Post by Ammon
What do you say when a king tells you he will give you whatever you desire if you will tell him about the things you’ve done by the power of God?
That’s where I was. Just days before this happened, I was bound and brought before this King, King Lamoni, the king of a vicious and bloodthirsty people. He’d kill his own people if they failed in their duties to guard sheep. He had the power to put me in prison or execute me. Now, he offered me anything to know about God. Little did he know, it was God who set up his request.
He didn’t have enough experience with the dealings or wishes of God to know what that request might entail. Thus, I simply asked a wise yet harmless question. It and the discussion went something like this.
If I tell you by what power I did these things, will you harken unto my words? Because that is all I want.
King Lamoni answered me and said he would believe all my words. He was stuck then. That emboldened me. Not that I needed to be emboldened, so I asked Lamoni if he believed that there is a God.
He said he didn’t know what that meant. I asked if he believed there was a Great Spirit. I had heard the people refer to a supreme power as the Great Spirit, so I started there.
I don’t know much about other civilizations around the world, though I know there are many. Our people came from Jerusalem hundreds of years ago. I know that from one civilization to another, people believe differently. From what I have experienced, without a living mouthpiece of God – a prophet, and the written word of God, people will attribute the creation of the world to a being of some kind. For Lamoni and his people, this great creator was the Great Spirit.
Lamoni told me he did believe in the Great Spirit. I told him the Great Spirit is God. I asked if he believed the Great Spirit, who is God, created all things both in heaven and on earth. Interestingly he said he did believe the Great Spirit created everything on earth, but he didn’t know about heaven. I taught him about heaven where God dwells and His holy angels.
I taught Lamoni that God in heaven looks down upon us and knows us. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Lamoni said he believed me and asked if I was sent from God? I thought he might be confusing me with an angel so I said I was just a man. I taught that man is created in the image of God, and that I am called by His Holy Spirit to teach these things to Lamoni’s people so that they might be brought to the knowledge of truth and justice.
I taught him that a portion of the spirit dwells in me which gives me knowledge and power according to my faith and desires which are in God. King Lamoni was then a captive listener, so I began with the creation of the world. I taught about Adam and Eve and the fall of man. I shared the scriptures with him written by the holy prophets even up until our father Lehi left Jerusalem. I told him about Lehi’s family leaving Jerusalem and their trials in the wilderness and their arrival in the promised land.
I told him about the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael. I then expounded upon the plan of redemption which was prepared before the foundation of the world. Then I testified about the coming of Christ and all the works of the Lord. After all this, King Lamoni said he believed it all.
Lamoni began to cry unto God. He said, “O Lord, have mercy according to thy abundant mercy which thou has had upon the people of Nephi, have mercy on me and my people.”
What more could I ask of God? What more could I have ever imagined. The powerful king of the Lamanites in the land of Ishmael listened intently to the plan of redemption, he wants it and begs God for mercy. Then to everyone’s surprise, including mine, he fell to the earth as if he were dead.
None of us moved. He and I were not alone, we were surrounded by his servants, many of whom had been with me at the Waters of Sebus. We were all stunned. Eventually, the servants took the king and carried him to his wife, the queen, and laid him on his bed.
He lay there as if he were dead for two days and two nights. During those two days and nights his wife, his sons, and his daughters mourned over him. Mourning over the dead I believe is as universal as believing in some great creator, but the way we mourn will be unique depending on our culture and understanding of God. Knowing of the great plan of redemption and the resurrection, we Nephites mourn with hope. We certainly mourn the loss of our loved ones, our hearts are heavy and sad, but we have hope in the glorious resurrection where we will be united once again. Not so with the Lamanites. Their mourning was a great lamentation.
Book of Mormon – Alma 18
