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CHAPTER 20The Lord sends Ammon to Middoni to deliver his imprisoned brethren—Ammon and Lamoni meet Lamoni's father, who is king over all the land—Ammon compels the old king to approve the release of his brethren. [About 90 B.C.] |
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1 AND it came to pass that when they had
established a church in that aland, that king Lamoni
desired that Ammon should go with him to the land of Nephi, that he might
show him unto his father.
2 And the voice of the Lord came to Ammon saying: Thou shalt not go up to the land of Nephia, for behold, the king will seek thy life; but thou shalt go to the land of aMiddoni; for behold, thy brother Aaron, and also Muloki and Ammah are in prison. 3 Now it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he said unto Lamoni: Behold, my brother and brethren are in prison at Middoni, and I go that I may deliver them.
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2a up to the land of Nephi Now the land of Nephi which the king of all the land did rule from was 'up' from the land of Ishmael. This would imply that it is up in a higer elevation. And because of this higher more mountainous elevation of Nephi even when one travels form Zarahamela, which was upon the banks of a river in the bottom of a valley next to the river Sidon, it is also said that from thence they would travel 'up' into the land of Nephi. In terms of the Andean range in Peru, this would mean that the land of Nephi was inland and in a more mountainous region than the rest of the various lands. |
1a
2 Ne. 5:8;
Alma 2:24; 2a Alma 21:12-13, 18; Alma 23:10
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4 Now Lamoni said unto Ammon: I know, in the
astrength of the Lord thou canst do all things. But behold,
I will go with thee to the land of Middoni; for the king of the land of
Middoni, whose name is Antiomno, is a friend unto me; therefore I go to the
land of Middoni, that I may flatter the king of the land, and he will cast
thy brethren out of bprison. Now Lamoni said unto him:
Who told thee that thy brethren were in
prison?a
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.
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4a Who told thee that thy brethren were in prison? Though Lamoni was not seek additional signs to build his testimony, this event would be an example of gospel living which would be engraven upon his newly changed soul. Confirming experiences in the gospel are always very important, for the human being is subject to the weakness of the flesh and the forgetfulness of man over time in respect to the things of God is well documented throughout the scriptures. A living and burning testimony requires the continued feeding of the soul by the things of the spirit. For Lamoni to see the principle of revelation at work would have been on such instilling experience, food to the gospel soul. He would experience that Ammon had been told by God that his brother was in prison and Lamoni would come to actually see the confirmation of the revelation. His mind would have believe the words of Ammon. But to have it fully and actually confirmed by the actual events of the matter would be a profound reinforcement to the fact of the truthfulness of Ammon's word as a prophet messenger of God. |
4a
TG
Strength b Alma 20:22; Alma 22:2
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6 Now when Lamoni had heard this he caused that his servants should
make ready his ahorses and his chariots.
7 And he said unto Ammon: Come, I will go with thee down to the land of Middoni, and there I will plead with the king that he will cast thy brethren out of prison.
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6a
Alma 18:9
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8 And it came to pass that as Ammon and Lamoni were journeying
thither, they met the father of Lamoni, who was king aover
all the land.
9 And behold, the father of Lamoni said unto him: Why did ye anot come to the bfeast on that great day when I made a feast unto my sons, and unto my people? 10 And he also said: Whither art thou going with this Nephite, who is one of the children of a aliar?
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8a
Alma 22:1 9a 1 Sam. 20:27 b Alma 18:9 10a Mosiah 10:16 (12-17)
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11 And it came to pass that Lamoni rehearsed unto him whither he
was going, for he feared to offend him.
12 And he also told him all the cause of his tarrying in his own kingdom, that he did not go unto his father to the feast which he had prepared. 13 And now when Lamoni had rehearsed unto him all these things, behold, to his astonishment, his father was angry with him, and said: Lamoni, thou art going to deliver these Nephites, who are sons of a liar. Behold, he robbed our fathers; and now his children are also come amongst us that they may, by their cunning and their lyings, deceive us, that they again may rob us of our property.
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14 Now the father of Lamoni commanded him that he should slay Ammon
with the sword. And he also commanded him that he should not go to the land
of Middoni, but that he should return with him to the land of
aIshmael.
15 But Lamoni said unto him: I will not slay Ammon, neither will I return to the land of Ishmael, but I go to the land of Middoni that I may release the brethren of Ammon, for I know that they are just men and holy prophets of the true God.
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14a
Alma 17:19
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16 Now when his father had heard these words, he was angry with
him, and he drew his sword that he might smite him to the earth.
17 But Ammon stood forth and said unto him: Behold, thou shalt not slay thy son; nevertheless, it were abetter that he should fall than thee, for behold, he has brepented of his sins; but if thou shouldst fall at this time, in thine anger, thy soul could not be saved. 18 And again, it is expedient that thou shouldst forbear; for if thou shouldst aslay thy son, he being an innocent man, his blood would cry from the ground to the Lord his God, for vengeance to come upon thee; and perhaps thou wouldst lose thy bsoul.
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17a
Alma 48:23 b Alma 22:6 18a TG Murder b D&C 42:18
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19 Now when Ammon had said these words unto him, he answered
him, saying: I know that if I should slay my son, that I should
shed innocent blood; for it is thou that hast sought to destroy
him.
20 And he stretched forth his hand to slay Ammon. But Ammon withstood his blows, and also smote his arm that he could not use it.
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21 Now when the king saw that Ammon could slay him, he began to
plead with Ammon that he would spare his life.
22 But Ammon raised his sword, and said unto him: Behold, I will smite thee except thou wilt grant unto me that my brethren may be acast out of prison. 23 Now the king, fearing he should lose his life, said: If thou wilt spare me I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom.
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22a
Alma 20:4
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24 Now when Ammon saw that he had wrought upon the old king according
to his desire, he said unto him: If thou wilt grant that my brethren may be
cast out of prison, and also that Lamoni may retain his kingdom, and that ye
be not displeased with him, but grant that he may do according to his own
desires in awhatsoever thing he thinketh, then will I spare
thee; otherwise I will smite thee to the earth.
25 Now when Ammon had said these words, the king began to rejoice because of his life.
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24a
Alma 21:21-22;
Alma 22:1
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26 And when he saw that Ammon had no desire to destroy him, and when
he also saw the great alove he had for his son Lamoni, he
was astonished exceedingly, and said: Because this is all that thou hast
desired, that I would brelease 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 morea—
27 And I will also grant unto thee that thy brethren may be cast out of prison, and thou and thy brethren may come unto me, in my kingdom; for I shall greatly desire to see thee. For the king was greatly astonished at the words which he had spoken, and also at the words which had been spoken by his son Lamoni, therefore he was adesirous to learn them.
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26aI will govern him no more Now it is a common thing in such kingdoms of the world to have tributary kings to an 'over-king'. And in the case of father's and sons, there are instances of kingdoms being divided unto the rule of the sons under their fathers, both in the kingdoms of the world and even in the order after God. For Melchizedek did so rule his people under the reign of his father according to scriptural record. Now the identity of Melchizedek and his father has been lost in a mist of unsureness. But considering that Noah did live to 950 years, Shem would have been subject to his father for some 350 years and could have been said to have ruled under his father's reign for a few hundred years. Abraham lived during the righteous years of Melchizedek's people and Shem's years shows that he was still living on earth five years after Abraham's death. Considering that Melchizedek did rule the citly of Salem, the same is Jerusalem. It is doubtful that the site of Abraham's commanded sacrifice of Isaac took place on the mount of Jerusalem. |
26a
2 Sam. 1:26;
TG
Loyalty b Alma 22:2 27a TG Teachable
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28 And it came to pass that Ammon and Lamoni proceeded on their
journey towards the land of Middoni. And Lamoni found favor in
the eyes of the king of the land; therefore the brethren of Ammon
were brought forth out of prison.
29 And when Ammon did meet them he was exceedingly sorrowful, for behold they were nakeda, and their skins were worn exceedingly because of being bound with strong cordsa. And they also had asuffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were bpatient in all their sufferings. 30 And, as it happened, it was their lot to have fallen into the hands of a more hardened and a more astiffnecked people; therefore they would not hearken unto their words, and they had cast them out, and had smitten them, and had driven them from house to house, and from place to place, even until they had arrived in the land of Middoni; and there they were taken and cast into prison, and bound with astrong cordsa, and kept in prison for many days, and were delivered by Lamoni and Ammon.
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29a they were naked ... bound with strong
cords
The strength and size of the 'cords' or ropes of bondage of the Lamanites
might will be confirmed by various depictions
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29a
Alma 21:14 b Alma 17:11 30a TG Stiffneckedness b Alma 26:29
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