Alma 18:5 Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they
supposed that whatsoever they did was right
Mormon’s commentary
contrasts the belief system of the Nephites and Lamanites. For the Nephites,
inherent in their belief of God was the strict requirement to keep the
commandments according to the Law of Moses. Under the Lamanite tradition, they
also believed in a God, but that didn’t mean that they were bound to live by a
specific code of behavior. Rather, they supposed
that whatsoever they did was right. This is a religion of convenience.
This doctrine does not make the individual accountable for their actions and is
similar to the doctrine of the Nehors by which all
mankind should be saved at the last day (Alma 1:4). It is also similar
to many religions of today which are quick to acknowledge God but slow to
require their congregations to live according to the Law of the Lord.
That a true religion must
make great demands on its members was taught by Joseph Smith who said,
“I…spoke to the people, showing them that to get salvation we must not only do
some things, but everything which God has commanded. Men may preach and
practice everything except those things which God commands us to do, and will
be damned at last…It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or
unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in
it.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 322)
Alma 18:9 Behold, he is feeding thy horses
So many principles of good
missionary work can be seen in the actions of Ammon. We have already discussed
how it was his hope to establish a relationship of trust with the king and his
servants. Nevertheless, he was not anxious to seek the praise of the king for
his bravery. He did not go into Lamoni and say, “Look what I did for you!”
Instead, he was strict to observe king Lamoni’s commandments to the last
detail.
The lessons learned are that
1) before teaching an investigator, one must first establish a relationship of
trust, 2) humility has a great effect on the investigator, and 3) integrity and
obedience will demonstrate one’s good intentions.
Carlos E. Asay
“The
transfusion of truth and testimony is facilitated when the actions of teachers
confirm the spoken word. Such transfusion begins when the missionary or member
addresses the listener in the spirit of truth and with a clear eye. It
progresses as pure motive is revealed and honest testimony is shared. It
culminates when commitments are drawn and behavior is made to conform with the
principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as modeled by the messenger.” (The
Seven M’s of Missionary Service, p. 88)
Alma 18:13 Rabbanah
The Lamanite word “Rabbanah”
obviously has the same derivation and meaning as the Hebrew word, Rabboni (Jn
20:16) or Rabbi.
“Rabbanah
is a wonderful word. Translated, it means powerful, or great king. In
applying that name to Ammon, the servants of Lamoni did not know that in
reality he was a prince, the son of the mighty king of the Nephites. But after
Ammon's miraculous exploits at the Waters of Sebus, they regarded him, as did
their master, something more than a man.” (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary
on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 265)
Alma 18:18 Ammon could discern his thoughts
The gift of discernment is a
gift of the Spirit. Ammon possessed this gift in such great degree that he was
able to discern the thoughts of Lamoni. ”Not only can the power of discernment
distinguish good from evil (Moro. 7:12-18), the righteous from the wicked
(D&C 101:95), and false spirits from divine (D&C 46:23), but its more
sensitive operation can also make known even ‘the
thoughts and intents of the heart’ of other persons (Heb. 4:12; D&C
33:1).” (The
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, edited by D. Ludlow, p. 384)
Boyd K. Packer
“(having
quoted Alma 18:18) This power of discernment is a very real spiritual gift. It
is often conferred as a blessing upon men ordained as bishops, stake
presidents, and so forth. Many can bear witness to the fact that they do not
have to hear or to see all that they know, that they can discern thoughts when
the purpose of their office is served.
“I
have often thought, as members of the Church come to us as General Authorities
for counsel, that they are not aware that sometimes their words are in one
avenue and their thoughts are in another, and yet it is important that we learn
that we cannot hide our thoughts. You can't hide them. Sooner or later, they
will be known; they will express themselves in actions. ‘As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so
is he.’ (Proverbs 23:7.) As a man thinketh in his heart, so he does.” (That
All May Be Edified, p. 35)
Alma 18:21 I know that thou art more powerful than they all
There is not an army in the
world that the Lord can’t destroy in an instant. Nephi tried to explain this
principle to his brothers, for behold he is mightier
than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or
even than his tens of thousands (1 Ne 4:1). Ammon was just as mighty as
long as the Lord was his protector.
Alma 18:22-23 Ammon being wise…said unto Lamoni: Wilt thou hearken unto
my words?
Missionaries learn and train
to master the commitment pattern—a key element in successful missionary work.
This is the way in which the investigator is challenged to repent, study, and
eventually be baptized. The commitment pattern involves teaching a principle,
the Word of Wisdom for example, and then inviting the investigator to commit to
keep the specific commandment.
Ammon uses the commitment
pattern in a brilliant way. He knows that he has Lamoni in the palm of his hand.
Lamoni is so impressed that he would do anything to know about Ammon’s
remarkable powers. Ammon, being wise, took
this opportunity to have Lamoni make a commitment to believe before Ammon has
even begun to teach. Lamoni replies, Yea, I will
believe all thy words. And thus he was caught
with guile. Mormon says that Lamoni was caught
with guile, but by that he means that Ammon’s strategic use of the
commitment pattern has Lamoni with one foot in the waters of baptism before he
has taught a single principle. Truly, Ammon was wise and Lamoni was a “golden
investigator.” But Ammon deserves the credit for developing a relationship of
trust, preparing his investigator, and using the commitment pattern.
Alma 18:26-28 Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit?…This is God.
Ammon again demonstrates
good missionary technique. He builds upon the knowledge base of the
investigator instead of attacking his belief system. Ammon could have said to
Lamoni, “well your fathers’ tradition of believing in a Great Spirit is all
wrong. In actuality, the Father has a body of flesh and bones so the concept of
God as a Spirit is not correct.” Instead, he finds out Lamoni’s level of
understanding and then begins to build from there; Paul uses this same method
on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31). There is no reason to tear down his belief system
and start from scratch. This will only offend him.
When missionaries teach
other Christians, this is an important principle. It is tempting at times to go
into long discourses about why this or that sectarian doctrine is wrong. This
is usually unnecessary. A Christian investigator often has a lot of light and
knowledge which just needs some molding. This is the pattern that Ammon
demonstrates. President Hinckley demonstrated his sensitivity to other
Christian beliefs when he was asked why the Mormon’s don’t uses crosses.
Gordon B. Hinckley
“I
responded: ‘I do not wish to give offense to any of my Christian brethren who
use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals and at the altars of their
chapels, who wear it on their vestments, and imprint it on their books and
other literature. But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ,
while our message is a declaration of the living Christ.’
“He
then asked: ‘If you do not use the cross, what is the symbol of your religion?’
“I
replied that the lives of our people must become the only meaningful expression
of our faith and in fact, therefore, the symbol of our worship.
“I
hope he did not feel that I was smug or self-righteous in my response.” (Be
Thou An Example, pp. 85-6)
Alma 18:38 he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures
After answering Lamoni’s
question about God and the source of his power, Ammon starts from the beginning
and teaches Lamoni everything from the beginning. This is a great example
because the more an investigator understands before baptism, the less likely he
will be to falter later on. Ammon is cultivating the growth of deep roots so
that Lamoni won’t be like the seed which fell among stony
places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation
or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended
(Matt 13:20-21).
“Ammon's
teaching methods were not elaborate or excessive. He started on Lamoni's level with questions about very basic
gospel principles. He then explained
the doctrines of the plan of salvation the Creation and the Fall--expounded the
scriptures of ancient history, and finished with the plan of redemption. He used the scriptures from both the Old and
New Worlds as his basic source (Alma 18:36-39). Ammon's straightforward doctrinal approach calls to mind President
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.'s comment about how not to teach our spiritually alert
youth, ‘There is no need for gradual approaches, for 'bed-time' stories, for
coddling, for patronizing, or for any of the other childish devices’. If Ammon could teach doctrine from the
scriptures to a wicked Lamanite who barely knew God existed, surely students in
modern Zion deserve to be taught in the same way.” (Book of
Mormon Symposium Series, “Alma, the Test of the Word,” edited by PR
Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 269)
“What do you teach a person who has no
knowledge of God or the gospel and yet has consented to listen and
believe? Where do you start? What principles do you emphasize? The way in which Ammon taught King Lamoni
constitutes a classic response to such questions. Ammon taught him what we have come to know as the three pillars
of eternity-the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. These three doctrines, which are inseparably
associated one with the other, constitute the foundation upon which all other
gospel principles must rest.” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on
the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 135)
Joseph Smith
“When
you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step,
until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the Gospel-you
must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of
exaltation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 348).
Alma 18:42 he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead
Intense
spiritual experiences often have the effect of draining one’s physical strength. With Lamoni, the Spirit was so powerful that
he had collapsed completely, the power of God…had overcome his natural frame (Alma
19:6). Four other examples of the
effect of the Spirit on the body are as follows: 1) Daniel sees the Lord in a
glorious vision, then remarks, and there remained no
strength in me (Dan 10:8), 2) Lehi collapsed on his bed after witnessing
a vision, being overcome with the Sprit and the
things which he had seen (1 Ne 1:7), 3) Nephi said, I am full of the spirit of God, insomuch that my frame has
no strength (1 Ne 17:47), and 4) Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon saw the
vision of the three degrees of glory together while at the Johnson farm in
Hiram, Ohio. There were other men in
the room who witnessed their countenances as they received D&C section
76. One of these men, Philo Dibble
recorded the scene as follows, “Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in
the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber
as a rag, observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, ‘Sidney is not as used
to it as I am.’” (Juvenile Instructor, May 1892, pp. 303-4)