LeGrand L. Baker

Alma 18:4-11, LeGrand Baker, the power of personal integrity

Alma 18:10-11
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.
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.

Mormon is a superb and very candid historian. He has an agenda and he not only doesn’t try to hide it, he insists we know what it is. He frequently concludes his stories with the words “and thus we see” then he explains the principles we should have learned. But he does not always do that. Sometimes he just tells the story and leaves it to us to discover the principles. That is an easy task because the principles can usually be reduced to four basic ideas: To be happy (1) one must exercise faith in God, (2) one must be true to the eternal law on one’s own being, (3), one must obey instructions and teachings of the prophets, and (4) one must comport his life in the same way the prophets conduct theirs. This story focus on the second and fourth of those principles: have the integrity to be true to one’s eternal self, and achieve that by doing what Ammon did.

Integrity is one of the most fundamental principles that leads to salvation. In my work at BYU, I once interviewed Arnold Friberg, who did the artwork for Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. Friberg had great admiration for DeMille whom he described as having unbending integrity. Then Friberg defined the word: “Integrity is having no gap between what one says and what one does.” In gospel terms that simply translates to this: Integrity is having no gap between the covenants one makes and the life one lives.

Elder Maxwell spoke of integrity in eternal terms, He used the word “unvaryingness ” to describe the integrity of God. He said,

“We can serve others also by developing real integrity, which is more than being honest and true only until it becomes too expensive. In the crowds of chameleons in the world today, daring to be the same good self is being different. When our goodness is constant we are on the road, albeit only a short distance along, to the unvaryingness of Godlike love.” (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 62.)

It is not surprising that President Monson equated faith in God with personal integrity. He said,

“Today, in a quiet grove at Valley Forge, there is a heroicsized monument to Washington. He is depicted not astride a charging horse nor overlooking a battlefield of glory, but kneeling in humble prayer, calling upon the God of Heaven for divine help. To gaze upon the statue prompts the mind to remember the oft-heard expression, “A man stands tallest when upon his knees.
“Men and women of integrity, character, and purpose have ever recognized a power higher than themselves and have sought through prayer to be guided by such power. Such has it ever been. So shall it ever be.” (Thomas S. Monson, Be Your Best Self [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 24-25.)

The book of Job, which is not only some of the most beautiful but also probably the oldest poetry in our Old Testament, is all about integrity. It begins in the Council in Heaven where Satan wishes to lay claim to the earth, but he can’t because Job is there.

3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. (Job 2:3)

From that time, Job’s life begins to fall apart, until his wife can’t take it any more.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. (Job 2:9-10)

Job’s steadfastness was an evidence of his sure knowledge. He laments,

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Job 19:23-26)

As seems often to be so, Job’s most intense trial comes from those who should have been his friends but were his accusers instead. They attack him with all the philosophical and academic weapons they can muster. To which Job responds,

2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. (Job 27:2-9)

Later, he challenges his tormenters,

6 Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. (Job 31:6)

In the end, God gives Job all that he requests, including the fulfillment of the ultimate promise. Job spoke in wonderment and said,

5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. (Job 42:5)

When the Prophet Joseph organized the Relief Society, he taught the sisters that each of our lives would be something like Job’s.

“He spoke of delivering the keys of the Priesthood to the Church, and said that the faithful members of the Relief Society should receive them with their husbands, that the Saints whose integrity has been tried and proved faithful, might know how to ask the Lord and receive an answer; for according to his prayers, God had appointed him elsewhere.” ( Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected and arranged by Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976], 226.)

The Psalms repeatedly say that we will be judged according to our personal integrity (Psalms 7, 25, 26, 41, 78). Brigham Young confirmed that. He said,

“We have the principle within us, and so has every being on this earth, to increase and to continue to increase, to enlarge and receive and treasure up truth, until we become perfect. It is wisdom for us to be the friends of God; and unless we are filled with integrity and preserve ourselves in our integrity before our God, we actually lay the foundation for our destruction.” (Journal of Discourses, 5:54)

The ultimate importance of personal integrity is found in the Saviour’s praise of Hyrum Smith. In a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph, the Saviour said,

15 And again, verily I say unto you, blessed is my servant Hyrum Smith; for I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me, saith the Lord. (D&C 124:15)

As we approach judgement day, we will discover that one’s integrity is the final definition of one’s eternal Self. If that Self is the guileless personification of one’s love for God and for “that which is right,” then one is on the sure path that leads to eternal life.

Alma 18:1-3, LeGrand Baker, the blessings of premortal covenants.

The story begins with this comment about the ruffians who scattered Lamoni’s flocks.

Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king. (Alma 17:35)

After Ammon’s success, this is what happened.

1 And it came to pass that king Lamoni caused that his servants should stand forth and testify to all the things which they had seen concerning the matter.
2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders? Probably a reference to the arms
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. (Alma 18:1-3)

Even though it is shown more dramatically here than in many other places in the scriptures and in church history, the essence of this story is probably repeated many times in each of our lives. The principle is simply this: before we came into this world we made covenants with our Heavenly Father that we would accomplish specific things while here. Some of those things had to do with our personal progression, but the great majority had to do with helping other people.

These assignments were made and accepted by covenant— and that is very different from the military concept of receiving an assignment then going out at our own peril to try to do it. A covenant is a two-way promise. We covenanted that we would fulfill our assignment and God covenanted that he would make it possible for us to do so. In the following I would like to review some of the scriptures that deal with the conditions of that premortal covenant.

During the ancient Israelite performance of the Feast of Tabernacles temple drama, Psalm 82 was enacted as a depiction of our making covenants with our Heavenly Father. Watching the play not only gave the ancient Israelites the opportunity to review the covenants they had made in the premortal world; but as they participated in the drama that became a new covenant-making reality. As they spoke the words in unison, each individual covenanted to fulfill his own assignment in order that the Father’s purposes might be accomplished. If those assumptions are correct, then, as in the story of King Benjamin, even though the words were spoken in unison, making of the covenant was the personal act of each individual in the congregation.

Because the congregation’s participation in the drama was, for each of them, a present and personal act, the words of the psalm and the enactment of the story were, as Mowinckel and Nibley suggested, {1} not just a remembering of the myth and a re-enactment of the ritual, but a new actualization of the event and a new covenant. For each member of the congregation who participated in the drama, their making the covenant anew was a reaffirmation of an everlasting covenant, but it was also a new covenant, affirming one’s present relationship with God— a new and everlasting covenant.

The original scene depicted by Psalm 82 can more readily be understood by inserting it into the account recorded in Abraham 3, where it fits so perfectly that it does not even break the cadence of the story. Please note, by putting the two scriptures together in this way, I am not trying to imply that they were ever written as a single unit. Rather, they are combined here to illustrate an interesting—perhaps insightful—picture of how things might have been in the Council in Heaven, and how they might have been portrayed on the stage. In the King James Version, the last verse of Psalm 82 reads, “Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” The word translated “God” is elohim which is plural for “gods in the ordinary sense” and also the name of the Father of the gods. Elohim is translated both ways in the first verse of the psalm. In the last verse, “gods” makes more sense, showing that line to be the concluding words of the Father and the covenant made by his children. The members of the Israelite audience probably understand themselves to represent the members of the Council in Heaven. If that were so, then it was they who stood and spoke the words of the covenant.

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. [He asked,] How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O gods, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. [After the covenant, God said,] These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born (Abraham 3:22-23 & Psalm 82).

The covenant we made in the Council in Heaven is new because it is given to us anew in this mortal world. It is the fulness of the gospel, as the Lord explained.

46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world (D&C 84:46-48).

It is everlasting because its principles are eternal.

Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old. (D&C 66:2)

Subsets of that covenant include the promises represented by Psalm 82, which are like the law of consecration. Baptism is another part of it.

1 Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing; and this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.
2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works.

Celestial marriage is another important part of it.

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it (D&C 131:1-3).

The importance of that new and everlasting covenant is taught in D&C 132:1-14. At the conclusion of that explanation of the covenant, the Lord makes it clear that while the principles of the covenant are eternal and apply to everyone, certain aspects of the covenant are very specific to each individual.

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?
10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?
11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was? (D&C 132:8-11).

Paul taught the early Saints about the covenant in his letter to the Ephesians. At the beginning of the letter he reminds them,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:3-4).

He then gives remarkable details about our covenants with our Heavenly Father, concluding with the assurance that “ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [ourselves], unto the praise of his [Heavenly Father’s] glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). Paul then brings us from the premortal world into the present world where he prays that— by the spirit of revelation— “that ye may know what is the hope of his calling [“calling” is a verb: Paul wants us to know what our assignment is], and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints [what blessings await those who fulfill their assignments], And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. (Ephesians 1:15-19) In the rest of the chapter Paul explains that Heavenly Father will exercise the same power in our behalf that he exercised in the Saviour’s behalf, to empower us to fulfill our covenants.

In other words, God has given each of us an assignment that we must fulfill in this life (and that assignment probably includes the spirit world after this). He has also given us the necessary tools to fulfill that assignment, and he has promised us that he will exercise his power in our behalf to keep any obstacle in earth or in hell from preventing us from keeping our covenants. He will not do it for us, and we may choose not to, but in the end we will never be able to say that the assignment was greater than our ability. The Lord expects us to succeed and has arranged for our success. That is one of the most comforting principles of the everlasting gospel, and the evidence of its truthfulness is not only found in the scriptures but also many times in our own personal lives.

———————-

ENDNOTE

{1} Mowinckel, The Old Testament as Word of God, 99-100. Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 224. Italics are in the original.

Alma 18:1-3, LeGrand Baker, the blessings of pre-mortal covenants.

The story begins with this comment about the ruffians who scattered Lamoni’s flocks.

35 Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king. (Alma 17:35)

After Ammon’s success, this is what happened.

1 And it came to pass that king Lamoni caused that his servants should stand forth and testify to all the things which they had seen concerning the matter.
2 And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders? Probably a reference to the arms
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. (Alma 18:1-3)

Even though it is shown more dramatically here than in many other places in the scriptures and in church history, the essence of this story is probably repeated many times in each of our lives. The principle is simply this: before we came into this world we made covenants with our Heavenly Father that we would accomplish specific things while here. Some of those things had to do with our personal progression, but the great majority had to do with helping other people.

These assignments were made and accepted by covenant— and that is very different from the military concept of receiving an assignment then going out at our own peril to try to do it. A covenant is a two-way promise. We covenanted that we would fulfill our assignment and God covenanted that he would make it possible for us to do so. In the following I would like to review some of the scriptures that deal with the conditions of that premortal covenant.

During the ancient Israelite performance of the Feast of Tabernacles temple drama, Psalm 82 was enacted as a depiction of our making covenants with our Heavenly Father. Watching the play not only gave the ancient Israelites the opportunity to review the covenants they had made in the premortal world; but as they participated in the drama that became a new covenant-making reality. As they spoke the words in unison, each individual covenanted to fulfill his own assignment in order that the Father’s purposes might be accomplished. If those assumptions are correct, then, as in the story of King Benjamin, even though the words were spoken in unison, making of the covenant was the personal act of each individual in the congregation.

Because the congregation’s participation in the drama was, for each of them, a present and personal act, the words of the psalm and the enactment of the story were, as Mowinckel and Nibley suggested ( Mowinckel, The Old Testament as Word of God, 99-100. Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 224.), not just a remembering of the myth and a re-enactment of the ritual, but a new actualization of the event and a new covenant. For each member of the congregation who participated in the ancient drama, their making the covenant anew was a reaffirmation of an everlasting covenant, but it was also a new covenant, affirming one’s present relationship with God— a new and everlasting covenant.

The original scene depicted by Psalm 82 can more readily be understood by inserting it into the account recorded in Abraham 3, where it fits so perfectly that it does not even break the cadence of the story. Please note, by putting the two scriptures together in this way, I am not trying to imply that they were ever written as a single unit. Rather, they are combined here to illustrate an interesting—perhaps insightful—picture of how things might have been in the Council in Heaven, and how they might have been portrayed on the stage. In the King James Version, the last verse of Psalm 82 reads, “Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.” The word translated “God” is elohim which is plural for “gods in the ordinary sense” and also the name of the Father of the gods. Elohim is translated both ways in the first verse of the psalm. In the last verse, “gods” makes more sense, showing that line to be the concluding words of the Father and the covenant made by his children. The members of the Israelite audience probably understand themselves to represent the members of the Council in Heaven. If that were so, then it was they who stood and spoke the words of the covenant.

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. [He asked,] How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O gods, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. [After the covenant, God said,] These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born (Abraham 3:22-23 & Psalm 82).

The covenant we made in the Council in Heaven is new because it is given to us anew in this mortal world. It is the fulness of the gospel, as the Lord explained.

46 And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47 And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48 And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world (D&C 84:46-48).

It is everlasting because its principles are eternal.

2 Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel, sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life and be made partakers of the glories which are to be revealed in the last days, as it was written by the prophets and apostles in days of old. (D&C 66:2)

Subsets of that covenant include the promises represented by Psalm 82, which are like the law of consecration. Baptism is another part of it.

1 Behold, I say unto you that all old covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing; and this is a new and an everlasting covenant, even that which was from the beginning.
2 Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times it availeth him nothing, for you cannot enter in at the strait gate by the law of Moses, neither by your dead works. (D&C 22:1-2)

Celestial marriage is another important part of it.

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;
2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];
3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it (D&C 131:1-3).

The importance of that new and everlasting covenant is taught in D&C 132:1-14. At the conclusion of that explanation of the covenant, the Lord makes it clear that while the principles of the covenant are eternal and apply to everyone, certain aspects of the covenant are very specific to each individual.

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?
10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?
11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was? (D&C 132:8-11).

Paul taught the early Saints about the covenant in his letter to the Ephesians. At the beginning of the letter he reminds them,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:3-4).

He then gives remarkable details about our covenants with our Heavenly Father, concluding with the assurance that “ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [ourselves], unto the praise of his [Heavenly Father’s] glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). Paul then brings us from the premortal world into the present world where he prays that— by the spirit of revelation— “ye may know what is the hope of his calling [‘calling’ is a verb: Paul wants us to know what the intent of our assignment is], and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints [what blessings await those who fulfill their assignments], And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.” (Ephesians 1:15-19) In the rest of the chapter Paul explains that Heavenly Father will exercise the same power in our behalf that he exercised in the Saviour’s behalf, to empower us to fulfill our covenants.

In other words, God has given each of us an assignment that we must fulfill in this life (and that assignment probably extends to include the spirit world after this life). He has also given us the necessary tools to fulfill that assignment, and he has promised us that he will exercise his power in our behalf to keep any obstacle in earth or in hell from preventing us from keeping our covenants. He will not fulfill the assignment for us, and we may choose not to, but in the end we will never be able to say that the assignment was greater than our ability. The Lord expects us to succeed and has arranged for our success. That is one of the most comforting principles of the everlasting gospel, and the evidence of its truthfulness is not only found in the scriptures but also many times in our own personal lives.

Alma 18, 19 – LeGrand Baker – The Conversion of the Kings

Over the years, it has been my great privilege to have spent many rewarding hours with many of you as we have read the scriptures together. And that’s the point I wish to make here. It takes time, usually a great deal of time to read, examine, and digest the intent of many passages of scriptures. For example, if we could get through more than the first four verses of Ephesians in less than two or three hours, then we had been moving right along. With that in mind, I read the account of the Nephite missionaries teaching the Lamanite kings, and conclude that we are getting a very abbreviated description of some powerfully profound and in-depth conversations. And that those conversations probably lasted for many days, perhaps many weeks.

Not long ago, Rudd Hopkins, who is working this summer in New York, called me to say, “Wow! I’ve got to tell you what I just read in Alma 22.” At his suggestion, I re-read the story told there. He was right: it is “wow!” I would like to share it with you, but of course, I can’t, so we will just have to go round-about it in the way the scriptures do.

First, lets read the story of king Lamoni’s conversation, and the story of his father’s, and compare them. The comparison should focus on what they were taught and in what order the ideas were presented. Then we will each— each individually, for that is the only way it can be done— compare their remarkable experiences and consider the prerequisites for such experiences.

For ease of reading, I have put one in bold and the other in italics.

Alma 18

36 Now when Ammon had said these words, he began at the creation of the world, and also the creation of Adam,

Alma 22

12 And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam

and told him all the things concerning the fall of man,

reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.

and rehearsed and laid before him the records and the holy scriptures of the people,

13 And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him,

which had been spoken by the prophets, even down to the time that their father, Lehi, left Jerusalem.

37 And he also rehearsed unto them (for it was unto the king and to his servants) all the journeyings of their fathers in the wilderness, and all their sufferings with hunger and thirst, and their travail, and so forth.

38 And he also rehearsed unto them concerning the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, yea, all their rebellions did he relate unto them; and he expounded unto them all the records and scriptures from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem down to the present time.

and their carnal state

39 But this is not all; for he expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world;

and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.

14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself;

and he also made known unto them concerning the coming of Christ,

but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory;

and all the works of the Lord did he make known unto them.

and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.

I suppose in both of those last statements “all” means all. If that is the case, then the subtext of both stories presuppose a number of interesting things. One is implied in this explanation from the D&C:

19 And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

20 Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

21 And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;

22 For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live (84:10-22)

Given what happened to each of the two kings after their conversion, it is reasonable to suppose that they must have had the priesthood. That, in turn, suggests that they got it from the Nephite missionaries. That probably implies that the sons of Mosiah had all the requisite authority to administer all the blessings, covenants, and ordinances that would have been necessary to bring the Lamanites fully into the Kingdom of God.

This is the conclusion of king Lamoni’s conversion story.

Alma 18

40 And it came to pass that after he had said all these things, and expounded them to the king, that the king believed all his words.

41 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.

42 And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.

Alma 19

12 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 woman, and said: Blessed be the name of God, and blessed art thou.

13 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. Now, when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

This is what happened with king Lamoni’s father:

Alma 22

17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:

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.

……………

22 Now when Aaron saw the determination of the queen, he, also knowing the hardness of the hearts of the people, feared lest that a multitude should assemble themselves together, and there should be a great contention and a disturbance among them; therefore he put forth his hand and raised the king from the earth, and said unto him: Stand. And he stood upon his feet, receiving his strength.

23 Now this was done in the presence of the queen and many of the servants. And when they saw it they greatly marveled, and began to fear. And the king stood forth, and began to minister unto them. And he did minister unto them, insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord.

The sequence of their teachings is unmistakable. Each story appears to contain a very abbreviated review of the ancient Israelite Feast of Tabernacles drama. King Lamoni’s account even ends the same way king Benjamin’s celebration of that drama ended, with a cry for mercy: “O Lord, have mercy; according to thy abundant mercy which thou hast had upon the people of Nephi, have upon me, and my people.” A review of that might be appropriate

Mosiah 4:1-3

1 And now, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of speaking the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord, that he cast his eyes round about on the multitude, and behold they had fallen to the earth, for the fear of the Lord had come upon them.

2 And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

Alma 17:35-39, LeGrand Baker, the story of Ammon

As we have observed, the story of Ammon is written in the most classic of ancient literary traditions. Ammon is not just any prince; he is heir apparent to the Nephite throne. Without being told we assume that when he went to the Lamanites he was dressed like a prince, well spoken, well educated, and had a personal presence that commanded respect. The Lamanites would not have had to guess twice to know who he was.

As a prince, Ammon’s education set him apart from every commoner. He was taught military tactics, diplomatic language and protocol, He would have been tutored in the use of personal weapons by the very best of the Nephite instructors. He would also have been given a superb academic education For example, king Benjamin’s sons were taught in all the languages so they could read and understand the scriptures. (Mosiah 1:2)That would include Hebrew, Egyptian, the spoken language of the Mulekites, and the vernacular tongue of the Nephite people. Similarly, even though Zeniff does not tell us his relationship to the king, we know he is a prince because he has a uniquely princely education – knows all the languages. (Mosiah 9:1)

Ammon, the hero prince, leaves home to accomplish an impossible task. He is captured by the Lamanites and immediately confronted with a temptation that would have prevented his fulfillment of that task. What may have been the equivalent of Odysseus’s Sirens stood squarely in the path of his success.

After Ammon was interrogated by King Lamoni, the Lamanite king offers the Nephite prince one of his own daughters as a wife. Whether this was a response to love -at-first-sight on the daughter’s part, or simply a political arrangement devised by the father, we are not told. But Lamoni’s having the next in line to the Nephite throne for a son-in-law (especially if he were one who had defected from his own country) would be a major political coup.

Ammon turns the offer down and opts to help tend the flocks instead, but that may not mean he accepted a demeaning office. The story of Ammon is remarkably like the one Josephus tells about Moses who had just fled from Egypt.

Moses, thinking it would be a terrible reproach upon him if he overlooked the young women under unjust oppression, and should suffer the violence of the men to prevail over the right of the maidens, he drove away the men, who had a mind to more than their share, and afforded a proper assistance to the women; who, when they had received such a benefit from him, came to their father, and told him how they had been affronted by the shepherds, and assisted by a stranger, and entreated that he would not let this generous action be done in vain, nor go without a reward. Now the father took it well from his daughters that they were so desirous to reward their benefactor; and bid them bring Moses into his presence, that he might be rewarded as he deserved. And when Moses came, he told him what testimony his daughters bare to him, that he had assisted them; and that, as he admired him for his virtue, he said that Moses had bestowed such his assistance on persons not insensible of benefits, but where they were both able and willing to return the kindness, and even to exceed the measure of his generosity. So he made him his son, and gave him one of his daughters in marriage; and appointed him to be the guardian and superintendent over his cattle; for of old, all the wealth of the barbarians was in those cattle. (Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities of the Jews, “From the Death of Isaac to the Exodus,” chapter 11: “How Moses Fled out of Egypt into Midian, ).

The obvious difference is that while Moses’s marrying a princess fit well into his assignment, a similar act on Ammon’s part would have precluded his accomplishing his purposes. It appears that Lamoni’s most urgent need was to find someone who could protect his flocks. It was probably true that Lamoni’s wealth was measured by his flocks, and Ammon was apparently put in charge of their safety. If not actually put in charge by the king, his royal education and ability to command quickly became apparent. It was he, the newcomer, who led the others to recover their flocks and then he gave them instructions about what they should do to protect the animals.

35  Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.

Two important parts of every prince’s education are military strategy and personal expertise with weapons. Here again we see Ammon as the prince and hero. Hercules like, he confronts the enemy alone. Ammon is an expert with a sling, but cannot be hit by his enemy’s stones (God’s promise of invulnerability had a great deal to do with that).

36  But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.

When his enemies came at him with clubs (an evidence that they tough guys, but probably not trained soldiers) Ammon did not slaughter them with his sword. (The sword is probably another evidence of his wealth and status). Rather he cut off their arms.

37  But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.

That required a great deal of skill. I wonder if his skill enabled him to sever their arms at the joint of the elbow or if the force of his blows was so great that he cut through their bones. In either case, it is evidence that he had been trained to defend himself rather than just strike at the heart and kill his opponents. We see him exercising that same skill again later when he is engaged in a short dual with Lamoni’s father. That time he only wounded the king’s arm. He was not so sparing toward the leader of the ruffians.

38   Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.
39  And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.

That doesn’t say, but the implication is that after the battle there were quite a few arms laying about for the others to gather up.

This is a remarkable story because it fits into the ancient milieu of the hero man-god so accurately that it a perfect example of the ancient formula of the Cosmic Myth. As with Greek heroes, Ammon is confronted with not just one overwhelming challenge, but with two reasons to fail. The first is temptation, the second is that he is outnumbered by his enemies. Yet Mormon tells the story so casually that it does not have the “romance” of many of the other ancient hero story. Mormon’s purpose is not to create a hero, but to show that the Lord keeps his covenants and to set the stage for the conclusion of the saga which is Ammon’s successful missionary work.

 Alma 17:10-12, 26:26-27, LeGrand Baker, Mosiah’s Sons Comforted by the Lord.

There are two accounts of this event. Both quote the Saviour as though he personally spoke to them.

10  And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.
11  And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
12  And it came to pass that the hearts of the sons of Mosiah, and also those who were with them, took courage to go forth unto the Lamanites to declare unto them the word of God.(Alma 17:10-12)

26  But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls.
27  Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success (Alma 26:26-27).

This account sounds remarkably like Moroni’s observation about the Saviour’s appearance to the Brother of Jared:

17 And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites. (Ether 3:17)

That observation is reinforced by the fact that the Saviour not only spoke to them, but he also “comforted” them, implying that he administered an empowering ordinance. Empowering ordinances are associated with the word “comfort” in Isaiah 61, Psalm 23, and Isaiah 40:1-2,

I discussed “comfort” a short time ago under Alma 14:10-13, LeGrand Baker, Comfort: The power to transcend sorrow.