Book of Mormon 2020 - Alma 17-22

I wrote about Alma 17 to 22 in 2016. This post can be found at: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-of-mormon-25-they-taught-with.html

The scriptures in Alma 17 to 22 narrate the experiences of the four sons of King Mosiah, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. These four brothers crossed paths with Alma when he was journeying south from Gideon. It was a joyful reunion as all five were still stalwart and zealous in the gospel. The four sons of King Mosiah told Alma of their experiences in the mission field. What amazing stories they told. These scriptures are some of the most well-known from the Book of Mormon.

Brother John Bytheway wrote a delightful book called How to be an extraordinary missionary. He outlined ten steps to missionary preparation, and these are well illustrated by the missionary stories of these brothers.

Brother John Bytheway wrote a delightful book called How to be an extraordinary missionary. He

outlined ten steps to missionary preparation, and these are well illustrated by the missionary stories of these brothers.

Step One: Search the scriptures

In Alma 17:2 we read, “for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God”. The basic premise is that you cannot teach what you do not know.

Step Two: Fast and pray

The sons of King Mosiah 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” (Alma 17:3). This made me think of my own experience over the past Sunday. I had to teach the Gospel Doctrine class over Ward Conference weekend. I often feel insecure teaching on a Sunday and the thought of visitors from the Stake made me exceptionally nervous. I always prepare and pray about my lessons, but more was needed for last Sunday! I fasted as well. In fact, I was fasting while I was teaching. I managed to get through, and I felt the Spirit with me. I am sure I was not alone.

Step Three: Be patient in trials – be good examples

The Spirit of the Lord testified to the brothers that they needed to, “be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me” (Alma 17:11). They were promised that if they did this, “I [The Lord] will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls”. What a wonderful promise for any missionary.

When I was young, I was a very enthusiastic missionary. I never experienced the trials, but I did recognise the importance of setting a good example. In my first job I worked in Central Sterile Supplies at Auckland Hospital. I made friends with a grumpy, old man called Fred. Colleagues warned me not to worry about Fred, to stay away from him, and to just ‘leave him be’. It took a while before we became friends. To me he was ‘Freddy-Fred-Fred-Fred’ and to him I was ‘Beep-beep’ (that is another long story!) One day Fred asked me about the Church. I had never mentioned I was a member, but he had been watching me. He had seen me with my little container of milo in the lunchroom. He told me he had seen that I was kind and caring. He had assumed that I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Imagine if I had done something that was not in keeping with the gospel. Would Fred still have wanted to talk to me about religion and to discover what my membership meant to me?

Step Four: Have a ‘Called to Serve’ attitude

Ammon was bound and brought before King Lamoni. King Lamoni was interested in why this Nephite would be entering Lamanite land. Ammon stated, “I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die” (Alma 17:23). The king offered Ammon one of his daughters as a wife. He refused, saying that he wanted to be the king’s servant. It may have been that King Lamoni recognised Ammon was from a kingly line. Offering one of his daughters, a princess, to Ammon, a Nephite prince, was very much in keeping with ancient practices, not just in the ancient Americas but even in New Zealand. The daughter of one tribal ariki (leader) would often be offered in marriage to the son of a different tribal ariki, to forge an alliance between the two tribes. Perhaps this is what King Lamoni had in mind. However, Ammon was firm in his desire to serve the king.

This lovely missionary song, A Missionary Prayer, shows this ‘Called to Serve’ attitude.

Step Five: Win hearts, then lead them to believe

The story of Ammon and the defense of the king’s flocks is one of the most well-known stories from the Book of Mormon. In Alma 17:29, Ammon described his heart “swollen with joy”. This seemed a strange reaction to the threat of death over the king’s flock being scattered by enemies. However, he knew that the power of the Lord would be with him and he would be able to restore the flocks and “win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words”. Stephen R. Covey wrote, “People to a degree must first be converted to the messenger before they will become converted to the message” (Spiritual Roots of Human Relations, 1970, p. 266). I remember some of the most effective missionaries I have ever met, were friendly and caring and immediately made people feel comfortable.

Step Six: Be a friend

Ammon defended the flocks. In so doing he defeated many enemies of the king and cut off their arms. When the king’s servants returned, they carried the arms into the king and told him what had occurred. I have often wondered about this gruesome scene. Why would the servants carry the arms back to the king? This is answered in the little Knowhy video below.

King Lamoni thought that Ammon might be ‘The Great Spirit’. One thing the other servants knew was that Ammon was “a friend to the king” (Alma 18:3). The best missionaries know the importance of kindness, charity, and love.

Step Seven: Be faithful and obedient

In Alma 18:10 we read, “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”. Ammon was called before the king. I can imagine the situation in Alma 18:14. Ammon asked King Lamoni, “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”. An hour is a very long time to wait for an answer to a question. It must have seemed like an eternity.

Step Eight: Focus on teaching

 Ammon told the king that he was not the Great Spirit but a man. The king offered Ammon anything he desired. Instead of asking for gold or land, Ammon asked, “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” (Alma 18:22). 

Step Nine: Teach the Three Pillars

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, in Church and the Creation, (Ensign, June 1982, pp. 9-15) defined the “three pillars of eternity” (see the diagram below). The three pillars are Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. Ammon taught the three pillars (Alma 18:36, 39; 22:13). “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…But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption”. Missionaries must teach people why we need Christ.

The events that transpired because of Ammon’s teaching are astounding. For two days and two nights King Lamoni was comatose. Ammon described this as “he sleepeth in God” (Alma 19:8). There is a wonderful description of King Lamoni’s wife in Alma 19:10. Ammon stated, “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”. The Queen believed Ammon’s words and waited for her husband to awaken.

 Later the King and Queen and all those in the court sunk again to the earth overcome with the Spirit. Here we are introduced to a great member missionary, Abish. The following two Knowhy videos speak about Abish and what we can learn from her as a member-missionary.

After King Lamoni’s conversion, King Lamoni travelled with Ammon to free his brethren from prison in Middoni. On the way, they met Lamoni’s father. Lamoni’s father was angry to see his son in the company of a Nephite. After an altercation with Ammon, who defended Lamoni, the old king came to a realisation. “ When he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him, and when he also saw the great love he had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast desired, that I would release thy brethren, and suffer that my son Lamoni should retain his kingdom, behold, I will grant unto you that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever” (Alma 20:26).

In Alma 22, Aaron had the opportunity to teach King Lamoni’s father. He also taught the three pillars mentioned previously. He taught “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; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory” (Alma 22:14). King Lamoni’s father pled with God. “I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day” (Alma 22:18). After the king recovered from sinking to the earth, overcome with the Spirit, he ministered to his people “insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord” (Alma 22:23). He then instructed Aaron and his brethren to teach the people.

These stories inspire me and leave me with the challenge to be the missionary I once was, to share the happiness I have in the gospel with others. I have a strong testimony and I know that the gospel is the key to real joy and peace.