A Beautiful Prayer and Book of Mormon Geography
Book of Mormon Notes - Sunday, September 10, 2023, Alma 22
I’ve missed a week of writing, but I’m picking up where I left off…
Mormon continues to weave together the stories of the missionary journeys of the sons of Mosiah. After King Lamoni’s father had delivered Aaron and his brothers from prison, the Spirit of the Lord led them into the land of Nephi unto the house of King Lamoni’s father. Think of the courage and humility of the great missionary Aaron, a man who had refused kingship and then bowed before the king of his enemies. King Lamoni’s father was the head honcho, the king over all the land, except for the land of Ishmael. The Lord did not lead Ammon and his brothers just anywhere. He lead them directly to the leaders of the Lamanites. This was the most effective kind of missionary work.
Think about it. What if Ammon, Aaron, and the rest had meandered through villages talking with average Lamanites with no real power or influence. Their missions would not have been so effective. But the Lord led Ammon to King Lamoni, and the Lord led Aaron to King Lamoni’s father. The Lord was preparing these leaders to receive His word and thus to influence their entire civilization. When I watch latter-day prophets and apostles speak of their visits to the kings and rulers of the nations, it reminds me of this kind of effective missionary work. Once the rulers and leaders of countries and nations are persuaded to believe in Christ, they are much more likely to open up their countries and nations to the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember that King Lamoni’s father was the dude that was ready to kill Ammon. Remember that Ammon gave him a dead arm, and then impressed him by showing great love for his son. Ammon’s miraculous efforts led to the deliverance of his brothers (Aaron, etc.) from prison and then to the mission of Aaron and his brothers to this same father of King Lamoni. What was on the mind of King Lamoni’s father all of this time?
I have been somewhat atroubled in mind because of the bgenerosity and the greatness of the words of thy brother Ammon; and I desire to know the cause why he has not come up out of Middoni with thee. (Alma 22:3)
Remember what Lamoni’s father, with his arm still aching, said to Ammon:
And when he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him, and when he also saw the great love he had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast desired, that I would release thy brethren, and suffer that my son Lamoni should retain his kingdom, behold, I will grant unto you that my son may retain his kingdom from this time and forever; and I will govern him no more—
And I will also grant unto thee that thy brethren may be cast out of prison, and thou and thy brethren may come unto me, in my kingdom; for I shall greatly desire to see thee. For the king was greatly astonished at the words which he had spoken, and also at the words which had been spoken by his son Lamoni, therefore he was adesirous to learn them. (Alma 20:26-27)
Ammon was such a great missionary that by his example, his deeds, and his words, he inspired the King over all of the Lamanites to investigate the Gospel of Jesus Christ for himself. King Lamoni’s father wanted Ammon to come and teach him, but Ammon was busy teaching the people of King Lamoni. Thus the Lord sent Aaron and his brothers to teach King Lamoni’s father. Ammon planted the seeds, and Aaron and his brothers began to harvest. The message of the Gospel is the same, and the Lord sends His messengers whithersoever they are most needed.
King Lamoni’s father wanted to know specifically about the Spirit of the Lord. The questions of this noble investigator are the main questions that the Spirit brings to the minds and hearts of all sincere investigators of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church:
Now the king said unto them: What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me.
And also, what is this that Ammon said—aIf ye will repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at the last day? (Alma 22:5-6)
Aaron’s instruction began only after he understood that King Lamoni’s father would believe him. Faith is the great prerequisite to true learning. Whether it was Aaron teaching King Lamoni’s father or the Spirit of the Lord instructing Nephi or Enos receiving revelation regarding forgiveness of sin, the great prerequisite is faith in Jesus Christ. And the story of Aaron’s teachings for King Lamoni’s father is a great example of how faith in Christ leads naturally to repentance. King Lamoni’s father first believed, and then he desired to know what he must do in order to receive eternal life:
And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: aWhat shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be bborn of God, having this wicked spirit crooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up dall that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt abow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the bhope which thou desirest. (Alma 22:15-16)
What would you be willing to give up in order to have eternal life, in order to be born of God, in order to have a wicked spirit rooted out of your breast, in order to receive the Lord’s spirit, in order to be filled with joy? King Lamoni’s father was willing to give up all that he possessed, and to forsake his kingdom, in order to receive this great joy. But this is not what the Lord required of King Lamoni’s father. Instead, Aaron invited him to give up his pride and his sins. King Lamoni’s father was also willing to give up these things that sometimes seem more difficult to give up than material possessions:
And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did abow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried bmightily, saying:
O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck aas if he were dead. (Alma 22:17-18)
When I read the first prayer of King Lamoni’s father it reminds me of a child’s prayer, of Joseph Smith’s first prayer in the Sacred Grove, or of the first prayer of those who are investigating the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church. There is such beauty in the faith and simplicity of these prayers, a beauty that reminds me how to pray.
It would be a worthwhile exercise to compare Ammon’s experience with King Lamoni and his household and Aaron’s experience with King Lamoni’s father and his household and to consider what these stories teach us about different aspects of missionary work.
For example, the queen in this particular story was not quite as welcoming toward the missionaries. But the conversion of King Lamoni’s father, like the conversion of his son, King Lamoni, eventually led to the conversion of his whole household. The conversion of King Lamoni’s father led to his proclamation of religious liberty throughout all the land of the Lamanites.
This chapter also contains one of the most interesting and detailed descriptions of Book of Mormon geography in the entire Book of Mormon. I would like to spend more time studying Book of Mormon geography in reference to this chapter, but it is not the most important thing to study in the Book of Mormon.
Why did Mormon include this substantial and detailed description of Book of Mormon geography? (see Alma 22:27-35)