Post by Antiomno – Lamanite King of Middoni
I have received by messenger a proclamation from our great king. I find it hard to believe my people will receive the teaching of Aaron and his brethren with any favorability. It was just a short time ago when Aaron and his brethren came among my people. We rejected them then and cast them into prison for preaching among my people. Just because our king was fooled by them, I see no hope for us to be so taken in.
It is clear that our great king does understand our people. Here is how specific his proclamation reads.
We are not to lay our hands on Ammon, or Aaron, or Omner, or Himni, nor either of their brethren who will be out preaching the word of God wherever they go in any part of the land. That includes us here in Middoni.
We are not to lay our hands on them to bind them, or to cast them into prison; neither should we spit on them, or smite them, or cast them out of our synagogues, nor scourge them. We shouldn’t cast stones at them, but let them have free access to our houses, our temples, and our sanctuaries.
Once I set Aaron free from my prison here in Middoni, he went to the king, who, along with the king’s entire household was converted to the Lord. So now, here we are. These missionaries can travel throughout the land teaching the word of God with no obstruction. Their hope is that we might be convinced of our wickedness and the wicked traditions of our fathers. Yet we know it is not us that stole the rights of leadership from our fathers Laman and Lemuel the older brothers. These Nephites are teaching that we are all brethren and that we ought not murder, nor plunder, nor steal, nor commit adultery and any manner of wickedness.
You can easily see how offensive this teaching is to our people. No wonder we cast them all into prison. Now with the proclamation from our king. Our hearts are beginning to soften as we put our stones away and open our eyes and ears. I fear how this great softening may change our very lives, our traditions, and our customs. The test for me will be if Aaron himself returns to Middoni willing to teach me after how I treated him as he suffered in my prison. When Lamoni convinced me to release them, they were naked, and their skin was worn because I bound them with strong cords and smote them. I had starved them. They suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; yet they seemed to be patient in their sufferings. Maybe that is why I was willing to release them when Lamoni requested their release.
Book of Mormon – Alma Chapter 23
