Episode 30: Ammon smote off their arms with his sword

Alma 16-18

Ammonihah is destroyed by the Lamanites

16 ¹ It was peaceful for a few years in the land of Zarahemla, but in 81 BCE war broke out. ^2-3 The Lamanites attacked before the Nephites could gather an army. They destroyed the city of Ammonihah, killing most of its people and taking the rest captive.

⁵ The Nephites wanted to rescue the prisoners, and to kill the Lamanites, but their leader (Zoram) decided to ask Alma to ask God what to do. ^6-8 Alma asked God, and God laid out the battle plan for Zoram's army. God’s plan worked perfectly. They killed the Lamanites and retrieved all of the Nephite prisoners without losing a single soul.

⁹ But every Ammonihite was killed, and the city was destroyed. ^10-11 The dead bodies in the city stunk so badly that it wasn't occupied for many years. ¹² The land was peaceful, again, for a few years. Alma and Amulek preached repentance in all of the temples, sanctuaries and synagogues, which were built "after the manner of the Jews."

Alma runs across the sons of Mosiah, and they catch up

17 ^1-4 One day when Alma was traveling south from the land of Gideon, he ran across the sons of Mosiah, who had been preaching to the Lamanites for the last fourteen years. ⁶ Here’s what happened during that time period.

Mosiah’s sons preached to the Lamanites

⁷ When Mosiah’s sons left Zarahemla to preach to the Lamanites, they took their swords, spears, bows, arrows, and slings. ^9-10 While they wandered for many days in the wilderness, the Lord visited them with his Spirit and said to them, “Preach to the Lamanites.”

¹³ When they arrived in the land of the Lamanites, they split up to preach to different groups. ^14-15 The Lamanites were lazy, idol-worshipers, whom God had cursed because of the traditions of their fathers.

[The next 10 chapters of Alma will recount the story of the fourteen years that King Mosiah's sons (Ammon, Aaron, Omner and Himni) spent among the Lamanites. This was from 91 to 77 BCE.]

Ammon kills six Lamanites and chops off the arms of many more

^18-19 Ammon blessed his brothers, and then left for the land of Ishmael, which was named after the sons of Ishmael who became Lamanites. ²⁰ As soon as he arrived, the Lamanites captured him, tied him up, and threw him in prison.

^21-22 Then they carried Ammon to the king, whose name was Lamoni, who asked him, “Would you like to live here?” ²³ Ammon replied, “Yes, I’d like to live here. Maybe for the rest of my life.” ²⁴ This king was happy to hear that and offered Ammon one of his daughters for a wife. ²⁵ Ammon said, “No thanks. But I’d like to be your servant.” And so Ammon became King Lamoni’s servant.

²⁶ Three days later, when Ammon was watching the flocks, a group of Lamanites started scattering the flocks. ^29-32 Ammon helped the other shepherds round up their flocks.

³³ But then the flock-scatterers returned. ³⁶ Ammon cast stones at them with his sling and killed six of them. ³⁷ Then the others came with their clubs (and there were many of them) to kill him. But Ammon chopped off all of their arms with his sword. Then, after watering the flocks, he carried the severed arms to show to King Lamoni.

Ammon converts King Lamoni

18 ^1-2 After King Lamoni had heard about Ammon defending the flocks (and had seen the Lamanite arms that he cut off), he was very impressed. So impressed, in fact, that he said, “Ammon is not just a man. He is the Great Spirit.”

¹⁴ Later that day, Ammon went to the king and said to him, “What would you like me to do?” ^15-16The king sat there for an hour without answering, until finally, Ammon said, “I think I know what’s bothering you. You are impressed by my killings with the sling and chopping off arms with my sword. Is that why you can't speak?

¹⁸ The king was amazed that Ammon could read his thoughts. He asked Ammon, “Are you the Great Spirit?” ¹⁹ Ammon said, “No.” ²⁰ The king said, “How did you know my thoughts, then? And how did you chop off all of those arms? ²¹ If you tell me, I’ll give you whatever you ask me for.”

²⁴ Ammon said, “Do you believe in God?” ²⁵ The king responded, “I don’t know what you mean by God.” ²⁶ Ammon said, “Do you believe in the Great Spirit?” ²⁷ The king said, “Yes.” ²⁸ Ammon said, “That’s God.”

^29-30 Then Ammon told King Lamoni about God, Adam, the prophets, Lehi’s journey from Jerusalem, Laman, Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and Christ.

⁴⁰ And King Lamoni believed every word of it. ⁴² Then he fell down like he was dead. ⁴³ His servants carried him to his wife, and he lay on the bed for two days as if he were dead.