Alma 18:16-43
18:16-33 - After the brave servant asked Ammon to stay, Ammon and Lamoni played the "quiet game" for a while. But Ammon "being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king." Ammon asked him if him miraculously saving his flocks, and thereby his fellow servants by killing 7 attacking Lamanites and cutting of the arms of all the rest who tried to attack him, was the cause of "thy marvelings?" (Side note, the words "marvelings" is only used twice in the entire Book of Mormon and they are both in chapter 18.) And again, Lamoni "marveled again, for he beheld that Ammon could discern his thoughts." We are privy to a pretty meaningful but straight forward discussion between Lamoni and Ammon. The simplicity of Ammon's questions and answers makes me think for a minute about the way that effective teaching is done in my own life. We've seen many different teaching styles throughout the Book of Mormon so far, preaching, admonishing, rhetorical questions, but I think this one on one question and answer is new, as far as I can remember. Ammon could just have easily started preaching to king Lamoni, "God is real and he is the great spirit and he created the heavens and the earth..." but that's not what he did, he asked very simple questions, and as a result he was able to gauge what Lamoni knew, what he believed, and he was able to speak to him on this level, so that Lamoni could grasp everything. If he had just started out "God created the heavens and the earth..." Lamoni would have been lost. I wonder why Mormon documented this conversation verbatim? Maybe to show that not all people have the same basic knowledge and understanding, maybe to show that we need to meet people where they are in order to effectively teach them. The IM calls this "Building on Common Beliefs," and quotes the following:
Like I talked about yesterday, people hold on to beliefs, especially when it comes to God, as a way to feel close to him. There are slivers of truth in most religious teachings, that's why it's important to build on the common grounds of truth held by each person. The more we build on the truth, the more opportunity that others have to ponder and perhaps pray about it. Elder Dunn makes an excellent point that I think goes unrecognized by so many people, myself included at times, and that is that "once the storm has passed, we will still have to live with one another." It's difficult to have a knock down drag out fight with someone and then still have to face them again later. The example of meekness and humility is such a peaceful attribute demonstrated by the Savior, and such an important part of a peace filled and happy life. Now I'm not talking from experience, but that's what I would imagine. Another point that is brought up here is Ammon didn't scold or try to embarrass Lamoni when he believed in the Great Spirit instead of God. Like the IM said, "Ammon looked beyond that and focused instead on their common belief in a Supreme Being and taught from that point." He met Lamoni where he was, spiritually, and that's what we are supposed to do. The next part from the IM goes hand in hand with this, when we share little parts of our daily lives, we 
speak in terms that others around us understand. If I were to say, "church was great because it was fast and testimony meeting and then I worked in the nursery," I not only would confuse other people but it also has an air of superiority that comes with using words and phrases that you know that no one else around you understands. It makes them less likely to ask again or to even listen to your answer. If I were to say,"church was great because this was a special week of the month where anyone who wants to testify of Christ from the pulpit can, and then I took care of the toddlers so that their parents could go to classes," that's much more effective and much more likely to prompt more questions and a further conversation. Some people might want to know why we don't have a set minister and why other people from the congregation can get up and "preach." Some people might ask what classes the parents attend, some people might ask what I do with the kids while they are in my care. That's when companionship of the Spirit comes in handy so that we know what to say and how to answer specific questions. The IM teaches "Many members of the Church feel concern about how to begin gospel conversations. Ammon's approach as to ask Lamoni questions about his belief in God. Others have found it natural to simply talk about their 'church life' with their friends. Elder M. Russell Ballard gave valuable counsel about starting gospel conversations with our friends: 'Creating a gospel-sharing home does not mean that we are going to have to dedicate large amounts of time to meeting and cultivating friends with whom to share the gospel. These friends will come naturally into our lives, and if we are open about our membership in the Church from the very beginning, we can easily bring gospel discussions into the relationship with very little risk of being misunderstood. Friends and acquaintances will accept that this is part of who we are, and they will feel free to ask questions... A sister in France was asked about the secret of her success. She said 'I simply share my joy. I treat everyone as if they were already a member of the Church. If I'm standing by someone in line and strike up a conversation. I share with them how much I enjoyed my Church meeting on Sunday. When co-workers ask, 'What did you do this weekend?' I do not skip from Saturday night to Monday morning. I share with them that I went to church, what was said, and my experiences with the Saints. I talk about how I live, think, and feel.'" It's these casual moments where good, intriguing information can be shared, and seeds planted. There's one part, verse 32 that has an interesting vibe to it. By saying how God created the heavens and the earth, Ammon conveyed to Lamoni the power, majesty, and omnipotence of God. But then he teaches that God "looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning." Here he conveys God's vast investment in our daily lives, and how deeply and intimately we are connected with him, personally, every single one of us. Imagine a being so great and mighty that He created the universe, in all it's splendor, and beauty, and order, and majesty. Then imagine that same all powerful being being so deeply invested in our lives that he knows "all the thoughts and intents of the heart." That is incredibly powerful, so very empowering, there's a sense of "I can do anything with God's help," but there's also a sense of wanting to obey Him, because if he's all powerful then we can be rewarded or punished in a universal sense, and once we know the true nature of God, who He really is and what He really does, once we actually understand His love and desire for us, and when we couple that with His goodness and mercy and infinite resources and power, then there really is no other logical way to live, except to keep His commandments and strive to be closer to Him.
18:34-43 - Now that he has a grasp on where Lamoni is in terms of spiritual understanding, Ammon starts where all stories start, at the beginning. He teaches of the creation, and the fall, he taught the words of the prophet from Adam to the current time, he taught about "the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael," and he taught them the plan of salvation, and of the coming of Christ. The IM expounds on the importance of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement in the plan of salvation, teaching:
The three pronged approach to the plan of salvation is summed up quite nicely here by Elder Russell M. Nelson, "The creation of a paradisiacal planet came from God. Mortality and death came into the world though the Fall of Adam. Immortality and the possibility of eternal life were proved by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Creation, the fall, and the Atonement were planned long before the actual work of the Creation began." I think many times Satan tries to get us to believe that God is just winging it, he never anticipated Adam falling, and when he did he's just been flying by by the seat of his pants ever since. This clearly is not true, but Satan tries to discredit God at every turn. I don't fully understand why it all works together and what everything means, but it's making more sense with time.
And after all that teaching, Lamoni "believed all his words. 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."
In an April 1998 general conference address entitled "Removing Barriers to Happiness," Elder Richard G. Scott taught "I encourage you who have already made correct cultural choices to help other do likewise. Teach them to recognize the long-term blessings of peace and happiness that come from a decision to place Father in Heaven, His plan, and His Son at the center of their priorities. Follow Ammon's example.
He patiently taught king Lamoni to recognize and to abandon incorrect traditions. Many were blessed by his decision to discard them. Ammon taught truth so clearly that Lamoni was touched by the Spirit and desired to give up all of his false traditions."
And finally after all that, Lamoni "fell unto the earth as if he were dead." And I think it's important to know that "Dramatic conversions are the exception." It's easy to get discouraged when we don't have the stars and angelic visitations, we are all converted in our own way, that's the beauty of the Holy Ghost, he speaks to us in ways that only we understand. Some of us have one moment where suddenly everything makes sense, some of us grow through time. I think that we've established that one burning bush manifestation is not enough to know and truly obey God. True conversion is a lifetime ambition, it takes our whole commitment, our entire effort, it takes small steps, daily prayer, daily scripture study, to truly feed our spirits into healthy and robust giants. Some times there are big events, and sometimes there are small events, whatever the circumstances surrounding our own personal conversion, it doesn't matter. What matters is that God took the time and effort to make it known unto us personally the truth, and what we should do, His attention and guidance is what is important, not our own personal display.
speak in terms that others around us understand. If I were to say, "church was great because it was fast and testimony meeting and then I worked in the nursery," I not only would confuse other people but it also has an air of superiority that comes with using words and phrases that you know that no one else around you understands. It makes them less likely to ask again or to even listen to your answer. If I were to say,"church was great because this was a special week of the month where anyone who wants to testify of Christ from the pulpit can, and then I took care of the toddlers so that their parents could go to classes," that's much more effective and much more likely to prompt more questions and a further conversation. Some people might want to know why we don't have a set minister and why other people from the congregation can get up and "preach." Some people might ask what classes the parents attend, some people might ask what I do with the kids while they are in my care. That's when companionship of the Spirit comes in handy so that we know what to say and how to answer specific questions. The IM teaches "Many members of the Church feel concern about how to begin gospel conversations. Ammon's approach as to ask Lamoni questions about his belief in God. Others have found it natural to simply talk about their 'church life' with their friends. Elder M. Russell Ballard gave valuable counsel about starting gospel conversations with our friends: 'Creating a gospel-sharing home does not mean that we are going to have to dedicate large amounts of time to meeting and cultivating friends with whom to share the gospel. These friends will come naturally into our lives, and if we are open about our membership in the Church from the very beginning, we can easily bring gospel discussions into the relationship with very little risk of being misunderstood. Friends and acquaintances will accept that this is part of who we are, and they will feel free to ask questions... A sister in France was asked about the secret of her success. She said 'I simply share my joy. I treat everyone as if they were already a member of the Church. If I'm standing by someone in line and strike up a conversation. I share with them how much I enjoyed my Church meeting on Sunday. When co-workers ask, 'What did you do this weekend?' I do not skip from Saturday night to Monday morning. I share with them that I went to church, what was said, and my experiences with the Saints. I talk about how I live, think, and feel.'" It's these casual moments where good, intriguing information can be shared, and seeds planted. There's one part, verse 32 that has an interesting vibe to it. By saying how God created the heavens and the earth, Ammon conveyed to Lamoni the power, majesty, and omnipotence of God. But then he teaches that God "looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning." Here he conveys God's vast investment in our daily lives, and how deeply and intimately we are connected with him, personally, every single one of us. Imagine a being so great and mighty that He created the universe, in all it's splendor, and beauty, and order, and majesty. Then imagine that same all powerful being being so deeply invested in our lives that he knows "all the thoughts and intents of the heart." That is incredibly powerful, so very empowering, there's a sense of "I can do anything with God's help," but there's also a sense of wanting to obey Him, because if he's all powerful then we can be rewarded or punished in a universal sense, and once we know the true nature of God, who He really is and what He really does, once we actually understand His love and desire for us, and when we couple that with His goodness and mercy and infinite resources and power, then there really is no other logical way to live, except to keep His commandments and strive to be closer to Him.18:34-43 - Now that he has a grasp on where Lamoni is in terms of spiritual understanding, Ammon starts where all stories start, at the beginning. He teaches of the creation, and the fall, he taught the words of the prophet from Adam to the current time, he taught about "the rebellions of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael," and he taught them the plan of salvation, and of the coming of Christ. The IM expounds on the importance of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement in the plan of salvation, teaching:
And after all that teaching, Lamoni "believed all his words. 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."
And finally after all that, Lamoni "fell unto the earth as if he were dead." And I think it's important to know that "Dramatic conversions are the exception." It's easy to get discouraged when we don't have the stars and angelic visitations, we are all converted in our own way, that's the beauty of the Holy Ghost, he speaks to us in ways that only we understand. Some of us have one moment where suddenly everything makes sense, some of us grow through time. I think that we've established that one burning bush manifestation is not enough to know and truly obey God. True conversion is a lifetime ambition, it takes our whole commitment, our entire effort, it takes small steps, daily prayer, daily scripture study, to truly feed our spirits into healthy and robust giants. Some times there are big events, and sometimes there are small events, whatever the circumstances surrounding our own personal conversion, it doesn't matter. What matters is that God took the time and effort to make it known unto us personally the truth, and what we should do, His attention and guidance is what is important, not our own personal display.
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