MISSION OF THE SONS OF MOSIAH TO THE LAMANITES.
Some time after their conversion, Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni, the four sons of Mosiah, requested their father to grant them permission to go to the land of Nephi, to preach the Gospel to the Lamanites there.
Mosiah prayed to the Lord concerning the matter, and the answer which he received was as follows: "Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites."
This promise gave joy and encouragement to Mosiah and his sons. The day for the young men's departure came. They were joined by a number of faithful companions, and, with their father's blessing upon their heads, the little band of missionaries went forth "to seek and to save the lost."
That was one of the hardest missions ever undertaken by mortal man. The Lamanites in Nephi and surrounding places were a wild and wicked people. They took delight in murdering the Nephites and in stealing their property. They knew nothing concerning the true God, but worshiped idols. The Lord, however, had made a promise to the Lamanites that, through repentance, they would be blessed and given a knowledge of the true plan of salvation.
When the sons of Mosiah and their companions came to the land of the Lamanites they separated, each going to the place assigned him by Ammon, who was in charge of the company. Ammon chose as his field of labor the land of Ishmael. He had no sooner entered it than he was arrested by Lamanites, who bound him and confined him in a prison.
He was later brought before King Lamoni, who asked him if he were desirous of living with his people, the Lamanites. Ammon said he would be pleased to do so for a time, and that, perhaps, he might stay with them the rest of his life.
That pleased the king, and he ordered his servants to release Ammon. Lamoni told Ammon he would like him to marry one of his daughters, but the missionary respectfully declined. He told the king, however, that he would be his servant, and his offer was promptly accepted.
You might think that that was a strange thing for the missionary to do, and it was; but it was the right thing, as you will agree when you hear what took place a little later.
One day Ammon and a number of other servants of King Lamoni took their master's flocks to a certain place to water them. They had no sooner reached the place than a party of Lamanites came with their flocks. The latter began at once to make trouble for the king's servants by driving: their flocks away and scattering them.
That was a very serious matter. The same thing had happened before to other servants of the king, and when they returned and told Lamoni what had taken place, he became very angry with them and ordered them to be put to death.
So, fearing that a similar fate might befall them, those who were with Ammon began to cry piteously. Ammon now saw an opportunity for him to exercise his powder, and he did so with good effect. He told his fellow-servants to dry their tears, and that he would help them to get the flocks together. He did so, but again the Lamanites began to drive them off.
Then Alma told his companions to look after the flocks while he went over to teach the Lamanites a lesson. He had not the least fear, for he remembered the promise which the Lord had made to his father—that He would deliver his sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.
The Lamanites laughed at one man coming out to oppose them, but their laughter was turned into mourning when six of their number lay dead upon the ground. With simple sling and stones Ammon fought his opponents single-handed, and, as I have said, slew six of them.
Seizing heavy clubs, a number of the Lamanites rushed at Ammon to kill him; but he was too smart for them. He grasped his sword and melded it with such skill that he slew their leader and also cut an arm off every man who raised his club against him. The rest fled in terror. Then Ammon returned, and, with his companions, attended to the watering of their master's flocks.
When King Lamoni heard what Ammon had done he was greatly astonished and exclaimed, "This is the Great Spirit, and he has come down at this time to preserve your lives, that I might not slay you as I did your brethren." "Where is Ammon?" the king asked, and when he was told that he was out attending to his majesty's horses, he said, "Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been as faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them."
Lamoni sent for Amnion. He told him that he had heard of the wonderful thing which he had done, and asked him if he were the Great Spirit.
Ammon answered that he was not, that he was simply a servant of the true and living God. He told the king that he had not slain the Lamanites by his own power, but by the power which God had given Him.
The king requested Ammon to tell him about the true God whom he and his fathers worshiped. Ammon did so, and also explained to him the Gospel, pointing out to the king how he could obtain forgiveness of all his sins and at last be saved in the kingdom of God.
The king and queen of the Lamanites believed the things which Ammon told them, and they and many of their people were converted and baptized. The Lord bestowed great blessings upon them. King Lamoni had a vision, in which he beheld the Savior, and a number of others saw and conversed with angels. Then Ammon organized a branch of the Church amongst them, and had great joy at seeing the fruits of his missionary labors.
The Lord now made known to Ammon that three of his missionary companions were in prison in the land of Middoni. Ammon told the news to the king, and added that he would have to go at once and do all in his power to have them released. The king said he would go with him and assist him.
On the way they met Lamoni's father, who was king over the whole land. The sight of his son riding in company with a Nephite threw the old king into a fit of fierce anger. He called Ammon all manner of vile names, and ordered his son to slay him. But, instead of doing so, Lamoni, to the astonishment of his father, stood up and defended Amnion. Lamoni's father drew his sword and rushed at Ammon to slay him, but Ammon smote him on the arm so that he could not use the weapon.
Finding himself at the mercy of Ammon, Lamoni's father pleaded with him to spare his life, saying if he would do so he would give him even to the half of his kingdom. "I will spare your life on these conditions," Ammon replied, "that you allow your son Lamoni to retain his kingdom, and that you have my brethren released from prison."
To that the old king willingly agreed. Ammon's brethren were given their liberty, and they and their companions traveled for years among the Lamanites preaching to them the everlasting Gospel. Thousands of the Lamanites were converted to the Lord, and they remained true to the faith all the days of their life. They became a kind and industrious people, and the Lord in His mercy took the curse away from them, so that they became white like the Nephites.