Foreshadowing the Conversion of the Remnant
Book of Mormon Notes - Monday, September 11, 2023, Alma 23
It just occurred to me that we learn a lot about Ammon and Aaron in the Book of Mormon, but not too much about Omner and Himni. Why is that? Why did Mormon mention Omner and Himni specifically without recounting as much of their own missionary experiences?
King Lamoni’s father sent forth a proclamation of religious liberty among all of the Lamanites in all of the Lamanite territories so that the sons of Mosiah could preach the word of God freely without fear of persecution. With great success, the sons of Mosiah began to organized the Church of Jesus Christ among the Lamanites.
The success of their missionary labors was not just in numbers, although thousands were converted. Their success was also and perhaps even better measured by the quality and duration of the conversion of the Lamanites:
And athousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord, yea, thousands were brought to believe in the btraditions of the Nephites; and they were taught the crecords and prophecies which were handed down even to the present time.
And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working amiracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were bconverted unto the Lord, cnever did fall away. (Alma 23:5-6)
Why was the conversion of these Lamanites so complete and so permanent? Mormon later praises these converted Lamanites for the quality of their conversion:
And 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. (Alma 27:27)
I believe that one of their reasons for the high quality and duration of the conversion of the Lamanites is because of the faith and prayers of Ammon and his brothers, and also because of the faith and prayers of the many Nephite prophets who had preceded the sons of Mosiah. The prayers of every Nephite prophet from Lehi to Mosiah and Alma began to be answered more fully because of the missionary efforts of the sons of Mosiah. Ammon put it this way:
Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how amany of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made binstruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.
Behold, athousands of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of God.
Behold, the afield was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the bsickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your csheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.
Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the astorm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.
But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the aharvest, and they are his; and he will braise them up at the last day. (Alma 26:3-7)
Ammon’s great faith and love had not only brought about the conversion of many souls, but it had ensured that such conversion was deep and lasting. Ammon’s joy was great because he had been an instrument in the hands of God to lead souls unto repentance:
And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one asoul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the akingdom of my Father, how great will be your bjoy if you should bring many csouls unto me! (D&C 18:15-16)
But why would Mormon want us to know about the missionary efforts of Ammon and the sons of Mosiah and the enduring conversion of these Lamanites? What does it all foreshadow? Is there not also a great conversion and gathering of the Lamanites in the last days? After all, the Book of Mormon is addressed specifically to Lehi’s seed:
Wherefore, it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites—Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—The interpretation thereof by the gift of God.
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—And now, if there are faults they are the mistakes of men; wherefore, condemn not the things of God, that ye may be found spotless at the judgment-seat of Christ.
The Lamanites are a remnant of the House of Israel. We have already learned many things about this remnant, but we will learn more about this remnant throughout the rest of the Book of Mormon.
Mormon delineates who was converted to the Lord among the Lamanites by the cities in which they lived: Ishmael, Middoni, Nephi, Shilom, Shemlon, Lemuel, and Shimnilom. 7 cities. Except for one Amalekite, the converts to the Lord were all pure Lamanites. The Amalekites and the Amulonites hardened their hearts and the hearts of the Lamanites around them. They were still under the pernicious influence of the doctrines of Nehor.
The repentance and conversion to the Lord of the Lamanites in the seven cities began to produce good fruit. The people took upon themselves a new name in order to distinguish themselves from the rest of the Lamanites. Their new name was aAnti-Nephi-Lehies. What does their name mean? Obviously they associated themselves more with Nephi and Lehi, and less with Laman and Lemuel. Their conversion to Christ also inspired industry among them, and friendliness with the Nephites. Furthermore, they were freed from the ccurse of God. Thus Nephi’s prophesy began to be fulfilled:
And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their fathers.
And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people. (2 Nephi 30:5-6)
A similar conversion takes place later on in the Book of Mormon:
And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites;
And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites;
And their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites. And thus ended the thirteenth year. (3 Nephi 2:14-16)
All of these things foreshadow the great conversion and gathering of Lehi’s seed in the last days, a blessing for which every Book of Mormon prophet earnestly prayed.