Trying to Catch Up - Alma 19 - 21

I'm afraid I have indulged myself in the last few posts and dwelt on a chapter or two in Alma.   There are so many nuggets of truth to be talked about in this part off the Book of Mormon!  But I must move on, so I'm going to mention a few points of interest as I summarize the events of the next few chapters.  I expect you, dear reader, to dig out the nuggets that I have not uncovered and discussed.

While Lamoni, his wife, their servants and Ammon were all sunk to the floor in communion with the spirit of the Lord, a number of people came to marvel at what was happening.  Ammon was miraculously protected when one man in the crowd, whose brother was slain during the incident at the well,  lifted his sword against Ammon.   Lesson: the Lord is aware of his faithful servants and protects them to fulfill His promises.

Everyone who had sunk to the floor awakened and administered to the large group of people who had assembled.   Some accepted their testimony and were converted - those that would hear the things that Lamoni and the "sleepers" testified of.  However, some would not hear (just like in our day) ; they went away without being converted and may or may not have had another opportunity to accept the gospel afterward.   Lesson:  It is up to every individual to "hear" the words of God and to accept the gospel.   The Lord will not deny us our freedom to choose.  And some will discard their opportunity for conversion no matter what because they will not "hear" what the Holy ghost testifies to them.

Ammon learned from the Lord that he must go to Middoni to free his companions, and Lamoni accompanied him.   Along the way they met Lamoni's father, who is the king over all the land.  The great king confronted Lamoni about missing the feast he had planned for his sons and also about being in the company of a Nephite.  Angered by Lamoni's response, the old king drew his sword and contended with Ammon,  but Ammon subdued him and threatened to slay him unless he granted his brethren at Middoni their freedom and also allowed Lamoni to freely reign over his kingdom. The old king agreed to the terms, and Lamoni and Ammon proceeded to Middonni and secured the release of Ammon's brethren.  The king of all the land returned to his home.  In thinking about this confrontation, a few things came to mind.  Let me share:

1) Lamoni's father, the king over all the land, must not have brought any guards with him.  If he had, we would have read about Ammon contending with the guards instead of with the old king.  Doesn't it seem odd that the great king, the monarch of the Lamanite nation, is traveling about the land without bodyguards?  Speculation alert: I think that the Lord arranged it so that Ammon would be able to subdue the king and elicit the promises from him that he made. Those promises opened the way for many, many Lamanites to be converted to the Lord, so I think my speculation may be accurate.

2) Regarding the interaction that resulted with the promises that the old king made, it seems to me that the narrative is missing something...  The verbal interchange we read between the king and Ammon went sorta like this:
   Ammon: Don't kill Lamoni,  he's innocent
   Old king: You're right,  I should kill you instead
   (Sword fight,  Ammon injures the old king)
   Old king: Don't kill me,  I'll give you anything you want
   Ammon: Let my brethren out of prison and leave Lamoni alone or you're dead meat
   Old king: Ok,  it's a deal
I know,  it wasn't quite that succinct,  but read what the king (Lamoni's father) said about this encounter afterward:  "when [the old king] saw the great love [Ammon] had for his son Lamoni, he was astonished exceedingly" (Alma. 20:26).  And a couple of chapters later: "I have been somewhat troubled in mind because of the generosity 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).  It seems to me that Ammon must have done some major spiritual convincing to have moved the king so completely, but we don't read about what was said in detail.  On the other hand,  maybe it wasn't what Ammon said, but what the Holy ghost accentuated that touched the king so deeply.  At any rate, what we read is what Ammon related to Alma, who recorded it, which was then abridged by Mormon and later translated by Joseph Smith.  My point is, the Lord has provided us with enough to learn a lesson from and to build our testimonies on.

3) I wonder about how old Lamoni's father was at this point...  We know that he was old enough to have multiple sons who were ruling parts of the overall kingdom.  Lamoni, one of the old king's sons,  was old enough to have a daughter that he offered to Ammon as a wife, and his father, the old king was a generation older than that.  We read a few chapters later that the old king died and one of Lamoni's brothers took his place.  There really is no point to this observation, accept to relate something that occurred to me as an interesting detail.  We can be assured that the Lord allowed details like this to be included so that we can be convinced of the truthfulness of the Book  of Mormon.

My testimony of the Book of Mormon - that it came forth through the power of God, and was written to convince us that Jesus is the Christ - is always strengthened when I read it and think about it.  I have had the holy Spirit testify that the Book of Mormon is truly a record of God's interaction with and influence on His people in the ancient Americas.  I hope as you read and ponder each chapter of the Book of Mormon that you will allow the Spirit's influence to work upon you.  We are promised that we will know it is true if we read it an ask sincerely:  "Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.  And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (Moroni 10:3-4).

Don