The People of Ammon & The Doctrine of Christ
The people of Ammon experienced the preaching of one who had the spirit of prophecy and revelation and who taught the doctrine of Christ by the power of God. Some experienced a mighty change and came unto Christ, Others rejected them, spat upon them, kicked them out of their churches and homes and sought to kill them. These joys and sorrows are the psalms of God’s true servants.
Ammon’s Mission to the Lamanite People
After the king Lamoni’s conversion, Aaron, Ammon, and his brethren went forth among the Lamanites preaching by the spirit of prophecy and revelation, setting up churches, and consecrating priests and teachers among the people. Many convert and put away their weapons of war, and never did fall away. They took the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies and God removed the curse (Alma 23:4-7,13-14,16-18).
The unconverted Lamanites, Amalekites, and Amulonites become stirred up to anger and war against the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. Over a thousand Anti-Nephi-Lehis slain but join forces with a greater number of Lamanites (Alma 24:1-3,5-30)
Alma 24:30
30 And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things.Retaining Hope by Relying Upon Spirit of Prophecy
Many martyrdoms and conversions happen among the Lamanites. The people of Ammon retained hope “through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come” (Alma 25:1-14,16-17, Alma 27:1-13,15-30, Alma 28:1-14).
Alma 27:27,30
27 …they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things, and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end…
30 And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord.
Ammon Writes a Psalm About His People
Alma wrote a famous psalm in Alma 29. Ammon also wrote a psalm regarding his experiences with the people of Ammon (Alma 26:1-30).
Alma 26:22,29-30
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.…
29 And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; …we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; …we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again.
30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.
Nephi also wrote a psalm. Compare Alma and Ammon’s to Nephi’s in 2 Nephi 4:28-35.
