Alma 17-22

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LESSON #1 SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY (Alma 17-19)

OBJECT

For an object, I would buy a bunch of those chocolate gold coins and display them in a bowl at the front of the room.

ICEBREAKER

Then, for an icebreaker, I would ask the following question. Do you know what alchemy is? Have you ever heard that term before? The answer: Alchemy was a medieval pseudo-science whose major objective was to find a way to create gold from other metals. It was kind of the precursor to modern-day chemistry. Unfortunately for them, this turns out to be impossible. As far as I understand it, gold is an element. But that’s what alchemy was all about, seeking to create gold.

Now a different question related to gold.

In missionary jargon, do you know what a golden investigator is?

I’m not sure if they use that term anymore but when I was a full-time missionary, a golden investigator was one that was ready and enthusiastic about receiving the gospel. Those embrace it readily and with eagerness. The kind of just seem to walk right into the font. And it’s wonderful when that kind of thing happens and usually, it’s the Lord that has done all the preparation work beforehand. But how often do you think that kind of thing happens? I think it’s fairly rare. Most people that we wish to share the gospel with aren't going to be golden to begin with. But that shouldn't deter us.

And though actual alchemy is impossible. Spiritual alchemy IS possible. Through our efforts, and God’s help, we can help to create golden investigators out of those that may seem hard-hearted, uninterested, or even hostile at first.

So that’s our goal today. We are going to learn the art of spiritual alchemy from a master. His name: Ammon. If you’re already familiar with the Book of Mormon, you probably know the Ammon story. It’s a consistent favorite for many, especially young men I’ve discovered. They seem to relish the Arnold Friberg imagery of a young man with bulging muscles defending the flocks of the king with his sling and sword, lopping off arms left and right, single-handedly fighting off a band of robbers. But, if all we get from this story is a hoorah for his courageous display of power, then we’ve totally missed the point. The real value of the Ammon story is not in his ability to defend, but to declare, not in his ability to cut off arms, but to cut off misunderstanding, and not in his ability to fight, but to instill faith. That’s the lesson I think we want our students to walk away with and the one I think God wants us to walk away with.

ALTERNATE TEACHING IDEA-STORY SUMMARY

But the story of how Ammon comes to testify to the King is still an inspiring one and worth our attention. Even if it’s just a quick summary of that story. But I definitely wouldn’t spend an inordinate amount of time reading through the entire story of Ammon defending the King’s flocks and cutting off the arms of the robbers. Sometimes it’s easy with a longer narrative like the Ammon story to get bogged down in the elements of the story. Perhaps a quick teaching suggestion here that I’ve found works well, especially with younger audiences. What you do is bring in a box with the word “Ammon” written across the front. And inside that box, gather up the following items. A missionary name tag, a plastic crown, (maybe you bought one of those for last week’s lesson) or you get one of those Burger King crowns, some Mr. Potato Head or action figure arms that I’ve removed, a sling, a plastic sword, and a stuffed animal of a sheep. If you don’t have these items lying around, you could always print out pictures of them if you like. I then ask if there is anyone who feels they know the Ammon story well enough to summarize it. If so, you invite them to the front and have them use the objects to tell the story to the class. As they tell it, you as the teacher can fill in any significant details that you feel they miss or ask the class if they have anything to add. If nobody volunteers to share the story, you could pull out each item from the box one by one and ask your class what significance that object has with the lesson. And this turns out to be a really effective and brief way to refresh their memory about the story while still giving you the bulk of the time to focus on the more relevant, missionary message of these chapters, which is really what we want to do as teachers.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

And to hopefully help our students see the relevance of the Ammon story, I might ask the following Liken the Scriptures question. How do you feel when you hear the words “Missionary Work”? Does it make you feel excited or anxious. Joyful or guilty. Do those words instill faith or fear in your heart. I imagine that there are many out there who don’t always have a lot of positive feelings associated with those words. Sharing the gospel with others isn’t easy. It takes you out of your comfort zone. It can be scary. And if you haven’t put forth any missionary efforts for some time, then you may even be tempted to feel guilty that you haven’t invited anyone to know more about the church for so long. Now, if you do start to squirm in your seat and feel pangs of guilt every time the term missionary work is brought up, I think the Ammon story is for you. Ammon is going to show us an incredibly unintimidating, effective, and natural way of proclaiming the gospel. I call it the Ammon Approach, and it’s brilliant. It’s a shining example of spiritual alchemy

SEARCH

We’re going to begin then by looking at the materials Ammon has to begin with and then compare that to what he eventually helps to create.  So I invite you to compare the description of the Lamanites in Alma 17:14 with the words of King Lamoni in Alma 18:20 and what do you notice?

14 And assuredly it was great, for they had undertaken to preach the word of God to a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people; a people who delighted in murdering the Nephites, and robbing and plundering them; and their hearts were set upon riches, or upon gold and silver, and precious stones; yet they sought to obtain these things by murdering and plundering, that they might not labor for them with their own hands.

Wow! Would you like to get that mission call? Wild, hardened, ferocious, and delighted in murdering Nephites and robbing them. For us, it might be like opening your mission call and it saying, you are hereby called to serve in the Syria, ISIS mission. We may not be too eager to serve there. Now, compare that with what King Lamoni ends up saying to Ammon just one chapter later. Alma 18:20

20 And the king said: How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart? Thou mayest speak boldly, and tell me concerning these things; and also tell me by what power ye slew and smote off the arms of my brethren that scattered my flocks—

Thou mayest speak boldly! King Lamoni is asking Ammon to teach him the gospel and not the other way around. How in the world did we get there? Well, it certainly didn’t start out that way between these two. In fact, the very first thing that happens to Ammon when he walks into the borders of King Lamoni's land is that he’s arrested and dragged before the King so that he can decide whether he will slay him, throw him into prison, or cast him out of his lands. So how do we go from that, to “Speak boldly to me Ammon”? See, that’s the alchemy we’re talking about. It’s miraculous. And for us, I’m pretty sure the people we associate with aren’t wild, ferocious, and trying to kill us. If Ammon was able to influence people like that, and soften their hearts, and get them to the point where they are asking HIM to teach them the gospel, then it can certainly work for the people we associate with. If people we know don’t seem to appear “golden" at first, maybe we can try some of the things that Ammon did.

Quick note: I do believe that there are times when it’s appropriate to boldly share your faith as one of the first steps. You know, with the person you’re sitting next to on the plane, or doing door contacts as a full-time missionary, or when you know your time with that person will be short. But what about those people with whom you may have a little more time to work with? Family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, the less active. Is the direct approach always the best? Maybe not. In those cases, the moment of invitation, or testifying, or sharing your faith doesn’t always need to be one of the first steps or come quickly. There is so much more that can go into missionary work before we even get to that. And yet, it is missionary work. In fact, you may have already been doing missionary work with somebody and not even realized it.

HANDOUT

The way we’ll study this is we’re going to try and fill out this chart to see how we got from point A to point B. So we’ve got “wild, ferocious, and delights in murdering” on one side, and “thou mayest speak boldly” on the other. That’s what lies at the very end of this process. We can engage in a number of other “missionary” efforts before we ever even say a word about religion.. And when it does come up, it comes naturally, without forcing it or awkwardness.

Prepare Yourself First

We’ll start in Alma 17:2-13. This is the longest section we’ll examine. And with this one, I’m just going to tell you what I feel the principle is and then have you go into those verses and look for the specifics. If we wish to prepare others to receive the gospel, then we must first prepare ourselves. Ammon makes sure to get himself on higher ground before he ever attempts to lift others up. And I have a marking activity for you here. In Alma 17:2-13, take two different marking pencils and in one color mark everything that Ammon (and also the other sons of Mosiah as well) have done to prepare themselves to be missionaries. And with the other color, mark everything you see God doing for them as a result of their efforts.

:2 They searched the scriptures diligently. You can’t share something that you don’t already have yourself. Like the Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 11:21

21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.

We don’t need to know everything about the gospel to be a missionary, but we should obtain a fairly good grasp of the word. He says they "waxed” strong in the knowledge of the truth. Waxed suggests enlarging something slowly over time. It’s a process. We need to be patient with ourselves as we gain that knowledge. Still, it’s hard to teach something that you don’t know. So how’s our scripture study going? Next

:3 They gave themselves to much prayer and fasting. That’s something we’re all capable of doing. Prayer and fasting combined can be immensely effective. What could we pray and fast for? An increased understanding. A stronger testimony. More courage to share. And maybe most importantly, opportunities to share. That really changes things. I think we’ll notice that opportunities to share present themselves more frequently when we do that. One, probably because we’ll be looking for them, and two, the Lord will be doing his part to bring them to us. Who better to present with opportunities than somebody who is desiring to have them and who he knows is going to seize that opportunity. God can place people in our path that we can influence and help.

:5 This verse tells us that they had suffered many afflictions. Part of being prepared is to realize that it won’t be easy. There will be physical challenges, but more importantly, there will be spiritual ones. It says that they had “much labor” in the spirit. On my full-time mission, it wasn’t all the walking, studying, and contacting that was the hardest labor. Being rejected at the doorstep over and over again didn’t really bother me much. The hardest labor was the labor of the spirit. You know, when you would get into a home, and you would teach people and they felt the Spirit and you begin to have hopes for their conversion, and you really begin to love them. And then, for one reason or another, change their minds, or start avoiding you, or they give up when opposition comes. That was the hardest labor. Praying for these people, loving them, and then sometimes having them reject you after all that. That was difficult. Realize that missionary work is going to be hard work. Nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easy.

:6 Be prepared to sacrifice. The sons of Mosiah had given up a kingdom to become missionaries. What are we willing to sacrifice? Some young men and women may sacrifice scholarships, employment opportunities, relationships, all the comforts of home, and money in order to serve full-time missions. But what else may we have to sacrifice in order to be member missionaries? Comfort? Time? The possibility of rejection? Ridicule? Missionary work requires sacrifice.

:9 Tells us something specific that they prayed and fasted for. The Spirit. Missionary work requires the accompaniment of the Spirit. We’re going to need it because every individual is different. I love the church’s Preach my Gospel program that encourages the missionary to rely on the Holy Ghost for guidance. Preaching the gospel is a one-by-one type of work, not "one-size-fits-all”. If we remain worthy of it, the Spirit will be there to help us know how best to help somebody. It doesn’t guarantee that they will accept our invitations, but will put us in the best possible circumstances for that to happen.

:12 took courage. Missionary work requires boldness and courage. It’s not easy to strike up that gospel conversation with that person sitting next to you. It’s not easy to invite that neighbor out to church or the ward activity, it’s not easy to bring up your faith with your coworker, and the Spirit is going to help us to know the right time to do that is. But we must have courage when the opportunities to testify do present themselves.

:13 they supposed that great was the work they had undertaken. The message here? Catch the vision of missionary work. Realize the importance and the gravity of what we’re doing when we seek to share God’s word. This is the salvation of souls we’re talking about here. This is the most important work we can do. One of my favorite places to see this principle is in Doctrine and Covenants 4. I love the words that it uses to describe missionary work. It calls it a marvelous work. It’s not just good, but marvelous. It asks if you have “desires” to serve God, so it’s a desirable and rewarding work. Then it reads "o ye that embark in the service of God". A mission isn’t something you merely go on or even serve, it’s something you embark on, like an adventure, or an epic, or a great journey. Such fantastic words to describe this work. As members of Christ’s church, have we caught that vision? Do we see the work as marvelous?

Well, there are more things you can probably find in these chapters about being prepared to serve, but this will suffice for us now. These are going to lay the groundwork for us.

Then look at the promises God makes to those who are willing to prepare themselves in this way.

• He will cause us to rejoice exceedingly

• Give us a sound understanding

• We’ll have the spirit of prophecy and revelation

• And the ability to teach with power and authority of God

• Much success (and success doesn’t necessarily have to be measured in conversion)

• Become “instruments in the hands of God”.  Oooo. I love that word. Instruments in God’s hands. When we hear the word “instrument” we probably think of musical instruments that, when placed in the right hands, can create beautiful music. Well, as missionaries, we can make that beautiful music as we are placed in God’s hands. We will feel those loving and skillful hands working through us in the lives of others. Or, another word for instruments could be tools. People use tools to create incredible and valuable things. God can do that with us, when we place ourselves in his hands.

• God will visit us with his Spirit and comfort us in our afflictions.
  

As you can see, great blessings are promised to those that are willing to prepare themselves. This is just the beginning though and should be an ongoing process. This is just about preparing ourselves to go out and be instruments in God’s hands. Once we’ve shaped ourselves into tools, God can put us to work.

Now let's continue and take a look at the rest of the verses in our process and pick out phrases from Ammon’s example that best describes how we can create gold. As we go through these items though, keep in mind that they aren’t necessarily steps that you check off like list and then move on to the next. Most are simultaneous and don’t always have to move in this specific order. We should keep them all in mind as we go through this process.

Patience in example

17:11 Be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me.

Two things here. Missionary work requires patience and long-suffering. Usually, conversion is not an overnight process. It takes time. Don’t expect immediate results. Don’t become impatient when people don’t immediately latch on to our message. You can’t expect conversion to happen on your timetable. It’s a long game. I mean, think about it, we are asking individuals to completely change their lives, let go of deeply held beliefs, traditions, and in some cases, their reputations with their friends and families. It is no small request. Be patient with people. And don’t give up on them. They are going to need lots of support and opportunities and invitations.

And we need to show forth good examples unto them. That may be one of the greatest testimonies we bear. The type of people we are, is one of our greatest missionary tools. On occasion, I’ve heard my dad say that the greatest testimony Joseph Smith ever bore of his divine calling as a prophet are the members of the Church of Jesus Christ themselves. They are his evidence. They are the best proof of the truthfulness of the restored Church. Others watch us. And when they see our faith, our convictions, our blessings, our willingness to sacrifice, they may begin to desire that as well. I have known many converts that when asked what first attracted them to the church, often, the answer I hear. It was the example of a devoted member simply living their faith. Living the gospel is doing missionary work. Now when we hear that, we might start to think, oh good, that’s what I wanted to hear. I just need to be a good example. So I’ll just live the gospel, and they’ll see all the blessings I get, and eventually, they’ll look at me and say, Wow, I want all those good things too, please baptize me now! That’s not necessarily how it works. Being a good example is huge, but it’s just a step in the right direction. There is more to this process. Sometimes I think it’s easy for us to just stop at this step. It’s an important step, but there is much more that we can do. Let’s continue then.

I will be thy servant

17:25 This is what happens after Ammon walks into the Lamanite lands and is arrested and brought to stand before the king, who then questions him as to why he would be so foolish as to walk into Lamanite lands.

25 But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant. Therefore Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni. And it came to pass that he was set among other servants to watch the flocks of Lamoni, according to the custom of the Lamanites.

So notice, that when Ammon is given a chance to speak he doesn’t immediately open his mouth and say “Hello, I’m Elder Ammon, and I’m a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ and I’m here to teach you the truths of the gospel and correct the wicked traditions of your fathers so that you can be happy like us Nephites. Would you like to hear my message?” How do you think that would have gone over? He probably wouldn’t have lasted long. But no, what does he say? I’m here to dwell among you and serve you. That may be one of the best approaches we can take as missionaries. And notice he doesn’t say, I’ll stick around and serve you just long enough to see if you’re interested in hearing my message, but if not, I’ll move on. No, in verse 23 he says he’ll stick around perhaps until the day he dies. Ammon is in it for the long haul. Whether they accept him or not isn’t the deciding factor of whether he stays or not. One way or another he’s going to stay true to them. I think that attitude is key for us in our missionary efforts. Our desire to serve them is not contingent upon their acceptance. People can usually see right through that kind of motivation. So I serve them, for services’ sake. I help them, because I want to help them, not because I’m hoping for a great story to tell over the pulpit. I look for opportunities to serve. I can help them fix their car, lay their sod, take care of their dog while they’re on vacation, move furniture, whatever it is. I look for chances to serve, I pray for them to come and I seize those opportunities when they do. This attitude of Ammon's obviously has a profound impact on the King. I mean, here the son of a Nephite King is willing to serve the king of the enemy. He even offers him one of his daughters as a wife. But Ammon is not there for romance, he’s not serving in order to get something back. He just wants to serve.

Now, has Ammon said anything about religion yet? No. Hasn’t come up.

Win their hearts

Well, you know what happens next in the story. He puts Ammon in charge of his flocks, thieves come in to scatter them. The other servants fear for their lives, and here we get our next phrase in 17:29

29 Now they wept because of the fear of being slain. Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.

What is Ammon doing here? He’s looking for and ready to seize an opportunity to win their hearts.

That’s what we need to look for. Opportunities to win hearts through our service. There may come times when something comes into the life of that individual where they need extra help, comfort, or guidance. So we need to be there for them. When tragedy strikes, or a job loss, or sickness, or injury, or catastrophe. Go the extra mile in those situations. Reach out to them. Support them. Counsel them. Love them. Look for opportunities to win their hearts.

Termed to be his brethren

And a big piece of making that possible comes in the next verse. And this one is more of an attitude than an action, but what would you mark in 17:30.

30 And now, these were the thoughts of Ammon, when he saw the afflictions of those whom he termed to be his brethren.

What’s the key phrase there? “Those whom he termed to be his brethren.”  The attitude is to consider them your brethren. Your friends. We don’t do missionary work out of a mere sense of duty, or obligation, or for our own glory. I think that people can sense when we care about them and when we consider them as equals. Non-members don’t often feel that from members, or less active families from active families or youth from adults. They may sense that we feel superior to them. If we wish to win hearts, then a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood must be there.

We know he is a friend to the king

Well, Ammon helps them to gather the sheep. Sadly, the robbers return and this time he fights them off with this sling and his sword, slaying some, and cutting off the arms of others.

Our next key phrase is going to come from 18:3 What does the king now realize about Ammon? What’s the key phrase here?

3 And they answered the king, and said: Whether he be the Great Spirit or a man, we know not; but this much we do know, that he cannot be slain by the enemies of the king; neither can they scatter the king's flocks when he is with us, because of his expertness and great strength; therefore, we know that he is a friend to the king. And now, O king, we do not believe that a man has such great power, for we know he cannot be slain.

Key phrase? “We know that he is a friend to the king.” By the way that we live and serve and treat others, they come to know that we are their friends, their true friends. They may say something like, well, that Wilcox guy across the street, he may have some strange ideas about religion. I’m not sure about what he believes, but there is one thing I know, he’s my friend. Maybe there are some more disinterested youth in our classes or youth programs, and they say, well, I’m not so wild about going to church or these service projects, but one thing I know, brother or sister so and so is my friend. I can tell they sincerely care about me.

A most faithful friend

And we could take this idea step one further with verse 10. Not only does King Lamoni come to realize that Ammon is a friend but what kind of friend is he?

10 Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them.

He is one of his most faithful servants or friends. For us, do people come to conclusions like, “My Church of Jesus Christ neighbor is the best neighbor I’ve ever had, my Church of Jesus Christ friend is the most faithful friend I’ve ever had. My Church of Jesus Christ employee, is the most hard-working, honest, and dedicated employee I’ve ever had.”

Breaking the silence

Now in the Ammon story, as he comes to realize this, something begins to happen inside King Lamoni. We learn in verse 5 that:

5 Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit. Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit they supposed that whatsoever they did was right; nevertheless, Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear lest he had done wrong in slaying his servants;

Something has begun to happen inside of Lamoni. His heart is beginning to change. It’s being won over by Ammon’s example. There is an awakening of his conscience. As the people we work with see our good examples, and our willingness to serve, and the strength of our character, and our loyal friendship, they may begin to wonder if there is something to our beliefs. Maybe, I do want to know a little more about their lifestyle. What makes these devoted members of the church tick? Maybe I want what they have in my life.

But, has Ammon said anything about religion yet? No.

Then look at what King Lamoni says in verse 11

11 Now I surely know that this is the Great Spirit, and I would desire him that he come in unto me, but I durst not.

And then at the end of verse 14

14 Therefore Ammon turned himself unto the king, and said unto him: What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king? And the king answered him not for the space of an hour, according to their time, for he knew not what he should say unto him.

Perhaps the people we associate with begin to feel the same way. And how do we respond? Hey, wait a minute. That’s my line. That’s how I’m supposed to feel. I’m the one that would desire to share with you, but durst not. I’m the one who doesn’t know what to say. And I really believe that this kind of thing happens more often than we think, or could happen more often if we were to consciously lay the same groundwork that Ammon has here. They will feel a desire to come to us.

But, since they may feel that way, it’s vital that we look for the opportunity to speak up to them. We can’t just sit around waiting for them to come to us. There is a moment where we speak up. There is the moment where we open our mouths. I think it’s important to note that it is Ammon who breaks the silence in verse 16, who ends the standoff. This is our next step:

16 And it came to pass that Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king. And he said unto him: Is it because thou hast heard that I defended thy servants and thy flocks, and slew seven of their brethren with the sling and with the sword, and smote off the arms of others, in order to defend thy flocks and thy servants; behold, is it this that causeth thy marvelings?

Ammon speaks up. He opens his mouth. This is where we look for opportunities to bring our faith into the open, into the conversation. This is where we mention church activities and we invite them to these things. This is where we look for moments to talk about things that we do in the Church and the reasons why. We mention how we spent the weekend watching general conference. We explain the reason for why we don’t drink coffee or alcohol when asked to go for a drink after work. We share an inspirational scripture on our social media feed. We tell them about gospel truths that have helped us through hard times when we see them struggling. And you might ask, “But how will I know when it’s the right time to do this?” Also in verse 16, Be filled with the spirit and follow it when the prompting comes. That’s why we need to have earned the spirit of revelation and prophecy way back at the beginning of this process.

And it’s only at this point where King Lamoni finally says, “Thou mayest speak boldly” to me.

And then the rest of the story is wonderful. You know what happens. Ammon teaches him the gospel, the King is overwhelmed by the Spirit, he’s converted, and eventually, all of his people are as well. Iron has become gold. Hostility has become friendship.

TRUTH

As we consciously seek to share the gospel in the same way that Ammon did, we are far more likely to have missionary opportunities.

TAKING IT TO HEART

You can ask: Have you ever had an Ammon experience? Have you ever seen this process at work? This spiritual alchemy. And encourage them to share times when they have.

And allow me to give you a real-life example of this process that I’ve seen. I remember a few young ladies in one of my seminary classes that were great examples of faithful youth to their peers at the high school . And there was a young man who was struggling  in a class, and they reached out to help him. To be nice. They befriended and served him. Eventually one day, he asked them why they seemed so happy.  And they seized that opportunity to tell him that it was their faith that played a big part in who they were and how they felt. And they invited him to come to seminary. And I remember him coming to my class and saying that he was just curious to learn a little bit more about the church. There was no pressure put on him, no coercion. And over time, and the efforts of all to be his friend, and to serve him, and to show forth good examples unto him, by the end of that school year, he expressed a desire to be taught by the missionaries, which eventually led to a desire to be baptized into the church. The Ammon method worked! He didn’t start out golden though. When he first asked those young ladies why they were so happy, he had no intention at that time to ever become a member of the church. But the Ammon Approach changed his heart to gold. And I ran into that same young man a few years late in the Gilbert temple about to receive his endowment before he was to go out and serve a mission himself. The convert was setting out to be a converter also. And I can’t express to you just how amazing it felt to see that. Doctrine and Covenants 18:15 comes to mind.

“And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!”

One of the strongest associations in the scriptures with missionary work is joy. I’ve felt that joy and I hope we all can and numerous times in our lives.

I WILL GO AND DO

• How can you prepare yourself to be a better missionary?

• Who specifically in your life could you seek to be an Ammon to now?

• What steps of the Ammon approach could you implement into your relationship with them?
  

THE TAKEAWAY

I hope that Ammon has helped inspire you to become a greater representative of Jesus Christ’s church. I know it’s done that for me. As I've prepared this lesson I’ve felt a greater desire to consciously make more dedicated efforts in this area. This commitment to proclaim the gospel is part of the covenant we made when we were baptized. To stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places. I know that it’s easy to think that missionary work is just for the full-time missionaries. Not so. The full-time missionaries are only assigned to certain areas for months, but we may have that neighbor, or friend, or family member for years. The prep work, the alchemy, the Ammon approach, that is what we can do. That’s our part in God’s grand gathering of Israel. The full-time missionaries are there to pick up where we left off in this story. We prepare them, and then the missionaries can teach them. But we get to help get them to that point. We get to be instruments in the hands of God. We can do this! And when it works how great shall be our joy!

LESSON #2 TWO WONDERFUL WOMEN (Alma 19)

ICEBREAKER

I love Alma 19. It’s somewhat of a rare chapter in the Book of Mormon. For whatever reason, we don’t have as many female role models in the Book of Mormon. But chapter 19 gives us two! What a great opportunity we have to honor these two women of faith from latter-day scripture. And as an Icebreaker, I usually like to ask a simple question. Who would be willing to tell us about a woman whose example inspires you? And then let a few people share their stories.

For me, I think of my angel mother who was such an incredible example of self-sacrifice. I love that she was always there to welcome me home from school. She taught me how to play the piano, how to use tools and fix things. In our house, it was my Mom that was the handywoman. We had a pink toolbox in our home. She helped to teach me to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. She’d go on hikes with me in the mountains and taught me how to appreciate the flowers and the wildlife. She helped me with my homework. She helped me through my problems and discouragements. I saw her work tirelessly to support each of her children and her husband in our endeavors at the expense of her own time. My mother was an extraordinary woman of faith and I miss her dearly

But I’m also grateful for the stories of many women of faith in the scriptures and church history. Eve, Ruth, Esther, Mary, Sariah, Lucy Mack Smith, Emma, Mary Fielding. There are many we can choose from. Not to mention all the women that have blessed me in my lifetime. My grandmothers, aunts, sisters, primary teachers, schoolteachers. And above all, the woman I’ve chosen to spend my life and all eternity with. The mother of my children and my sweetheart. I’m also deeply grateful for a Heavenly Mother and for her love and role in my life. We’re all so blessed to have the influence of righteous women in our lives.

So here are two more for our list. Two Lamanite women with a lot to teach us. King Lamoni’s wife (we’ll call her Queen Lamoni), and a servant woman named Abish. One of the few women mentioned by name in the Book of Mormon. Their stories are short but powerful.

SEARCH-COMPANIONSHIP SHARE

To present this, I would divide my class into pairs and assign one to read 19:1-13, 29-30, and the other to read 19:14-17,28-31. The first group will look for what we learn from Queen Lamoni’s example and the other what we learn from Abish. And then give them an opportunity to teach the other person in their pair what they learned.

My thoughts on these two great women.

Queen Lamoni

With Queen Lamoni. We have to examine this story from her perspective. She wasn’t there to see Ammon defend the King’s flocks. She wasn’t there to see the evidence of the arms Ammon had cut. She wasn’t there to hear Ammon’s teachings to the king, and she wasn’t there to see how her husband had been overcome by the Spirit. When she arrives on the scene, all she can see is the lifeless body of her husband and the stories from her servants of a powerful Nephite responsible for the situation. As a Lamanite, I think that we can assume that she has been taught to distrust and perhaps even hate Nephites. Some of her servants believe that Lamoni is dead, but she’s not too quick to jump to that conclusion. So she calls for Ammon. And notice what Ammon does, he doesn’t immediately bring the King out of his sleep. He says the King wouldn’t wake up until the next day. Now, this is a bit of a test of faith, isn’t it? She doesn’t know Ammon. She’s only been told things about him. The evidence suggests foul play. And here he’s saying, oh yeah, he’ll wake up tomorrow. Someone more skeptical might think, oh sure, so you can get out of town before you’re discovered. But she doesn’t react that way. She just believes without seeing. She says in 19:9

9 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.

She’s a sterling example of the gift of the Spirit mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-14

13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

Queen Lamoni is a part of that latter group. She doesn’t have to see. She’s able to believe the words of others. That is exceeding faith. King Lamoni believed because of what he saw, Queen Lamoni believed the witness of others who said they saw.

No wonder Ammon says in verse 10:

“Blessed art thou because of thy exceeding faith; I say unto thee, woman, there has not been such great faith among all the people of the Nephites.”

And interestingly, I love this, who is the first of the two who gets to testify of Jesus Christ to the people? Go to verse 29. It’s Queen Lamoni. She awakes first and begins to testify of their experience. How fitting. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

I hope that we can be like Queen Lamoni. Willing to believe the words of those who have seen miraculous things. We weren’t there to witness the First Vision or see Moroni deliver the plates to Joseph Smith, we didn’t see Moses part the Red Sea or Christ heal the leper. Maybe we don’t receive revelation on behalf of the entire church like President Nelson, and maybe we haven’t witnessed great physical miracles in our life, but are we willing to believe on the words of those who have? The Lord sometimes asks us to believe the testimonies of others and to act on that belief until he sends the promised confirmation. So many nowadays will say “show me, and I’ll believe it”. God responds with “Believe it, and I’ll show you”. Queen Lamoni was the type who believed first, and then was shown. I hope we can be like her.

Abish

Now Abish. What does she teach us? Again, look at this situation from her perspective. She had been converted many years before on account of a vision of her Father. Like Queen Lamoni, she also believed because of the words of another. But imagine what those ensuing years must have been like for her. To believe but have little support in that belief. She didn’t have the structure of the outward church to bolster her up. No access to prophets, baptism, or scripture. And yet, she continued to believe and act as a disciple of Christ. Would we be willing to live that way without the social structure of the church and its programs around us? Would we still live the gospel when nobody would know or care whether we did or not? This is true conversion. The kind that lives and believes regardless of outward circumstances. Abish maintains her faith in isolation. She also makes me think of all those dedicated members of the church out there who live in areas where the church may not well established. Many living in small branches, far removed from official chapels and temples. Perhaps they are the only members in their neighborhoods or within their families. I admire these believers so much. These Abish’s. Would I remain faithful if all of that there is to support and bolster my faith were taken away? I hope I would. But wow, if any of you out there are in that situation, who have little by the way of church structure and support and community, I respect you so much. We would all do good to consider if we are capable of living faithful in solitude? Abish was able to.

I also love her enthusiasm in this story. You can almost see her running from door to door testifying of the great things that God was doing among them. Such hope and joy in her voice. Finally, she has the chance to share her faith and she seizes it. I hope that we can be like Abish in that respect too. When we have opportunities to share our faith, let’s take advantage of them with joy! Like we learned from the Ammon Approach, when the moment to speak boldly comes, let’s do it! And with fervor. Our enthusiasm and zeal for the restored gospel can be contagious and bring others running to see the power of God.

THE TAKEAWAY

Queen Lamoni and Abish, two wonderful women of faith. I’m very grateful for their example, as well as the examples of all the wonderful women in my life. May we look to, be appreciative of, and recognize the contributions and sacrifices of these faithful females.

LESSON #3 PRINCIPLE HUNT (Alma 20-22)

For the remainder of the chapters in this week’s scripture block, rather than going into great depth, we just don’t have time to cover everything deeply, and the two lessons that I’ve already shared are where I personally would choose to focus my attention this week. But to give you at least a little activity you could do with your classes for the remaining chapters, I have a game I call Principle Hunt. I divide my students up into teams, usually of 3 or 4 and give them the following sheet of paper that lists a number of different principles or truths that may or may not be taught by these chapters. You as the teacher will read a verse from the chapter, and their job is to identify which principle is the best match for that verse. What truth is being taught by those selected verses? I also give each team one small whiteboard and a marker. Whichever team can raise the correct matching letter first, wins a point. Whichever team has the most points by the end of the game, wins. Simple. As you go through the verses, summarize the events of the chapters to give your students context. And take note that some of the principles on the list will not be used at all. It makes the game a little more challenging.

So here we go. 

After Ammon converts Lamoni and his wife, many of Lamoni’s people are converted baptized. At the same time, the other sons of Mosiah have been cast into prison in a different land. So Ammon tells King Lamoni that he needs to go and help his brethren. King Lamoni is astonished though, and asks, “who told you that your brethren were in prison.  Ammon’s answer and our first verse.

1.     Alma 20:5  5 And Ammon said unto him: No one hath told me, save it be God; and he said unto me—Go and deliver thy brethren, for they are in prison in the land of Middoni.

The match is H.  The Spirit can make us aware of things that no one else knows.

As Ammon is traveling with King Lamoni to go and free his brothers, they happen to encounter Lamoni’s father on the way. He is not pleased to see his son traveling with a Nephite though, and commands Lamoni to kill him. Lamoni refuses. And in his anger, Lamoni’s father threatens to kill Lamoni over this. To which Alma says that it would be better for Lamoni’s father to die than Lamoni because at least Lamoni had repented of his sins. Lamoni’s father agrees with Ammon that killing his son would be a bad idea, so he turns his attention back on Ammon. They have a little sword fight in which, Ammon wins and says that he will grant the King his life as long as he agrees to let his brethren out of prison, and allow Lamoni to live in peace.  What happens next?

2.     Alma 20:26 26 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—

The match is G. Love can break down barriers in people’s hearts. It’s Ammon’s apparent love for Lamoni that changes his father’s heart.

King Lamoni’s father is so impressed with Ammon that he travels back to his homeland and frees Ammon’s brothers.  Then, moving on to chapter 21 we get an account of Aaron’s experience teaching amongst the lands of the Lamanites. He happens to begin preaching to a much more hardened people. Our next verses

3.     Alma 21:10-15  I’m not going to read those verses word for word, but if you scan through them, you can see that they describe some of the difficult things Aaron suffers at the hands of the Lamanites. But verse 15 15 And they went forth again to declare the word, and thus they were delivered for the first time out of prison; and thus they had suffered.

The match is B.  Expect opposition in missionary work, but be willing to get to work despite hardships.

Then our stories match up again at the end of this chapter. Ammon has his run in with the Lamoni’s father, who then goes and releases Aaron from prison. This leads us to chapter 22, where Lamoni’s father invites Aaron in to teach him the gospel. What principle might be taught by the following dialogue between the two?

4.     Alma 22:7-11  And if you read that, you’ll see Aaron helping the King to understand the nature of God. The Lamanites believe in a Great Spirit and so Aaron builds on that understanding and tells the King that the Great Spirit is God. He doesn’t seek to correct the Kings doctrine. He doesn’t tell him that he’s wrong or that he misunderstands the true nature of God. He’s not called “ The Great Spirit. He’s not even a spirit, he has a body of flesh and bone.” He doesn’t approach it that way. He just seeks build on their common belief in a higher power and gently and tactfully adds to the Kings understanding of God. He keeps it simple. We can do the same.

The match then is  J. As we do missionary work, seek to build on common beliefs and add to people’s understanding rather than teaching with a corrective tone.

Next, as Aaron teaches from the scriptures, the King teaches us some powerful truths about conversion. What does the following statement made by the King teach us about knowing God and his gospel?

5.     Alma 22:15 15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted 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 all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

The match is D. Knowing God, and his gospel is worth more than all worldly wealth or power.

Aaron teaches the king that he doesn’t need to give up all his worldly wealth and power, but he does need to give up something else. Something that is far harder for many than earthly sacrifices.

6.     Alma 22:18  18 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 as if he were dead.

The match is I.  Knowing God and his gospel is worth more than any pleasure or momentary benefit our sins may offer us.  See, King Lamoni’s father was willing to give up one of the hardest things to give away. Our sins. Our sins stand between us and a true knowledge or relationship with God. We’ve got to be willing to give away all our sins to know him. Recognize that that knowledge is greater than anything the adversary or our sins can offer.

Well, to conclude the story, just like with his son Lamoni, the King falls to the ground as if he were dead. The servants go and tell the queen. She comes back and commands Aaron to be slain. But the servants won’t do it. So she tells them to go and get the people to slay Aaron. But Aaron acts quickly and raises the King back up, who testifies to his wife, and household, who are all converted. He sends out a proclamation throughout all the land that Aaron and his brethren should be free to teach the gospel to all. And we learn in the next chapter that they have great success in converting many of the Lamanites. We’ll talk more about the conversion of these people next week.