In the
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude d ...
, Ammon () is a prominent
Nephite
According to the Book of Mormon, the Nephites () are one of four groups (along with the Lamanites, Jaredites, and Mulekites) to have settled in the ancient Americas. The term is used throughout the Book of Mormon to describe the religious, p ...
missionary and
a son of King Mosiah. He originally opposes the church, but along with his brothers and
Alma the Younger
According to the Book of Mormon, Alma, the son of Alma () was a Nephite prophet often referred to as Alma the Younger to distinguish him from his father, who is often referred to as Alma the Elder. These appellations, "the Younger" and "the Elde ...
, is miraculously converted. Following his conversion he serves a mission to the
Lamanites and converts
Lamoni and his people.
Claims about origins of the name
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...
apologist
Hugh Nibley claimed that ''Ammon (or Amon)'' () is "the commonest name in the Book of Mormon" and "the commonest name in the
Egyptian Empire
The New Kingdom, also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the sixteenth century BC and the eleventh century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth dynasties of Egypt. Radioca ...
" (which embraced
Palestine at
Lehi's time, which fell within its
Late Period). The name also occurs in the Bible.
Book of Mormon Narrative
Early life and conversion
As one of the four sons of King Mosiah, Ammon has tremendous influence among his people, the Nephites. He rejects the Church and attempts to turn the people from the teachings of the prophets. Because of the fervent prayers of their parents, Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah have a conversion experience much like that of
Paul the Apostle; an
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
appears to them on the road and rebukes them for their wickedness. The shock puts Alma the Younger into an insensible state for a time; the specific effect on Ammon is not described, but he becomes fully converted to the Gospel and desires to serve as a missionary to the Lamanites. 120 b.c. to 76 b.c.
Successful mission
Ammon and his brothers spend several years teaching the Gospel to the Lamanites. Ammon goes first to the land of Ishmael. He is captured by the Lamanites and taken before their king, Lamoni. Lamoni asks his purpose in straying so far from Nephite lands. When Ammon replies that he wants to live among Lamoni's people, the king, impressed, offers him one of his daughters. Ammon refuses but becomes a servant in the king's household, assisting others in caring for the king's flocks.
When bandits attack, Ammon directs the others to encircle the flock so they will not scatter and confronts the bandits. Fellow servants tell him they will be killed if the bandits acquire any of the flock. As he is seemingly outnumbered, the thieves attack Ammon. From a distance he kills several with his sling and then in hand-to-hand combat cuts off the arms of every robber who attacks him. Ammon's defense of the King's flock convinces the servants and the king that he is favored by God. The king, his household, and the entire kingdom convert to the Gospel.
Later, Ammon's love and respect for Lamoni impresses Lamoni's father, the king of all the Lamanites.
[Alma 20] As a result, the Lamanite king accepts the teachings of Aaron, Ammon's brother, and is converted. The Lamanites converted as a result of Ammon's ministry are called the "
Anti-Nephi-Lehies
According to the Book of Mormon, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies () were an ethnic group of Lamanites formed around 90 BC, after a significant religious conversion. They made a covenant that they would not participate in war, and buried their weapons. Eventu ...
" until they change their name to the
People of Ammon after their migration to the Nephite land of Jershon. They swear to never take up arms again (and never do), although the
two thousand stripling warriors are later recruited from among their sons.
References
Further reading
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See also
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Ammon, Idaho
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ammon
Book of Mormon people
Angelic visionaries