Alma 19:11-16

11 And it came to pass that she watched over the bed of her husband, from that time even until that time on the morrow which Ammon had appointed that he should rise.

12 And it came to pass that he arose, according to the words of Ammon; and as he arose, he stretched forth his hand unto the woman, and said: Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.

13 For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name.  Now, when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

14 Now Ammon seeing the Spirit of the Lord poured out according to his prayers upon the Lamanites, his brethren, who had been the cause of so much mourning among the Nephites, or among all the people of God because of their iniquities and their traditions, he fell upon his knees, and began to pour out his soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God for what he had done for his brethren; and he was also overpowered with joy; and thus they all three had sunk to the earth.

15 Now, when the servants of the king had seen that they had fallen, they also began to cry unto God, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them also, for it was they who had stood before the king and testified unto him concerning the great power of Ammon.

16 And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father—

Alma 19:11-16

Having received Ammon’s assurance, the queen watched over her husband.  According to the words of Ammon, in the morning the king arose from his bed.

He began to praise the Lord.  He testified he had seen Christ.  Seeing God is most certainly a powerful experience.  The Savior taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).  Before Steven was stoned, “he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the ^fright hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).  John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons [GR children, people] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

He prophesied he would be born and redeem all who believe in Him.  He was so full of the Spirit, he once again fell to the ground.  This time, the queen was also overcome by the Spirit. 

Ammon was full of joy seeing the Spirit had poured out upon the king and queen.  This was an answer to his prayers.[1] The Lamanites had turned away from God because of the traditions of their fathers.[2]  Some were now returning to the Lord.

The servants, having seen the king and queen fall to the ground, became worried.  They cried to God, because they had testified about Ammon’s great power. They continued until they, too, fell to the ground.

Here we are introduced to a woman named Abish.  She had accepted Christ was a believer. 

We are told that Abish had been “converted … on account of a remarkable vision of her father.”  This is usually interpreted to mean the vision was her father’s.  Here is an alternate explanation.  “Note that the text does not specify a vision ‘that her father had’ or a ‘vision of her father's.’ It says ‘a vision of her father.’ It seems a better reading to credit Abish with having a vision of her father, which led to her conversion.”^[3]

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[1] “And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith…” (D&C 42:14).

[2] King Benjamin told his sons, “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct” (Mosiah 1:5).

[3] Nephite Feminism Revisited: Thoughts on Carol Lynn Pearson's View of Women in the Book of Mormon, Reviewed by Kevin and Shauna Christensen, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 27, 2015.

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.

Alma 18:32-43

32 And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

33 And king Lamoni said: I believe all these things which thou hast spoken.  Art thou sent from God?

34 Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true;

35 And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God.

36 Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam, and told him all the things concerning the fall of man, and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people, which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem.

37 And he also rehearsed unto them (for it was unto the king and to his servants) all the journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness, and all their sufferings with hunger and thirst, and their travail, and so forth.

38 And he also rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, yea, all their rebellions did he relate unto them; and he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time.

39 But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world; and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.

40 And it came to pass that after he had said all these things, and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words.

41 And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.

42 And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, ^bas if he were dead.

43 And it came to pass that his servants took him and carried him in unto his wife, and laid him upon a bed; and he lay as if he were dead for the space of two days and two nights; and his wife, and his sons, and his daughters mourned over him, after the manner of the Lamanites, greatly lamenting his loss.

Alma 18:32-43

Ammon has been teaching King Lamoni the gospel.  After learning about Heaven, he asked if it is above the Earth.

He taught him all things were created by the hand of God.  “For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name” (Amos 4:13).

Lamoni expressed his acceptance of Ammon’s teachings.  He next asked Ammon is he was sent from God. “Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear” (2 Chronicles 24:19).

Ammon responded he is a man, created after God’s image.  “And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast.  Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image?  Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image” (Ether 3:15).

He was called by the Holy Spirit to teach the Lamanites the word of God.  “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing [GR persuasive] words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).  “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen” (1 Peter 4:11).

Ammon explains a portion of the Spirit resides in him.  It gives him knowledge as well as power based on his faith and desires in God.  Ammon began teaching the King beginning with the fall of man.  His teachings were form the Nephite scriptures. 

Speaking of the brass plates, King Benjamin told the people, “For it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of these plate… and [taught] them to his children, that thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the commandments of God, even down to this present time” (Mosiah 1:4).^[1] 

Alma emphasized their importance when passing the records on to Helaman₁. “Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:9).

Ammon, speaking to the King and his servants, recounted the journeys and sufferings of Lehi’s party.  He also explained the rebellions of Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael.  He referred to the brass plates as well as Nephite records that had been kept.  “The written records of the Nephites, which were essential in maintaining their adherence to the Lord's commandments, consisted of the brass plates of Laban (specified as scripture) as well as their own written histories, some of which were also considered scripture (Alma 18:38)."^[2]

Ammon now begins to preach the plan of salvation to the King.  He taught him the plan was prepared before the world was formed.  He also taught him about the coming of Christ.  Having taught all these things, the king accepted the principles taught him by Ammon.

The Book of Mormon does show the Nephite kings and even some of the Lamanite kings enacting the appropriate Messianic roles, including Benjamin's apparent acting as the high priest during the atonement rites and King Lamoni (Alma 18:41—43; 19:1—16) prefiguring the death and ascent of the Messiah. Lamoni's story is particularly resonant in this connection.[3]

Having heard and accepted Ammon’s words, King Lamoni cries out to the Lord, asking Him to have mercy on him and his people.  No sooner did he say this, than he feel to the ground and appeared dead.

His servants took him to his wife.  He was placed on a bed and lay for two days and night.  He was mourned by his wife, sons, and daughters in traditional Lamanite style.

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[1] Aaron followed this same method when he taught the Lamanites. “And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen” (Alma 22:12).

[2] Moses' Brazen Serpent as It Relates to Serpent Worship in Mesoamerica, Wallace E. Hunt Jr., Maxwell Institute, accessed May 23, 2015.

[3] "Paradigms Regained" – Temple Traditions after the Deuteronomist Reform, Kevin Christensen, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 23, 2015.

Alma 18:12-31

12 And it came to pass that when Ammon had made ready the horses and the chariots for the king and his servants, he went in unto the king, and he saw that the countenance of the king was changed; therefore he was about to return out of his presence.

13 And one of the king's servants said unto him, Rabbanah, which is, being interpreted, powerful or great king, considering their kings to be powerful; and thus he said unto him: Rabbanah, the king desireth thee to stay.

14 Therefore Ammon turned himself unto the king, and said unto him: What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king?  And the king answered him not for the space of an hour, according to their time, for he knew not what he should say unto him.

15 And it came to pass that Ammon said unto him again: What desirest thou of me?  But the king answered him not.

16 And it came to pass that Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king.  And he said unto him: Is it because thou hast heard that I defended thy servants and thy flocks, and slew seven of their brethren with the sling and with the sword, and smote off the arms of others, in order to defend thy flocks and thy servants; behold, is it this that causeth thy marvelings?

17 I say unto you, what is it, that thy marvelings are so great?  Behold, I am a man, and am thy servant; therefore, whatsoever thou desirest which is right, that will I do.

18 Now when the king had heard these words, he marveled again, for he beheld that Ammon could discern his thoughts; but notwithstanding this, king Lamoni did open his mouth, and said unto him: Who art thou?  Art thou that Great Spirit, who knows all things?

19 Ammon answered and said unto him: I am not.

20 And the king said: How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart?  Thou mayest speak boldly, and tell me concerning these things; and also tell me by what power ye slew and smote off the arms of my brethren that scattered my flocks—

21 And now, if thou wilt tell me concerning these things, whatsoever thou desirest I will give unto thee; and if it were needed, I would guard thee with my armies; but I know that thou art more powerful than all they; nevertheless, whatsoever thou desirest of me I will grant it unto thee.

22 Now Ammon being wise, yet harmless, he said unto Lamoni: Wilt thou hearken unto my words, if I tell thee by what power I do these things?  And this is the thing that I desire of thee.

23 And the king answered him, and said: Yea, I will believe all thy words.  And thus he was caught with guile.

24 And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?

25 And he answered, and said unto him: I do not know what that meaneth.

26 And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit?

27 And he said, Yea.

28 And Ammon said: This is God.  And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth?

29 And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know the heavens.

30 And Ammon said unto him: The heavens is a place where God dwells and all his holy angels.

31 And king Lamoni said: Is it above the earth?

Alma 18:12-31

Alma had finished his chores and returned to the King.  When he arrived, he noticed the expression on the King’s face and decided he should leave.

He was addressed by a servant with the honorific, Rabbanah (powerful king).  The king wanted Ammon to stay.

Ammon approached the King and asked, “What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king?”  There was silence for an hour.  “In this scene of dramatic irony, we know that Ammon has turned down the opportunity to be king in order to be a missionary servant to Lamoni and his people. He, however, never reveals that to Lamoni. Indeed, he maintains the respectful stance of a servant: ‘What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king?’ (Alma 18:14).^[1]  He repeated the question again at the end of the hour.

Being filled with the Spirit of God, Ammon knew the King’s thought.  Ammon asked if he wanted to see him because he defended the servants and flocks as well as killing seven of the gang.  Is he surprised because he did these things?

Ammon told the King he is only a man, and his servant.  Whatever he desired, that was right, he would do. 

Knowing Ammon could know his thoughts, he asked him, “Who are you?  Are you the Great Spirit?” Ammon replied he was not.

Then, the King asked, how do you know my thoughts?  He told him to respond as he saw fit, explaining how he knew his thoughts as well as protecting his flocks and servants.  If Ammon explains these things to him, he will protect him with his armies, even though he is more powerful than they are.

Ammon asked Lamoni if he would listen to his words if he explains the power by which he did what he did.  This is what he asked of the King.  Lamoni responded he would believe all Ammon said.  He began questioning the King.

Do you, he asked, believe in God?  Lamoni didn’t know what was meant by God.  Ammon asked if he believed there was a Great Spirit.  Lamoni stated he did.  Ammon explained the Great Spirit is God. 

He asked, Do you believe the Great Spirit, who is God, created all things in heaven and earth.  Lamoni accepted God created all things in earth, but he did not understand what was meant by heaven.  Ammon explained this is where God dwells. 

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[1] "To Show unto the Remnant of the House of Israel" – Narrators and Narratives, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 20, 2015.

Alma 18:1-10

Chapter 18

King Lamoni supposes that Ammon is the Great Spirit—Ammon teaches the king of the creation, of God's dealings with men, and of the redemption that comes through Christ—Lamoni believes and falls to the earth as if dead. About 90 B.C.

1 AND it came to pass that king Lamoni caused that his servants should stand forth and testify to all the things which they had seen concerning the matter.

2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man.  Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders?

3 And they answered the king, and said: Whether he be the Great Spirit or a man, we know not; but this much we do know, that he cannot be slain by the enemies of the king; neither can they scatter the king's flocks when he is with us, because of his expertness and great strength; therefore, we know that he is a friend to the king.  And now, O king, we do not believe that a man has such great power, for we know he cannot be slain.

4 And now, when the king heard these words, he said unto them: Now I know that it is the Great Spirit; and he has come down at this time to preserve your lives, that I might not slay you as I did your brethren.  Now this is the Great Spirit of whom our fathers have spoken.

5 Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit.  Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit they supposed that whatsoever they did was right; nevertheless, Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear lest he had done wrong in slaying his servants;

6 For he had slain many of them because their brethren had scattered their flocks at the place of water; and thus, because they had had their flocks scattered they were slain.

7 Now it was the practice of these Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus to scatter the flocks 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.

8 And it came to pass that king Lamoni inquired of his servants, saying: Where is this man that has such great power?

9 And they said unto him: Behold, he is feeding thy horses.  Now the king had commanded his servants, previous to the time of the watering of their flocks, that they should prepare his horses and chariots, and conduct him forth to the land of Nephi; for there had been a great feast appointed at the land of Nephi, by the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the land.

10 Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them.

Alma 18:1-10

The servants of Lamoni went before him and recounted what had happened.  Lamoni was amazed.  Alma, a Nephite, was a loyal servant of the Lamanite king.  He wondered aloud if he was the Great Spirit.  He feared he had been sent to punish them because the king had killed servants who lost parts of his flocks.

The servants replied they had no idea if he was the Great Spirit or not.  All they know is he cannot be killed by their enemies and they can’t scatter the king’s flocks because of his strength.^[1]  They emphasize he is a friend of the king and has great power and cannot be slain.

The words of his servants convinced Lamoni Ammon was the Great Spirit.  He had come to preserve the lives of the servants.^[2]

Though the Lamanite tradition believed there was a Great Spirit, the believed whatever they did was right.  Lamoni was beginning to doubt this, fearing his treatment of his servants was wrong.  Many servants had been killed because flocks had been scattered.

The servants had been killed because of the “games” played by the Lamanite gang, scattering flocks.  “If ever there was an authentic piece of Bedouin mischief that is it. And of course it led to fights and reprisals in the best desert manner (Alma 18:6). Among others these rascals scattered the flocks of their own king and yet continued active in the social and political life of the community—how weak and poorly organized a government, and how typical of the East! (Alma 17:26—27; 19:21).”^[3]

Lamoni next asked where is Ammon? He was told he was feeding his horses.

What about horses in the Book of Mormon?  In high school, I took German classes.  One year, we were given Reader’s Digest magazine in German.  We were assigned to translate articles into English.  I joked with Mr. Naylor, my teacher, I’d just copy an article in the German issue from an English issue.  He said we could if we wanted to and left it at that.  I wasn’t’ serious about doing it, so I picked an article about the late astronaut Alan Shepherd, which I had read in the English issue.  I quickly learned that, while the actual content was the same, when I translated the article, it was not exactly like it was in English.

This can be applied to the Book of Mormon.  What was meant when horses were mentioned?  Did they mean the animal we think of as a horse?  We don’t know.

We do have an example, however.  When the Greeks arrived in Egypt, they saw strange animals in the Nile.  They called them river horses.  “hippopotamus (n.) 1560s, from Late Latin hippopotamus, from Greek hippopotamus "riverhorse" (earlier ho hippos ho potamios "the horse of the river"), from hippos "horse" (see equine) + potamos "river, rushing water" (see potamo-). Replaced Middle English ypotame (c. 1300), which is from the same source but via Old French. Glossed in Old English as sæhengest.”^[4]

Never in my wildest imagination would I consider a hippopotamus anything like a horse.  The fact is we have no idea what was meant by horses in the Book of Mormon.  Based on the Greek experience, it is not too farfetched to believe the word for horse referred to a different animal.

[T]he Book of Mormon claims only that horses were known to some New World peoples before the time of Christ in certain limited regions of the New World. Thus we 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).

Lamoni’s father, who was king over all the land, was having a great feast.  Ammon was getting things ready for his travels to the feast. He was surprised by Ammon’s faithfulness at fulfilling his commands.

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[1] “But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they 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).

[2] “Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: 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, saying: Behold, our flocks are scattered already” (Alma 17:28).

[3] An Approach to the Book of Mormon – Lehi in the Desert, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 18, 2015.

[4] http://www.etymonline.com/, entry “hippopotamus,” accessed May 18, 2015.

Alma 17:31-39

31 And it came to pass that he flattered them by his words, saying: 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.

32 And it came to pass that they went in search of the flocks, and they did follow Ammon, and they rushed forth with much swiftness and did head the flocks of the king, and did gather them together again to the place of water.

33 And those men again stood to scatter their flocks; but Ammon said unto his brethren: Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not; and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks.

34 Therefore, they did as Ammon commanded them, and he went forth and stood to contend with those who stood by the waters of Sebus; and they were in number not a few.

35 Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, 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; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.

36 But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they 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.

37 But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for 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.

38 Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none 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.

39 And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.

Alma 17:31-39

Having seen his opportunity to show his fellow servants the power of the Lord, he told them to cheer up.  They would search for the flocks, gather them together, and return them to the king.  This they did.  They quickly gathered them together once again at the watering hole.

The same group responsible for scattering the flocks gathered to scatter them once again.  Ammon ordered his fellow servants to make a circle around the flocks, preventing them from running away. Ammon told them he would contend with the gang. 

It was done.  The flocks were protected and Ammon confronted the gang.  Mormon tells us “they were in numbers not a few” (verse 34).

When they saw Ammon heading towards them, they were not concerned   He was only one man.  They had no doubt he would be dispatched of quickly and easily. 

They did not know the Lord had promised to protect Ammon.[1]  Remember, to them, it was a game.

 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. The Arabs have a saying, “If we cease ghāza, we will cease to live. Aghāza is a raid; our word raid is from the Arabic ghāza. They must raid or life isn't worth living. “Life is raiding.”[2]

When he was ready, Ammon collect rocks and began flinging them at the gang using his sling.  While they were amazed at what he could do, they were angry because he killed some of the gang.  Even worse, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t hit Ammon.  They took their clubs and approached Ammon with the intent of killing him.

While defending the flocks of King Lamoni, Ammon was attacked by a band of brigands who had been marauding in the region. He killed a number of them … with his sling, after which "they came forth with clubs to slay him. But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword" (Alma 17:36-37). This incident is important since it clearly indicates that Nephite swords were edged weapons used for cutting. Thrusting or stabbing with swords is rarely mentioned in the Book of Mormon.7 The weapon is generally "raised" and is used to "smite," which imply a cutting action, as explicitly described in the incident with Ammon.[3]

Anyone who lifted a club against Ammon had their arms cut off with his sword.  What were the swords used by Ammon?  John Tvedtnes speculates:

The sword of Laban appears to have been a relic possessed by the kings. We read that King Benjamin (who, in Omni 1:24, leads the Nephites against the Lamanites) wielded the sword in battle (see Words of Mormon 1:13). He passed the weapon to his son Mosiah at the time Mosiah became king (see Mosiah 1:16), about 130 B.C. It is not impossible that this was the sword used by the king's son, Ammon, against the Lamanite raiders some forty years later (see Alma 17:37-39). Possibly his training in the use of such weapons resulted from his royal status.[4]

Matthew Roper also writes:

Those familiar with Mesoamerican warfare and historical descriptions of this weapon would not view this as a problem. Those Spaniards who encountered Mexican "swords" in battle were deeply impressed by their deadly cutting power and razorlike sharpness.³⁴ Here are a few statements that adequately illustrate this point:

These swords cut naked men as if they were steel.³⁵

Their swords, which were as long as broadswords, were made of flint which cut worse than a knife, and the blades were so set that one could neither break them nor pull them out.³⁶

They slashed at his mare, cutting her head at the neck so that it only hung by the skin.³⁷

They killed the mare with a single sword-stroke.³⁸

There were shields large and small, and a sort of broadsword, and two-handed swords set with flint blades that cut much better than our swords.[5]

Seeing how effective he as with the swords, the gang fled for their safety.

While six had fallen from being hit by stones from Ammon’s sling, only the leader of the gang was killed by Ammon with the sword.

Having run off the gang, they returned the kings flock to pasture.  He went before the king and presented him the arms that had been cut off as a testimony of the things they had done.

Hugh Nibley sums up:

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). The fun of it was their main interest, but Ammon spoiled the fun when he “stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling.” They were outraged: “They began to be astonished [and] angry” (Alma 17:36)—he wasn't playing fair. So they came after him with clubs; why only clubs? He had a sword. There is only one way you can wield a club; you cannot cut or thrust with it but have to raise it up over your head and thus expose your arms. Ammon took full advantage of the situation, slicing away at the arms raised against him. And yet, with his overwhelming advantage, Ammon “slew none save it were their leader with his sword” (Alma 17:38). He knocked six of them out with his sling and cut off the arms of others as they raised their clubs, but he only contended with the leader to death. After that, the winning party or team brought back the trophies to the king, “bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon” (Alma 17:39).[6]

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[1] “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).

[2] Teachings of the Book of Mormon – Semester 2, Lecture 51 – Alma 17–19, War – Ammon and King Lamoni, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 16, 2015.

[3]Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Swords in the Book of Mormon, William J. Hamblin and A. Brent Merrill, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 16, 2015.

[4] Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Book of Mormon Tribal Affiliation and Military Castes, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 16, 2015.

[5] On Cynics and Swords, Matthew Roper, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 16, 2015.

[6] The Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 16, 2015.

Alma 17:17-30

17 Therefore they separated themselves one from another, and went forth among them, every man alone, according to the word and power of God which was given unto him.

18 Now Ammon being the chief among them, or rather he did administer unto them, and he departed from 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.

19 And Ammon went to the land of Ishmael, the land being called after the sons of Ishmael, who also became Lamanites.

20 And as Ammon entered the land of Ishmael, the Lamanites took him and bound him, as was their custom to bind all the Nephites who fell into their hands, and carry them before the king; and thus it was left to the pleasure of the king to slay them, or to retain them in captivity, or to cast them into prison, or to cast them out of his land, according to his will and pleasure.

21And thus Ammon was carried before the king who was over the land of Ishmael; and his name was Lamoni; and he was a descendant of Ishmael.

22 And the king inquired of Ammon if it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people.

23 And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.

24 And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife.

25 But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant.  Therefore Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni.  And it came to pass that he was set among other servants to watch the flocks of Lamoni, according to the custom of the Lamanites.

26 And after he had been in the service of the king three days, as he was with the Lamanitish servants going forth with their flocks to the place of water, which was called the water of Sebus, and all the Lamanites drive their flocks hither, that they may have water—

27 Therefore, as Ammon and the servants of the king were driving forth their flocks to this place of water, behold, a certain number of the Lamanites, who had been with their flocks to water, stood and scattered the flocks of Ammon and the servants of the king, and they scattered them insomuch that they fled many ways.

28 Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: 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, saying: Behold, our flocks are scattered already.

29 Now they wept because of the fear of being slain.  Now when Ammon saw this his heart 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 in my words.

30 And now, these were the thoughts of Ammon, when he saw the afflictions of those whom he termed to be his brethren.

Alma 17:17-30

Having commented on the Lamanites, Mormon returns to the sons of Mosiah and their party.  We learn, while Aaron is older, Ammon is their leader.  Before they left, Ammon blessed them.  They all departed to begin their missions.

Mormon begins by focusing on the missionary efforts of Ammon.  He departed to the land of Ishmael.  The land was names after the sons of Ishmael, who followed Laman when the family went their separate ways. “The fact that the land was ‘called after the sons of Ishmael’ (Alma 17:19) suggests that Ishmaelite descendants predominantly occupied it or at least had originally done so.”^[1]

As Ammon entered the land of Ishmael, he was captured and bound, as was their custom when dealing with the Nephites.  He was brought before the king.  The king could have him put to death, thrown into prison, remain in captivity,^[2] or cast out of the land. The king, Lamoni, was a descendant of Ishmael.  He began questioning him.  The first question was did he plan to settle among the Lamanites or his people?

Ammon impressed and pleased King Lamoni.  He had Ammon freed and then offered him one of his daughters as a wife.^[3] Ammon must have surprised the king.  He rejected the king’s offer.  He told Lamoni that he would rather become a servant for the king.  Ammon’s offer was accepted.

Ammon was assigned to watch over the king’s flocks.  Three days after he started, the flock was taken to the watering place.  All Lamanites brought their flocks to this place. 

There was what we could call a gang at the watering place.  They chased off the king’s flocks.  “The whole affair at the waters of Sebus must strike anyone as very strange; I always thought that it was rather silly until the other day when I gave it a moment's thought. All the Lamanites would drive their flocks to a particular watering place (Alma 17:26). And when they got there, ‘a certain number of Lamanites, who had been with their flocks to water, stood and scattered the . . . [king's] flocks.’”^[4]

“…King Lamoni suffered from a band of rustlers who drove off the king's herds from the watering place. These were not a hostile group of outsiders, but some of his own subjects. Rather than work to assemble their herds, they used force (Alma 17:26-27). The use of violence against the Nephites may have legitimized plundering within Lamanite society…”^[5]

The servants began to weep.  King Lamoni had a practice of killing servants who allowed his flocks to be scattered, so they wept for their life.

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. . . . ^[6]

Ammon saw this as a great opportunity.  This gave him the chance to show them the powers the Lord had given him by restoring the flocks of the king.  He wanted to win the hearts of the other servants and they might believe his words.

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[1] Religious Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200-1 B.C., John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 14, 2015.

[2] This would seem to imply a form of slavery.

[3] This raises a question.  Did King Lamoni know he was dealing with a son of a Nephite king?  Could this have been why the king was so positive and generous with Ammon?

[4] The Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 14, 2015.

[5] The Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 14, 2015.

[6] Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon – Appendix: Echoes and Evidences from the Writings of Hugh Nibley, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 14, 2015.

Alma 17:12-16

12 And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God.

13 And it came to pass when they had arrived in the borders of the land of the Lamanites, that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their harvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken.

14 And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

15 Thus they were a very indolent people, many of whom did worship idols, and the curse of God had fallen upon them because of the traditions of their fathers; notwithstanding the promises of the Lord were extended unto them on the conditions of repentance.

16 Therefore, this was the cause for which the sons of Mosiah had undertaken the work, that perhaps they might bring them unto repentance; that perhaps they might bring them to know of the plan of redemption.

Alma 17:12-16

The time came for the sons of Mosiah and their part to go their separate ways.  Aaron and those with him went “towards the land which was called by the Lamanites, Jerusalem, calling it after the land of their fathers' nativity; and it was away joining the borders of Mormon” (Alma 21:1). 

Mormon calls their missionary efforts a harvest.  The Savior used similar terms.  “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Matthew 9:37).

Here we see a method used in the scriptures called “repetitive resumption.”

“Repetitive resumption refers to an editor’s return to an original narrative following a deliberate interlude. Old Testament writers accomplished this by repeating a key word or phrase that immediately preceded the textual interruption.”⁵ One example is found in Alma 17:13, where Mormon tells us that when the sons of Mosiah came to the “borders of the land of the Lamanites … they separated themselves and departed one from another.” Then Mormon diverts to a diatribe against the Lamanites and why the sons of Mosiah really needed to preach to them. When Mormon returns to his outlined narrative in verse 17, he writes, “Therefore they separated themselves one from another, and went forth among them.”[1]

Mormon describes the Lamanites as “a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people” (Alma 17:14).  They murdered, robbed, and plundered the Nephites. 

Pillaging and plundering were strictly prohibited under Nephite law … While plundering was rarely an issue for Nephite men under arms, since they always fought to defend their own territory … [i]t was, however, a common practice among the Lamanites and the wicked (e.g., Mosiah 10:17; 24:7; Alma 17:14; 18:7; Helaman 3:16; 6:17, 23), both in war and in peace.[2]

Mormon’s description of the Lamanites followed Zeniff’s description, leaving out his explanation why they felt this way.  “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” (Mosiah 10:12).

They were a lazy people.  They worshipped idols.  The tradition of their fathers were responsible for the curse that was placed upon the Lamanites.  “For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land” (Alma 9:16).

The sons of Mosiah where there to preach the gospel messages to the Lamanites, bringing them the Lord’s promises if they repent.  Remember their motivation to preach to the Lamanites.

“Now it came to pass that after the sons of Mosiah had done all these things, ^*they took a small number with them and returned to their father, the king, and desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and 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; and 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 which the Lord their God had given them. Now they 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” (Mosiah 28:1-3).

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[1] Mormon's Editorial Method and Meta-Message, Brant A. Gardner, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 12, 2015.

[2] Warfare in the Book of Mormon – Law and War in the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed May 12, 2015.