Lesson 25 – They Taught with Power
and Authority of God
Purpose
To inspire class members to follow the example of the sons
of Mosiah2 by sharing the gospel and ministering to others.
Scriptures
·
Alma 17:1-18 - The sons of Mosiah
preach the gospel to the Lamanites.
·
Alma 17:19-39; 18; 19. Ammon serves
and teaches King Lamoni. The king and queen and many of the Lamanites are
converted.
·
Alma 20-22. Ammon is led by the
Spirit to deliver his brethren from prison. Lamoni's father is converted.
You will be studying
the missionary efforts of the sons of Mosiah2 and their
brethren. They are going to preach to a
people who, when discussed, are always described with negative terms. This brave group of missionaries go to the
enemy, having absolute faith they will be protected and be successful in their
missionary efforts.
Some of the most
powerful conversion stories and stories of faith are found in these
chapters. I have to give my usual
complaint – there’s just not enough time to do justice to these chapters. There are too much powerful, faith promoting,
experiences in this section to recommend anything be left out.
My only suggestion is
to prayerful review the lesson and this information, and use the guidance of
the Spirit to help select what will be
the most important parts of this lesson for your Gospel Doctrine class.
Review – How sons of Mosiah2 gained
permission to preach to the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:1-9; Mosiah 29:1-3)
·
People want Aaron as king.
·
Aaron refuses.
·
The other sons also refuse the kingdom.
·
Sons of Mosiah2 (with a “small
number”) plead with the King to give them permission to preach to the
Lamanites.
o
“[T]hey were desirous that salvation should be
declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should
perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment
did cause them to quake and tremble.” (28:3)
·
Mosiah2 takes it to the Lord.
o
Lord tells Mosiah2 - “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.” (28:7)
·
Mosiah2 grants their request.
Mormon’s heading at the beginning of the section dealing
with the mission of the sons of Mosiah2.
An account of the sons of Mosiah, who rejected their rights
to the kingdom for the word of God, and went up to the land of Nephi to preach
to the Lamanites; their sufferings and deliverance—according to the record of
Alma.
Comprising chapters 17 to 26 inclusive.
Chapter 17
An Unexpected Meeting (verses 1-3)
·
Alma2 and the sons of Mosiah2
unexpectedly meet while Alma2 is traveling to the land of Manti.
o
It has been about 14 years since they last saw
each other.
·
This was a joyous reunion.
o
Especially so since all were still “brethren in
the Lord.” (verse 2)
o
“[T]hey had waxed strong in the knowledge of the
truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the
scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. But this is not
all; they
had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit
of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught
with power and authority of God.” (verses 2-3)
o
See Quote #1.
·
See Quote #2.
Ammon and his mission (verses 18-39)
·
Ammon was the “chief among them.”
o
Side note – Aaron apparently was the oldest
son. It appears all agreed that Ammon
would be the leader of the group.
·
Ammon went to the land of Ishmael.
o
Named after the sons of Ishmael.
·
As soon as he entered the land, he was taken
captive, bound, and took before the king.
o
King Lamoni, king of the land of Ishmael, was a
descendant of Ishmael.
·
He asks Ammon if he desired to live among his
people, the Lamanites.
·
He had probably dealt with Nephite dissenters in
the past, so that was probably not an unusual question.
·
Ammon responded, “I desire to dwell among this
people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.” (verse 23)
·
See Quote #3.
·
King Lamoni offers a daughter to be his wife.
·
Ammon refused saying, “I will be thy servant.”
(verse 25)
o
The king had to be surprised by Ammon’s
response. Most Nephite dissenters would
have taken the daughter as a wife and enjoyed an easy life.
·
Ammon was sent to watch over the king’s flocks.
·
Three days later, Ammon and the servants were
watering the flocks of the king.
o
All Lamanites drove their flocks to this
watering hole.
·
A group of Lamanites scattered the flocks of the
king and they ran in all directions.
o
See Quote #4.
·
Servants began to murmur and weep because the
king would kill them because the flocks had been scattered.
·
Ammon was pleased with the situation because, by
restoring the king’s flocks, it would help the servants believe his words.
·
Considered the servants to be his brethren.
·
See Quote #5.
·
Ammon takes charge of the situation.
o
He encourages his brethren to “be of good
cheer.” (verse 31)
o
He takes them to gather the flocks and return
them to the watering hole.
·
When the same group comes back, he has all the
servants surround them.
·
He will “go and contend with these men who do
scatter our flock.” (verse 33)
·
Ammon confronted the group, which appears to
have been quite large.
o
See Quote #6.
·
The band did not fear Ammon.
·
They believed that one could kill him at their
pleasure.
o
Mormon reminds us, “for they knew not that the Lord had promised
Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did
they know anything concerning the Lord.” (verse 35)
·
Using his slings and some stones, he
successfully killed a number of the band.
·
They were astonished but became angrier with
Ammon.
o
They could not hit Ammon with their stones.
o
They attacked him with their clubs.
§
They failed.
·
He slew the leader and, using his sword, cut off
many arms of his attackers.
o
See Quote #7.
Chapter 18
Lamoni Believes Ammon is the Great
Spirit (verses 1-11)
·
When they returned, servants told the king what
had happened.
·
King astonished.
o
“[T]his is more than a man … is not this the
Great Spirit?” (verse 2)
§
Servants reply, “we know not, but this much we
do know, he cannot be slain by the enemies of the king.” (verse 3)
·
“[W]e do not believe that a man has such great
power.” (verse 3)
o
See Quotes #8 & #9.
·
King Lamoni becomes convinced Ammon is the Great
Spirit.
o
King Lamoni begins to fear that he will have to
answer for slaying his servants.
o
See Quote #10.
·
Lamoni asks where Ammon was.
o
Told he was taking care of the horses.
o
Was getting horses and chariots ready to travel
to feast given by father of Lamoni, king over all the land.
o
See Quote #11 (This is a long quote about horses
in the Book of Mormon. You may want to
talk about this is a separate part of the lesson.)
§
Summary of Robert Bennett’s comments.
·
The horses may have lived in a narrow
geographical area.
·
It is not unusual for there to be a lack of
archaeological evidence for animal within a narrow geographical area.
·
There is almost no archaeological evidence of
horses in the Central Asian area occupied by the Huns.
·
What is referred to as a horse could be another
animal, such as a tapir (see picture after quote).
·
Ammon’s faithfulness at serving the king caused
him to be “more astonished because of the faithfulness of Ammon.” (verse 10)
o
Knows Ammon is the Great Spirit.
o
He wants Ammon to come to him, but he doesn’t
dare ask him to come.
Ammon Teaches King Lamoni (verses 12-40)
·
When Ammon is finished, “he went in unto the
king.” (verse 12)
o
He saw the king’s countenance had changed, so he
was about to leave.
o
A servant, calling Ammon “Rabbanah, which is,
being interpreted, powerful or great king” tells him the king desires he say.
(verse 13)
·
Ammon remains and asks the king what he desires
of him?
o
King doesn’t answer.
o
Ammon asks the question again.
·
The Spirit filled Ammon and he knew what the
king was thinking.
o
He asks is it because you heard I defended your
servants, you flocks, and slew seven of the band to defend your flocks?
§
“I am a man, and am thy servant; therefore,
whatsoever thou desirest which is right, that I will do.” (verse 17)
·
But the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can
he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)
·
The king is amazed that Ammon knew his thoughts.
o
He asks Ammon, “Art though that Great Spirit who
knows all things?” (verse 18)
§
See Quote #12.
§
See Quotes #13 & #14.
o
Ammon responds, “I am not.” (verse 19)
·
The king asks him how he knows his thoughts.
o
He also wants to know by what power he smote off
the arms of those scattering his flocks.
o
If he answers the king, whatever Ammon desires,
will be given him.
·
Ammon asks if he will believe his words.
o
Yes, I will the king responds.
·
Ammon asks, and the king responds, to a number
of questions.
o
We learn the king doesn’t know God, but knows
the Great Spirit.
o
He believes the Great Spirit created all things
in Earth, but doesn’t know the heavens.
§
Ammon explains that God is the Great Spirit, and
He dwells in the heavens with his angels.
It is above Earth where God looks down on all the children of men.
·
The king says he will accept all the words Ammon
has spoken. Then he asks if he was sent
of God.
·
Ammon tells him, “I am a man … created after the
image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto
this people … A portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me.” (verses 34-35)
o
Here we see a man of great and simple
faith. Lamoni accepts Ammon and will believe
his words.
·
Ammon then begins to teach him all things,
beginning “at the creation of the world … all things concerning the fall of man
… and rehearsed … the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had
been spoken by the prophets.” (verse 36)
·
He told him about Lehi and his travels, about
the rebellions of Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael.
·
He taught them the plan of redemption and the
coming of Christ.
o
See Quote #15.
King Lamoni Accepts the Gospel (verses
41-48)
·
After teaching him these things, the King
believed all his words.
o
He cried to the Lord, asking him to have mercy
upon “me and my people.” (verse 41)
o
Scriptures about mercy.
§
Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and
thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old. (Psalms 25:6)
§
Hear me, O LORD; for thy loving
kindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender
mercies. (Psalms
69:16)
§
Blessed be God, even the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them
which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
§
But God, who is rich in mercy, for
his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4)
§
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)
·
No sooner had the king cried this out to the
Lord, the “he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.” (verse 42)
·
He was carried to his room and was mourned by
his family for three days, in the traditional ways of the Lamanites.
Chapter 19
King Lamoni Accepts the Gospel (con’t) (verses
1-13)
·
The time had come to bury the body of the
king. The queen had heard of Ammon and
asked him to come to her.
o
Ammon came and asked her what he could do.
·
She told him the servants said he was a prophet
of God and could do many things in His name.
o
She asked him to go into her husband because she
does not believe he is dead.
o
This is what Ammon wanted. He knew the king was under the influence of
God.
§
See Quote #16.
·
He did what the queen asked.
o
He told her “he sleepeth in God, and on the
morrow he shall rise again.” (verse 8)
·
On the morning, he awoke and praised God (see
verse 12-13).
o
After he praised God, he again feel to the
ground, as did the queen and Ammon.
o
See Quote #17.
People’s Response to These Events (verses
16-28)
·
Abish, “having been converted unto the Lord for
many years on account of a remarkable vision of her father,” (verse 16) knew it
was the power of God.
o
This was an opportunity to show the people what
the Lord would do.
o
She ran out to get see what was happening. She hoped it would cause them to believe in
God.
·
People came and chaos broke out.
o
Some claimed the king brought this upon himself
because he allowed a Nephite to stay.
o
Others claimed the king brought this upon
himself because he killed his servants.
·
The brother of one who had been slain by Ammon
saw him and lifted his sword to kill Ammon.
He fell dead.
o
Once again, we see the Lord’s promise to protect
the sons of Mosiah2 was again fulfilled.
·
The increased the chaos.
o
Some claimed Ammon was the Great Spirit.
o
Others claimed he was sent by the Great Spirit.
o
Others claimed he was “a monster, who had been
sent from the Nephites to torment them.” (verse 26)
o
Still others claimed he was sent by the Great
Spirit to punish them for their sins.
§
The contention was “exceedingly sharp among
them.” (verse 28)
The King, Queen, and Ammon Arise From
Their “Sleep” (verses 29-32)
·
Abish was saddened by the people’s
response. She went to the queen, taking
her by the hand.
o
The queen stood and praised God for saving her.
·
She went to the king, took him by the hand, and he
stood.
o
Seeing the chaos, the king rebuked the
people. He then preached the gospel to
the people.
o
Many believed and were converted.
o
Other would not hear his words and went their
way.
o
Scriptures tell us about those who see miracles
and will not believe.
§
But though he had done so many miracles before
them, yet they believed not on him: (John 12:37)
Ammon Administers to the People (verses 33-36)
·
Ammon and the servants of Lamoni administered to
the people. They all testified “their
hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil.” (verse 33)
o
Many said they saw and conversed with angels,
learning about “things of God.” (verse 34)
o
Those who believed were baptized and a church
was established among them.
·
The Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the
people.
·
See Quote #18.
·
See Quote #19 (I recommend this as a “must use”
quote!)
Chapter 20
Lamoni and Ammon Meet Lamoni’s Father (verses
1-30)
·
Lamoni decides to introduce Ammon to his father,
the king of the land.
o
Ammon was warned by the Lord that his father would
want to kill him.
o
Go to the land of Middoni to help release his
brethren that are in prison.
·
Lamoni offered to help. He was friends with the king over the land of
Middoni. He then asked Ammon how he knew his brethren were in prison.
·
“No one had told me, save it be God.” (verse 5)
·
Lamoni made the horses and chariots ready. He will flatter the king to get Ammon’s
brethren out of prison.
o
Lamoni’s use of the word “flatter” is an interesting
choice. While it can have negative connotations (insincere praise,
for example), it has other meanings. The way it is used, we should
read it to mean that he would praise the king and use language he knows will
make the king more receptive to Ammon’s request.
·
As they were traveling to Middoni, who should
they meet but the person they don’t want to meet – Lamoni’s father.
·
He is not happy he did not come to the
feast. He also asked, “Whither art thou
going with the Nephite, who is one of the children of a liar.” (verse 10)
o
Limhi explain the historical background for
Lamanite hatred of the Nephites.
§
They were a wild, and ferocious, and a
blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is
this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of
the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness
by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea; And again, that they were wronged while in
the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all
this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the
Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and
answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness. And his
brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the
Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their
hearts against the Lord.
And again, they were wroth with him when they had arrived in the
promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out
of their hands; and they sought to kill him. And again, they were wroth with
him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and
took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that
he robbed them.
And
thus they have taught their children that they should hate them, and that they
should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they
could to destroy them; therefore they have an eternal hatred towards the
children of Nephi.
Mosiah 10:12 - 17
·
Lamoni fully explained what had happen and why
he did not attend the feast. “[H]e
feared to offend [his father].” (verse 11)
·
His father didn’t accept the explanation. He commanded Lamoni to kill Ammon and return
with him to the land of Ishmael.
·
Of course, Lamoni refused. He also refused to go to Ishmael because he
was going to plead for the release of Ammon’s brethren, telling his father, “I
know that they are just men and holy prophets of the true God.” (verse 15)
·
His father would not tolerate this refusal, so
he pulled out his sword and was going to kill him.
·
Ammon stood between them and said “[T]hou shalt
not slay thy son; nevertheless, it 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 could not be saved.” (verse 17)
o
Here we have quite the situation. A “son of a liar: was willing to protect the
son of the king; the son of the king refused to kill the “son of a liar,”
protecting him.
·
The father responded saying he knew if he killed
his son, he would shed innocent blood.
“[I]t is thou that hast sought to destroy him.” (verse 19) He tried to kill Ammon, but he withstood his
blows.
·
Ammon finally “smote his arm that he could not
use it.” (verse 20)
·
Lamoni’s father immediately began to plead with
Ammon to spare his life.
o
Ammon responded he would kill him unless his
brethren were released from prison.
o
Lamoni’s father responded, “If thou wilt spare
me I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the
kingdom.” (verse 22)
·
Then he adds one more condition. Grant Lamoni his kingdom as an independent
kingdom, no longer under his father’s control.
·
This was quite the situation. He saw Ammon had no desire to kill him. He was amazed at the “great love [Ammon] had
for his son.” (verse 26)
·
He granted Ammon’s request, but then had a
request for Ammon.
o
Once his brethren were released from prison, has
asked that Ammon and his brethren come to him, “for I greatly desire to see
thee.” (verse 27) He was amazed at
Ammon’s and Lamoni’s words, “therefore he was desirous to learn them.” (verse
27)
§
See Quote #20.
·
They continued the journey to Middoni. Lamoni was able to convince the king to
release Ammon’s brethren from prison.
·
They were in bad shape and Ammon was quite
upset. “[T]hey 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.” (verse 29)
·
The people they taught were “a more hardened and
a more stiffnecked people; therefore they would not harken unto their words.”
(verse 32)
·
The challenge of dealing with a stiffnecked
people is not uncommon.
·
I said unto the fools, Deal
not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your
horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. (Psalms 75:4-5)
·
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart
and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which
of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain
them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been
now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition
of angels, and have not kept it.
(Acts 7:51-53)
An account of the preaching of Aaron, and Muloki, and
their brethren, to the Lamanites.
Comprising chapters 21 to 26 inclusive.
Chapter 21
Aaron and His Brethren Preach to the
Lamanites, Amalekites, and Amulonites (verses 1-10)
·
After the group separated, Aaron and his
brethren headed towards an Amalekite/Lamanite city called Jerusalem.
·
The hearts of the Lamanites were hardened, but
the Amalekites and Amulonites (Nephite dissenters) were even harder.
o
The Amulonites were descendants of King Noah’s
priests who fled and left their families behind. The head of that group’s name was Amulon.
§
And it came to pass that the Lamanites
did pursue them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them. Now it came to
pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and
their children, and flee before the Lamanites. Now there were many that would
not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their
children and fled.
Mosiah
19:10-12
o
This is not unusual. The most wicked, hardhearted and stiff-necked
people were Nephite dissenters.
·
They began preaching in their synagogues.
o
Aaron was challenged by an
Amalekite. He asks Aaron a number of questions.
§
Have you seen an angel?
§
Why don’t we see angels?
§
Are we not as good as your people?
§
How do you know our thoughts and the intents of
our heart?
§
How do you know we need to repent?
§
How do you know we are not a righteous people?
§
What was a sign they were good people?
§
They build churches to worship God. They
believe all men will be saved.
·
The Amalekites “were after the order of the
Nehors.” (verse 4)
o
See Quote #21
o
See Quote #22
·
Aaron responds:
o
Do you believe the Son of God shall come to
redeem mankind from their sins?
o
No. We
don’t believe you can know this; we don’t believe in foolish traditions; we
don’t believe you can know future events.
·
Aaron began to quote scriptures about the coming
of Christ. Here are some he may have
used.
o
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have
given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus
17:11)
o
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a
Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto
him ye shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15)
o
He will swallow up death in victory; and
the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and
the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the
LORD hath spoken it. And
it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this
is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his
salvation. (Isaiah 25:8-9)
o
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5)
o
All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet
he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a
sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah
53:6-8)
o
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and
unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. (Isaiah
59:20)
·
After hearing this, the people became angry,
mocked him, and refused to listen to his words.
·
He stopped preaching and left the synagogue.
Aaron and His Brethren Are Cast Into
Prison and Released (verses 11-17)
·
He left Jerusalem, went to Ani-Anti, and worked
with his brethren there.
o
They met with little success because the people
hardened their hearts.
·
They went on to Middoni. Very few believed their words.
o
Some were put in prison and the rest were able
to flee Middoni.
o
It is here we meet up with Ammon and king
Lamoni.
·
The Savior taught that those who preached the
gospel would face challenges.
o
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide
is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
·
After being released the continued preaching the
gospel, going “forth
whithersoever they were led by the Spirit of the Lord, preaching the word of
God in every synagogue of the Amalekites, or in every assembly of the Lamanites
where they could be admitted.” (verse 16)
·
They were blessed by the Lord, meeting with
success and bringing “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.” (verse 17)
·
See Quote #23.
Ammon and King Lamoni Return to Middoni
(verses 17-23)
·
After freeing Aaron and his brethren, Ammon and
Lamoni returned to Middoni.
o
King Lamoni would not allow Ammon to be a
servant any longer. He built synagogues
and he taught them the gospel.
·
He declared his people were a free people, free
from the oppression of a king.
·
He also established freedom of worship, where
people could worship “the Lord their God according to their desires, in whatsoever place they
were in, if it were in the land which was under the reign of king Lamoni.”
(verse 23)
·
See Quote #24.
Chapter 22
Aaron and His Brethren Teach Lamoni’s
Father (verses 1-16)
·
Aaron and his brethren went to the land of
Ishmael and to Lamoni’s father (we never learn king Lamoni’s father’s name!).
o
The identified themselves as the brethren of
Ammon.
o
They made the same offer as did Ammon, to be the
king’s servants.
·
He refused the offer, insisting “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.” (verse
3)
·
He asked –
o
“What is this that ye have said concerning the
Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth
trouble me.” (verse 5)
o
“And also, what is this that Ammon said—If ye will repent ye
shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day?”
(verse 6)
·
See Quote #25.
·
Aaron began questioning the king. Do you believe there is a God?
·
He responded he knows the Amalekites say there
is a God. If Aaron says there is a God,
he will believe. Aaron assures him there is a God.
·
Is this the God that brought our fathers from
Jerusalem? It is, Aaron says. He created all things in heaven and earth.
·
The king believes this and wants to know
more. He assures Aaron he will believe
what he says.
·
Aaron teaches the king, beginning with Adam and
the fall.
·
He teaches him about Christ and his plan of
redemption.
·
See Quote #26.
·
The king wants to know what he needs to do “that I may have
this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, 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.” (verse 15)
·
Aaron told him he must “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.” (verse 16)
Aaron and His Brethren Teach Lamoni’s
Father (verses 17-20)
·
The king “did prostrate himself upon the earth”
(verse 17) and began to cry unto the Lord.
·
We have a repeat of the experience of
Lamoni. His father is so overcome with
the Spirit “he was struck as if he were dead.” (verse 18)
o
The queen enters and sees Aaron and his brethren
standing over, what she believes, is the king’s dead body.
o
She commands the servants to kill Aaron and his
brethren.
§
They refuse because they saw what had
happened.
·
See Quote #27.
Lamoni’s Father and Family are Converted
(verses 21-26)
·
The queen begins to fear Aaron and his brethren
as well, so she commanded the servants to get the people to come and kill them.
·
Aaron realized what would happen if the people
all came together. He put forth his hand
and commanded the king to stand. He
received his strength back and stood.
·
The king stood and “began to minister unto
them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that
his whole household was converted unto the Lord.” (verse 23)
·
The servants did bring people and “there began to
be great murmurings among them because of Aaron and his brethren.” (verse 24)
·
The king put a quick end to the murmurings and
administered to the people. This calmed
things down.
·
The king then had Aaron and his brethren preach
to the multitude.
Nephite Geography is Explained (verses
27-35)
·
The king sent a proclamation through all his
land that the gospel be preached.
·
Mormon gives us an in-depth explanation of
Nephite geography.
(Note – This is a very interesting part of the Book of
Mormon, giving us information which can be used to help us better understand
where the Nephite civilization was located.
I don’t see how you would have time to discuss this part. If you would like to explore geography in
more depth, I would recommend you use the following references to understand
better Mormon’s writings.
·
How
Can We Arrive at Mormon's Map?, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 20,
2011.
·
Lecture
52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 20,
2011.
·
Mormon’s
Map - The Overall Configuration, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 20,
2011.
·
Before
DNA, Matthew Roper, and John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed
September 20, 2011.)
Quote #1
John Tvedtnes wrote
about Alma2’s joy at seeing his brethren.
So emotionally
charged were Alma's memories of the angel's first visit that he reflected on it
when, after a fourteen-year hiatus, he was reunited with the sons of Mosiah,
who had been with him during the angel's original visit. These men had just
returned safely from a lengthy mission to the land of Nephi, during which time
they had succeeded in converting thousands of Lamanites.[1]
Quote #2
Writing about their
mission, John Tvetdnes explained its importance.
The mission of the
sons of Mosiah among the Lamanites has generally been seen as one of the
greatest missionary efforts in the Book of Mormon. This is undoubtedly
true. One
cannot diminish the importance of the spiritual conversion of many thousands of
Lamanites to the gospel and of the miracles and faith that accompanied that
conversion.
There is, however,
another aspect to the mission that is generally overlooked. It is that the
Nephite princes were seeking a means whereby their nation could be relieved of
the burden of war with their Lamanite neighbors. Mosiah's sons
… returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would
grant unto them ... that they might impart the word of God to their brethren,
the Lamanites — that perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord
their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; that
perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that
they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might
become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in
all the land. (Mosiah 28:1-2.)[2]
Quote #3
Richard Dilworth
Rust writes:
On arrival in Lamoni's court, Ammon, a king's
son, declares his willingness to leave royalty behind him and “to dwell among this people for a
time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die” (Alma 17:23). Offered the
possibility of earthly reward (taking one of Lamoni's daughters to wife), Ammon
opts instead to be the king's servant.[3]
See Quote #4
Hugh Nibley writes
about this incident.
It looks like it was a regular custom. So it
was no secret to anyone; this was not an ambush but something to be expected. But the king's own flocks? How could
they get away with that? Didn't he have enough men to protect them if this
happened regularly? Well, for one thing the Lamanites played the game for sport; it
was more than meat that they were after, for “they delighted in the
destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the
flocks of the king” (Alma 17:35). They thought it was great sport.[4]
See Quote #5
Hugh Nibley wrote:
What insanity is this, the king kills his own
servants for losing a contest that had been acted out before? In fact, “it was the practice of these Lamanites to
stand by the waters of Sebus and scatter the flocks of the people,” keeping
what they could for themselves, “it being a practice of plunder among them” (Alma 18:7)... It should be clear
that we are dealing with a sort of game; a regular practice, following certain
rules...”[5]
Quote #6
Duane Boyce writes
that this form of violence was a way of life for many Lamanites.
So about the time of
the missionary labors of the sons of Mosiah, in addition to waging large-scale
war against the Nephites from time to time, the Lamanites also engaged in a violent form
of banditry—“robbing and plundering” the Nephites, and actually taking delight
in murdering them. It’s also relevant in this context to remember
that Ammon
was threatened with death twice while among the Lamanites, and that he was
spared only through the power of the Lord (see Alma 17:34–37;
19:14–20; Mosiah 28:7).
In sum, prior to
their conversion, the Lamanites were a people who for centuries had: (1) hated the
Nephites; (2) waged aggressive war from time to time to destroy them; (3)
sought to murder the Nephites and actually “delighted in” and “loved” murdering
them; and (4) sought to plunder and rob the Nephites to gain gold and silver
without labor.[6]
Quote #7
Bruce Yerman wrote:
The Book of Mormon
story about Ammon smiting off the arms of the Lamanite thieves who scattered
King Lamoni's flocks fits a cultural pattern known from pre-Spanish Mesoamerica. Cutting off
an enemy's arm in battle not only rendered him utterly helpless but also netted
the victor a grisly trophy to carry from the scene of battle that would
validate his prowess in hand-to-hand combat. Documents from Mexico
and Guatemala reveal such a pre-Columbian custom.[7]
Quote #8
Hugh Nibley writes
about the Great Spirit.
There is one common ground, one common need,
between us and them, and it is the Book of Mormon. Consider how much it tells
us about the present situation. First of all, we accept the Great Spirit—we do
not consider the Indians heathen. King
Lamoni mistook the visiting superman Ammon for the Great Spirit, a mistake
which his descendants have made more than once, to their loss.[8]
Quote #9
John
L. Sorenson wrote:
In any case we are not justified in supposing
that the Lamanites had no religious system. No doubt what they followed involved elements of the Jerusalem cult
with which Laman, Lemuel, and probably one or more of the sons of Ishmael had
had experience as adults. Evidently a "Great Spirit" deity was
integral to the later belief pattern…[9]
Quote #10
Alan Goff wrote:
The other Lamanite
custom follows from the first: “Now it was the practice of these
Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus to scatter the flock of the
people, that thereby they might drive away many that were scattered unto their
own land, it being a practice of plunder among them” (Alma
18:7). This
explains Lamoni's response when he hears of Ammon's exploits: he fears it is the
Great Spirit punishing them “because of their murders” (Alma 18:2); the king is
as guilty as the thieves, for the thieves have no fear of appearing in the palace (Alma
19:21-22). (Emphasis in original)[10]
Quote #11 (Long)
Let’s look at the
writings of Robert R. Bennett as an example of the research on this
topic.
The Book of Mormon mentions horses, yet these
animals seem not to have been known to Native Americans who greeted the
Spaniards upon their arrival in the New World in the sixteenth century.
Moreover, archaeological evidence for the presence of the horse in the
pre-Columbian Americas is presently scant and inconclusive. How can this be explained? Careful
consideration of this question begins with an examination of what the Book of
Mormon says and does not say about horses…
Horses were known to
some Nephites and Lamanites from about 600 B.C. to the time of the Savior. They
were found in the “land of first inheritance” during the time of Nephi, son of
Lehi (see 1 Nephi 18:25), and in the land of Nephi during the days of Enos (see
Enos 1:21). They were also utilized by at least some of the Lamanite elite during
the days of King Lamoni in the same general region during the first century
B.C. (see Alma 18:9—12).
… [W]e need not
conclude from the text that horses were universally known in the Americas
throughout pre-Columbian history. Moreover, the Book of Mormon never says that
horses were ridden or used in battle, although some passages suggest that at
times they may have been used by the elite as a draft animal (see,
for example, Alma 18:9; 3 Nephi 3:22).
Small herds of
animals in a limited region sometimes leave no archaeological remains. We know that the
Norsemen probably introduced horses, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs into Eastern
North America during the eleventh century A.D., yet these animals did not
spread throughout the continent and have left no archaeological remains…
The horse was the basis
of the wealth and military power of the Huns of central Asia (fourth and fifth
centuries A.D.). Nonetheless, according to S. Bokonyi, a leading authority on
the zoological record for central Asia, “We know very little of the Huns horses. It is
interesting that not a single usable horse bone has been found in the territory
of the whole empire of the Huns. This is all the more deplorable as
contemporary sources mention these horses with high appreciation.”
The lack of archaeological evidence for the Hunnic
horse is rather significant in terms of references to horses in the Book of
Mormon. During the two centuries of their dominance, the Huns must have
possessed hundreds of thousands of horses. If Hunnic horse bones are so rare, notwithstanding the abundance
of horses during the Hunnic Empire, how can we expect abundant archaeological
evidence for pre-Columbian horses in the New World, especially given the scant
and comparatively conservative references to horses by Book of Mormon writers?
… It is also possible that some Book of Mormon
peoples coming from the Old World may have decided to call some New World
animal species a “horse” or an “ass.” This practice, known as “loan shift” or “loan-extension,”
is well known to historians and anthropologists who study cross-cultural
contact. For
example, when the Greeks first visited the Nile in Egypt, they encountered a
large animal they had never seen before and gave it the name hippopotamus,
meaning “horse of the river.”When the Roman armies first encountered the
elephant, they called it Lucca bos, a “Lucanian cow.” In the
New World the Spanish called Mesoamerican jaguars leones, “lions,” or tigres, “tigers.”
Quote #12
Hugh Nibley wrote:
Now here's Ammon's big chance … The king is
going to believe anything he tells him now. How easily he could have done what
we have done with the Indians and tricked him … There are a number of stories of men who have come among the
savages. Because of their supernatural power, the savages are ready to worship
them. They take advantage of that and are waited on hand and foot until their
fatal flaw is discovered. It's the same [opportunity] here, but “Ammon
answered and said unto him: I am not.” Here was Ammon's chance to tell a big,
fat lie and convert the king. But [he wouldn't do it].[12]
Quote #13
Elder Russell Nelson
said this about discernment.
Personal revelation
can be honed to become spiritual discernment. To discern means to sift, to separate, or to
distinguish. The gift of spiritual discernment is a supernal
gift. It allows members of the Church to see things not visible and
to feel things not tangible.[13]
Quote #14
Elder Marion G.
Romney said this about discernment.
“Pray for the spirit of discernment that you
may hear the promptings of the Spirit and understand them and then pray for
courage to do them, to follow the guidance of the Spirit.”[14]
Quote #15
Hugh Nibley wrote:
As we said
before, faith
is not the power; it plugs into the power. It gives you access to the power. My
faith gets me the power, but it is not the power. It amounts to it, if
it comes to that. He began with the story of the [creation] and the fall “and
rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures [the project to
follow this through would have been impossible without the scriptures] of
the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that
their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem … the
journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness … and he expounded unto them all
the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the
present time [verse 38] … For he expounded unto them the plan of redemption,
which was prepared from the foundation of the world [see, he takes the gospel
back to the preexistence, and he calls it the plan, you notice]; and
he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ.”[15]
Quote #16
Richard Rust discusses
the significance of “light” in verse 6.
Both physically and figuratively, light and
whiteness are associated with truth, purity, and divine guidance, just as
darkness is associated with unbelief and error (for example, see Alma
40:14). To move from darkness to light gives concrete meaning to the
process of redemption. This is apparent in Lamoni's
experience when he entered unconsciousness into a dark condition but arose from
it enlightened—the “dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind,
and the light … of everlasting life was lit up in his soul” (Alma 19:6).[16]
Quote #17
Why was there all
this passing out? Hugh Nibley explains:
An interesting thing
is about to happen here. He [the king] arose and said, “I have seen my
Redeemer.” … They were all passing out. This is the way you do when you are completely
overwhelmed this way … Of course, the hardest thing to contain is joy
… joy is a thing that scares the daylights out of you. You can't contain
it and don't know what to do with it … that's the purpose of our
existence—we “are that we might have joy.” So we are learning to control joy
and control ourselves when we have it. We can't contain it, you see. It's a
hard thing to contain. What do you do? Do you shout and holler and run around?
Do you make a fool of yourself, etc.? How can you contain that in
yourself? Well,
they are all sinking down here and passing out, and that's the best
thing. After all, when pain becomes too great you black out
automatically. So that takes care of that. It's the same thing with joy if you can't
contain it. When you don't know how to handle a problem psychologically, what
do you do? You black out. This is your defense.[17]
Quote #18
Hugh Nibley explains
the importance of this event in Book of Mormon history.
Here we reach a
critical point in Book of Mormon history. From this time on the Lamanites start going up
in virtue, and the Nephites start going down. The Lamanites become the virtuous
people now. It's a very strong trend we see from here on. This critical moment
in history is the turning point. It had to be,
and the only way such a thing could happen would have to be by another
Pentecost, by an eruption of the spirit…
The big shift begins
here in the Book of Mormon where the Lamanites begin to get a break. We talked
about mixing races; from now on you're not going to be able to distinguish them
at all. Many
said “they had seen angels and had conversed with them … and as many as did
believe were baptized; and they became a righteous people, and they did
establish a church among them. And thus the work of the Lord did commence among
the Lamanites.” That's why this thing is so sensational, so very striking. The
work of the Lord begins among the Lamanites. The moral of that,
says Mormon, is “that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his
name.”[18]
Quote #19
James Faulconer
shares his love of the Book of Mormon, he wrote:
Though it was a
while in coming, my experience with the Book of Mormon is that, as much or more than any
other scriptural work, it opens the opportunity for me to enjoy an experience
with the Spirit, an experience in which I learn not only the
content of the Book of Mormon, but, more important, what it means to be a saint, a
person who desires to be holy, who desires to be like the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Reading the Book of Mormon gives me a chance to hear the call of the Spirit, to
have, at least for a while, my desires purified, to have “no more desire to do
evil” (Alma 19:33). The Book of Mormon straightforwardly directs me along the
path I started on when was baptized, and that is why I love it.[19]
Quote #20
Describing this
event, Richard Bushman wrote:
Lamoni's father
reacted like Laman of old in drawing his sword against his son and then Ammon,
and when
Ammon overpowered him, the old king cowered before the missionary's greater
power, again as Laman did before Nephi(Alma 16:20-24). But it was not
Ammon's physical superiority that impressed the king; it was the love for the
king's son that astonished him exceedingly (Alma 20:26). When another set
of missionaries offered to serve Lamoni's father, he remembered this love and
wanted to listen. Ammon's generosity, as well as his words, troubled the king,
and he was ready to hear more (Alma 22:3). The willing service and
acts of generosity and love, so contrary to the Lamanite stereotypes of the
Nephites, got through the armor and touched the hearts of the two kings.[20]
Quote #21
Hugh Nibley
discusses the Order of Nehors:
“Nehor becomes the
perennial opposition, which represents the majority throughout here. He was a great
orator, a powerful personality, a very persuasive speaker. He was a
real evangelist, and he preached what he termed to be the word of God. He was
not preaching atheism or anything like that … This [what follows] was his
doctrine, a more relaxed religion; people immediately opted for this more
agreeable philosophy … This is an astonishing thing; we are going to have some
backfire on that, “… declaring unto the people that every priest and teacher ought to become
popular; and they ought not to labor with their hands, but that they ought to
be supported by the people.”
[Nehor] was very
clever and told them what they wanted to hear. Now here's a nice soft gospel: “And
he also testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day,
and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their
heads and rejoice [now this is an easy-going, happy teaching—the Bakkers teach
this; it's highly permissive, you notice]; for the Lord had created all men,
and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should [be saved and]
have eternal life [period].”[21]
Quote #22
Nibley writes:
Most of these wicked people in the Book of
Mormon are very religious, and they were here. And there “arose an Amalekite,” who challenged them and started
preaching to them. “Why do not angels appear unto us?" We are as good as
you are. That's a good question actually. "How knowest thou that we have
cause to repent?” That's not such a good question—everybody does…
As soon as people say they are a righteous
people, of course, you know they are not. That's automatic; it's
self-righteousness. “Behold,
we have built sanctuaries [we've built churches; aren't we good people? We've
done that], and we do assemble ourselves together to worship God [we go to
meeting]. We do believe that God will save all men.” This is the
routine…[22]
Quote #23
Richard Rust explains
why they met with success after being cast into prison.
Bondage is often considered in the Book of
Mormon to be a necessary condition as preparation for conversion or salvation. After Aaron was freed (Alma
21:14-15), he and his brothers were tremendously successful—as though they somehow
needed to go through the experience of physical captivity as a price to be paid
in order to deliver others from spiritual bondage. Further, the bondage
suffered by peoples such as Alma's group was beyond what humans could do to
solve it, requiring the power of God to be shown directly: “They
were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God”
(Mosiah 24:21). Similarly, the most oppressive spiritual bondage has to be
overcome miraculously by the power of God himself. This is the core of the
testimony of Alma the Younger, and it is also the experience of the Lamanites
whom Ammon and his brethren taught. Through their teaching, they were moved out
of the imprisoning power of Satan and into the refuge of God's love (see Alma
26:15).[23]
Quote #24
Elder Dale Renlund
talked about zeal among the converts of the sons of Mosiah.
The lives of the people who were converted by
the preaching of the sons of Mosiah offer some insights as to how one avoids
rejecting the mightily changed spiritual heart. Of them, we read that “as many as were brought to the knowledge
of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, … and were
converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.”
How did they
successfully endure to the end? We know that they were “distinguished for their
zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest
and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto
the end.”
Their zeal towards God likely reflects an
eagerness to please God and worship Him with fervor and passion. Their zeal
towards men suggests an ardent interest in helping and serving others. Being perfectly upright and honest in
all things suggests that they held their covenants firmly and did not
rationalize their commitments to God or man. We further know that
they taught their children the gospel in their homes. We know that they buried
their weapons of war, distancing themselves from temptations.
They must have
frequently assessed the condition of their spiritually changed hearts. They did not
simply assume that all was well. By figuratively examining their changed
hearts, they could identify any early hardening or rejection and treat it.[24]
Quote #25
Hugh Nibley
explains:
Then he asked Aaron
questions about the Spirit of the Lord, is there a God, etc. Remember, they are
trying to establish a bridge with the Lamanites, who for hundreds of years had
been going their own way and had their own version of the gospel. They had kept
the Great Spirit, and they still have. They still believe all these
things. It's a complex picture we have here.[25]
Quote #26
Noel Reynolds writes
about the importance of these teachings.
Teaching the
Lamanites, Aaron began at the creation of Adam, using the scriptures to explain how man had
fallen by disobeying the commandments of God and how God had prepared a plan of
redemption through Christ: “And since man had fallen he could not
merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for
their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth” (Alma 22:14; cf.
22:12—13). As presented by the Nephite prophets, this “plan of salvation” or “great
plan of happiness” provides the context for understanding the gospel of Jesus
Christ and the reasons why men and women should believe and trust in him. Not
only is he their creator, he is their redeemer, having
provided a way by which they can be delivered from their sins.[26]
Quote #27
Rose Ann Benson and
Stephen Ricks write:
Several Book of
Mormon passages illustrate the desire of individuals as well as whole groups of
people to initiate entering into covenant with God … Perhaps the
most poignant example is the plea of the Lamanite king who desired to know the
heavenly king: “O God, Aaron [a missionary] 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” (Alma
22:18). This
example is particularly remarkable because one who had been an earthly [ruler]
desired to become [subject] to God, the highest [ruler], hoping that his
repentance would be an acceptable offering for that privilege.[27]
(Emphasis in original)
[2] The
Sons of Mosiah: Emissaries of Peace, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell
Institute, accessed August 31, 2011.
[3] "To Show unto the
Remnant of the House of Israel" - Narrators and Narratives, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 11, 2012.
[4] Lecture
51: Alma 17-19, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed
September 2, 2011.
[5] Appendix:
Echoes and Evidences from the Writings of Hugh Nibley, Hugh W.
Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 2, 2011.
[6] Were
the Ammonites Pacifists? Duane Boyce, Maxwell Institute, accessed
September 3, 2011.
[7] Ammon
and the Mesoamerican Custom of Smiting off Arms, Bruce H. Yerman, Maxwell
Institute, accessed September 3, 2011.
[8] Promised
Lands, Hugh W. Nibley. Maxwell Institute, accessed September 4, 2011.
[9] Religious
Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200–1 B.C., John L. Sorenson.
Maxwell Institute, accessed September 4, 2011.
[10] Reduction
and Enlargement: Harold Bloom's Mormons, Alan Goff, Maxwell Institute,
accessed September 4, 2011.
[11] Horses
in the Book of Mormon, Robert R. Bennett, Maxwell Institute, accessed
September 5, 2011.
[12] Lecture
51: Alma 17-19, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 6,
2011.
[13] Ask,
Seek, Knock, Elder Russell M. Nelson, October 2009 General Conference.
[14] Seek
the Spirit, President Marion G. Romney, April 1980 General Conference.
[15] Lecture
51: Alma 17-19, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 7,
2011.
[17] Lecture
52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 10,
2011.
[18] Lecture
52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 11,
2011.
[19] With
Real Intent, James E. Faulconer, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 11,
2011.
[20] The
Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Maxwell
Institute, accessed September 13, 2011.
[21] Lecture
42: Mosiah 29-Alma 1, Hugh W. Nibley. Maxwell Institute, accessed September
15, 2011.
[22] Lecture
52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 15,
2011.
[23] Book
of Mormon Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed
September 17, 2011.
[24] Preserving
the Heart’s Mighty Change, Elder Dale G. Renlund, October 2009 General
Conference.
[25] Lecture
52: Alma 19-22, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed September 18,
2011.
[26] The
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[27] Treaties
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