Alma 19 - The Stages of Conversion

What is your conversion story?  What happened that really started your testimony of the Savior and His gospel?  Have you thought about it enough to know where your testimony came from?  

Some people, who have believed in Christ all their lives, would have a hard time telling of a particular instance when they began to believe.   Others know the exact moment when the Savior became integral to their existence.   Many were converted because they believed the testimony of another person, started to look into that person's beliefs and their testimony grew.  Some have had a spiritual manifestation that began their testimony and changed their lives  Such are the conversion stories of king Lamoni and his wife, the queen (unfortunately we aren't told her name).  Here's what happened with king Lamoni...

"And it came to pass that after [Ammon had taught] all these things, and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words.  And he began to cry unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.  And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.  And it came to pass that his servants took him and carried him in unto his wife, and laid him upon a bed; and he lay as if he were dead for the space of two days and two nights" (Alma 18:40-43)
"And it came to pass that he arose, according to the words of Ammon; and as he arose, he stretched forth his hand unto the [queen], and said: Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.  For as sure as thou livest, behold, I have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name." (Alma 19:12-13)

King Lamoni had a spiritual manifestation,  such a one that is very uncommon throughout the religious history of the world.  Quite plainly, it had a marvelous, everlasting effect on him.  Notice that the spiritual manifestation came after he listened to and believed the things that Ammon taught him.

Now let's look at the queen's conversion,  or the first part of her story:
"Now the queen having heard of the fame of Ammon, therefore she sent and desired that he should come in unto her.  And she said unto him: The servants of my husband have made it known unto me that thou art a prophet of a holy God, and that thou hast power to do many mighty works in his name; Therefore, if this is the case, I would that ye should go in and see my husband, for he has been laid upon his bed for the space of two days and two nights; and some say that he is not dead, but others say that he is dead and that he stinketh, and that he ought to be placed in the sepulchre; but as for myself, to me he doth not stink.  Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; therefore, he went in to see the king...
"And he said unto the queen: He is not dead, but he sleepeth in God, and on the morrow he shall rise again; therefore bury him not.  And Ammon said unto her: Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said.  And Ammon said unto her: Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith...  And it came to pass that she watched over the bed of her husband, from that time even until that time on the morrow which Ammon had appointed that he should rise." (Alma 19:4-11).

Lamoni's wife,  the queen, had a different conversion story from her husband, yet in many ways they were similar.   She heard the testimony of the servants,  who apparently were converted when they saw and heard Ammon teach the king.   She felt the spirit as Ammon, a prophet,  told her that Lamoni would rise.  She trusted the feelings she was given.   She believed.  (Soon after this, the queen, along with the king, Ammon, and many of the servants, fell, being overcome by the Spirit).

Take a few moments and ponder the commonalities between these two conversion stories.   Do you see how they are different yet similar?   As I read this account I realized that these conversions have significant elements in common.  Let me list what I observed:

• The element of Hope
• Desire to hear and know the truth
• Trust in the witness of a man of God
• Actively Listening
• Putting away doubts and not holding on to them
• Recognizing and Believing the truth
• Feeling the spirit testify
• Acting on the truths taught and testimony given

Both the king and the queen exhibited most,  if not all,  of the elements I have listed.   Examples:
Hope, Desire, Trust - "Ammon ... said unto Lamoni: Wilt thou hearken unto my words, if I tell thee by what power I do these things?  And the king answered him, and said: Yea, I will believe all thy words" (Alma 18:22-23)  "... [Ammon said to the queen] He is not dead, but he sleepeth in God ... Believest thou this? And she said unto him: I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said" Alma 19:8-9)

Both the king and the queen trusted the spirit that Ammon spoke with; this is  clearly displayed in these verses.   I won't cite passages that display the rest of the elements I've listed. .. I would rather that you, dear reader, examine these chapters and find them.  That would be a good exercise.

One last comment about conversion stories and the chapters we've been looking at:  the testimony that grows from conversion is meant to be shared.  We've seen this to be the case with other prophets we have been reading about...  We'll see that this is the case as we continue to read in the book of  Alma and the rest of the Book of Mormon.

Don