Alma 19:1-10

Chapter 19

Lamoni receives the light of everlasting life and sees the Redeemer—His household fall into a trance, and some see angels—Ammon is preserved miraculously—He baptizes many and establishes a church among them. About 90 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that after two days and two nights they were about to take his body and lay it in a sepulchre, which they had made for the purpose of burying their dead.

2 Now the queen having heard of the fame of Ammon, therefore she sent and desired that he should come in unto her.

3 And it came to pass that Ammon did as he was commanded, and went in unto the queen, and desired to know what she would that he should do.

4 And she said unto him: The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name;

5 Therefore, if this is the case, I would that ye should go in and see my husband, for he has been laid upon his bed for the space of two days and two nights; and some say that he is not dead, but others say that he is dead and that he stinketh, and that he ought to be placed in the sepulchre; but as for myself, to me he doth not stink.

6 Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul, yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—

7 Therefore, what the queen desired of him was his only desire.  Therefore, he went in to see the king according as the queen had desired him; and he saw the king, and he knew that he was not dead.

8 And he said unto the queen: He is not dead, but he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore bury him not.

9 And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this?  And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.

10 And Ammon said unto her: Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites.

Alma 19:1-16

After a period of two days and two nights, the body of King Lamoni was going to be moved to a sepulchre. 

The queen, having heard of Ammon, sent for him.  He went before they queen and asked what she wanted of him.

The queen told Ammon the servants told her he was a prophet of God and had power to do might works.  She asked him to go into her husband.  Those who believed he was dead claimed the smell of decomposition was present.  They queen disagreed.  “It appears that Lamoni's queen used her own powers of observation (‘as for myself, to me he doth not stink’), investigation ‘The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that . . .’), and judgment to know that Lamoni was not dead before calling Ammon to confirm her evaluation (see Alma 19:4–5).”^[1]

Ammon had experience a situation like this earlier in his life.  “Lamoni was seemingly on his deathbed for three days and was even believed to be dead by many of his people (Alma 19:5). Ammon understood that this was not the case, as he had previously witnessed Alma's equivalent experience.”^[2]

Ammon was pleased because this is what he wanted.  Through his knowledge of Alma’s experience, he knew what was happening.  The veil of disbelief was being lifted.  “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

Darkness was being replaced by light. 

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).^[3]

Ammon went in and saw the king as the queen had requested.  Seeing the king, he knew he was not dead.  Ammon returned and told the queen the king “sleepeth in God” (Alma 19:8) and he would awake again on the next day.

Physical sleep also symbolizes a type of spiritual darkness.²⁴ Anticipating his eldest sons' problems, Lehi challenges them (and their posterity) to “awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell” (2 Nephi 1:13). Spiritually benighted Nephites also are awakened by the Lord “out of a deep sleep, and they [awake] unto God” (Alma 5:7). An example of this change is the story of the Lamanite king Lamoni. On believing the words of Ammon, Lamoni falls to the earth as though dead. After two days and two nights, Ammon tells Lamoni's queen that her husband “sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again” (Alma 19:8). His rising is like a resurrection and redemption.[4]

Ammon asked the queen if she believed his words.  While she had only the words of her servants and Ammon’s words, she believed and accepted his words as being the truth.^[5]

Ammon responded that she was blessed because of her faith.  “[T]here has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites” (Alma 19:10). “By believing Ammon, a witness for the Lord's hand in the matter, [the queen] demonstrated a faith greater than any Ammon had witnessed among the Nephites (see Alma 19:10). She was quite obviously teachable and amenable to the Spirit, despite her elevated social status and Ammon's servant/alien status.”^[6]

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[1] Women In the Book of Mormon: Inclusion, Exclusion, and Interpretation, Camille S. Williams, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2015.

[2] “According to Their Language, unto Their Understanding”: The Cultural Context of Hierophanies and Theophanies in Latter-day Saint Canon, Mark Alan Wright, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2015.

[3] Book of Mormon Imagery, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2015.

[4] “Not Cast Off Forever” – Imagery, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2015.

[5] The Savior asked Martha much the same question.  “Jesus said unto [Martha], I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die…” Believest thou this (John 11:25-26).

[6] Women In the Book of Mormon: Inclusion, Exclusion, and Interpretation, Camille S. Williams, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 25, 2015.