pgs. 262 and 263...Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead...

5 Therefore, as Aaron entered into one of their ^asynagogues to preach unto the people, and as he was speaking unto them, behold there arose an Amalekite and began to contend with him, saying: What is that thou hast testified? Hast thou seen an ^bangel? Why do not angels appear unto us? Behold ^care not this people as good as thy people?

6 Thou also sayest, except we repent we shall perish. How knowest thou the thought and intent of our hearts? How knowest thou that we have cause to repent? How knowest thou that we are not a ^arighteous people? Behold, we have built ^bsanctuaries, and we do assemble ourselves together to worship ^cGod. We do believe that God will save all men.

7 Now Aaron said unto him: Believest thou that the Son of God shall come to redeem mankind from their sins?

8 And the man said unto him: We do not ^abelieve that thou knowest any such thing. We do not believe in these foolish traditions. We do not believe that thou knowest of things to come, neither do we believe that thy fathers and also that our fathers did know concerning the things which they spake, of that which is to come.

9 Now Aaron began to open the ^ascriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be ^bno redemption for mankind ^csave it were through the ^ddeath and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood.

10 And it came to pass as he began to expound these things unto them they were angry with him, and began to ^amock him; and they would not hear the words which he spake.

11 Therefore, when he saw that they would not hear his words, he departed out of their synagogue, and came over to a village which was called Ani-Anti, and there he found Muloki preaching the word unto them; and also Ammah and his brethren. And they contended with many about the word.

12 And it came to pass that they saw that the people would harden their hearts, therefore they departed and came over into the land of ^aMiddoni. And they did preach the word unto many, and ^bfew believed on the words which they taught.

13 Nevertheless, Aaron and a certain number of his brethren were taken and cast into ^aprison, and the remainder of them fled out of the land of Middoni unto the regions round about.

14 And those who were cast into prison ^asuffered many things, and they were delivered by the hand of Lamoni and Ammon, and they were fed and clothed.

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.

16 And they went forth whithersoever they were led by the ^aSpirit of the Lord, preaching the word of God in every synagogue of the Amalekites, or in every assembly of the Lamanites where they could be admitted.

17 And it came to pass that the Lord began to bless them, insomuch that they brought many to the knowledge of the truth; yea, they did ^aconvince many of their sins, and of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

18 And it came to pass that Ammon and Lamoni returned from the land of Middoni to the land of ^aIshmael, which was the land of their inheritance.

19 And king Lamoni would not suffer that Ammon should serve him, or be his ^aservant.

20 But he caused that there should be ^asynagogues built in the land of Ishmael; and he caused that his people, or the people who were under his reign, should assemble themselves together.

21 And he did rejoice over them, and he did teach them many things. And he did also declare unto them that they were a people who were under him, and that they were a ^afree people, that they were free from the oppressions of the king, his father; for that his father had granted unto him that he might reign over the people who were in the land of Ishmael, and in all the land round about.

22 And he also declared unto them that they might have the ^aliberty of worshiping the Lord their God according to their desires, in whatsoever place they were in, if it were in the land which was under the reign of king Lamoni.

23 And Ammon did preach unto the people of king Lamoni; and it came to pass that he did teach them all things concerning things pertaining to righteousness. And he did exhort them daily, with all diligence; and they gave heed unto his word, and they were ^azealous for keeping the commandments of God.

THE BOOK OF ALMA

THE SON OF ALMA

CHAPTER 22

Aaron teaches Lamoni’s father about the creation, the fall of Adam, and the plan of redemption through Christ—The king and all his household are converted—How the land was divided between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Between 90 and 77 B.C.

1 Now, as Ammon was thus teaching the people of Lamoni continually, we will return to the account of Aaron and his brethren; for after he departed from the land of Middoni he was ^aled by the Spirit to the land of Nephi, even to the house of the king which was ^bover all the land ^csave it were the land of Ishmael; and he was the father of Lamoni.

2 And it came to pass that he went in unto him into the king’s palace, with his brethren, and bowed himself before the king, and said unto him: Behold, O king, we are the brethren of Ammon, whom thou hast ^adelivered out of ^bprison.

3 And now, O king, if thou wilt spare our lives, we will be thy servants. And the king said unto them: Arise, for I will grant unto you your lives, and I will not suffer that ye shall be my servants; but I will insist that ye shall administer unto me; for I have been somewhat ^atroubled in mind because of the ^bgenerosity and the greatness of the words of thy brother Ammon; and I desire to know the cause why he has not come up out of Middoni with thee.

4 And Aaron said unto the king: Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way; he has gone ^ato the land of Ishmael, to teach the people of Lamoni.

5 Now the king said unto them: What is this that ye have said concerning the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, this is the thing which doth trouble me.


This reading tells of the missionary adventures of Aaron who was, of course, Ammon's contemporary. I like this quote from the institute manual that reminds us of the background of the people who Aaron was teaching:

The order of the Nehors began with the anti-Christ named Nehor (see Alma 1:1–16). Alma 21:6–8 illustrates some of their false beliefs:

1. They thought that simply meeting together constituted worshiping God (see v. 6).
2. They believed that God would save all men (see v. 6).
3. They denied Christ, saying that no man could know of things to come (see vv. 7–8).

The ruins of Ammonihah were called Desolation of Nehors because it had been the teachings of the order of the Nehors that hardened the hearts of the people of Ammonihah to the point where they were destroyed (see Alma 16:11). The efforts of Aaron and his brethren to preach the word of God to a people following the same beliefs shows how very committed these missionaries were to the Lord.

Alma 21:19–23 describes one of the purposes of government—to allow the free exercise of religious worship.