the things which they had seen, and explaining the prophecies and the scriptures to all who desired to hear them.  And thus they were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer."  Mosiah 27:35-36

After the sons served these "mini-missions" they returned to their father, the King and asked if he would let them go up to the land where the Lamanites, their bitter enemies lived, to preach to them.  They wanted to bring the good news of  the gospel to them.  That perhaps they might convince them of the sins of their Lamanite fathers who had come before them, and that they might cure the Lamanites of their hatred of the Nephites.  They hoped that they might even become friendly with them.  Talk about delusions of grandeur!  These four sons could not bear that any human soul should perish without hearing the word of God. 

I love Mosiah 28:4  "And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them [the sons of Mosiah], for they were the very vilest of sinners.  And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever." 

This verse should be engrained in each of our heads!  These sons of Mosiah had been the vilest of sinners (and aren't we all?)  But the Lord saw in his mercy to spare them, to save them, to cure them, to love them, to help them, so they could in turn bring others back to Him.  Heavenly Father & His Son are all about giving second, third even fourth chances.  It's up to us if we will take them up on their offers of kindness and mercy. 

Back to King Mosiah and his sons.  Can't you just put yourself in the place of King Mosiah, a father of these four kids who had been so awful and driven him so crazy and now are so good.  He's probably just happy to have them home for a while.  Now they are saying they want to go amongst their greatest enemies, the Lamanites.  These are the people who they had warred with for years and years.  If I was their Dad, I would have said absolutely NOT!  You will be killed.  I would say, "I command you to just stay put! Preach among your neighbors.  It's safe here.  We need your preaching just as much as the Lamanites."   It says in Mosiah 28:5, that the sons did PLEAD with their father for MANY days that they might go to the Lamanites to teach.

King Mosiah, being the righteous king and father that he was, took it to the Lord.  "What should I do?" he asked.   The Lord came back with a powerful promise which once again I LOVE.  "And the Lord said unto Mosiah, Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites."  Mosiah 28:7

There could be no greater promise for a parent than that.  Send your boys to the Lamanites and I promise that they will be safe.  With that promise in hand, Mosiah grants his sons' request and they take their journey into the wilderness to preach the word among their greatest enemies, the Lamanites.

Just as a side note, any of these boys could have had the Kingdom conferred upon them.  None would accept it, each rejected the rights to the Kingdom for the word of God.  They left their father and departed with their swords, spears, bows, arrows, slings and a prayer in their hearts.

They journeyed many days into the wilderness, fasting much and praying that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his spirit to go with them, to abide with them. That they might be an instrument in the hands of God, to bring, if possible the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth. I can't imagine the fear and worry they must have had.  However, the Lord visited him with his spirit, and they were comforted. 

As they arrived at the borders of the Land of the Lamanites, they decided they could do the most good if they would separate themselves and leave one another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again.

They were embarking on a mission of God to preach to a wild and hardened and ferocious people, a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, robbing and plundering them.  Lamanites whose hearts were set upon gold silver and precious things.  They were an idol worshipping people who hated Nephites....and here four young Nephites go it each alone, all for the love of God and the gospel.....

What will await them in the land of Lamanites? Heartbreak, happiness, difficulty and deliverance. And we're not yet even to the arm chopping incident!