King Lamoni is amazed by Ammon’s miraculous defense of his flocks. He asks Ammon to explain where he obtained such power. Ammon teaches him about God and the plan of redemption. King Lamoni is so overwhelmed that he falls to the ground, unable to move or communicate.
Chapter Outline
- Lamoni’s servants tell him about the miracle of the flocks (v. 1-11)
- The king asks Ammon to explain his power (v. 12-21)
- Ammon teaches the king about God and the plan of redemption (v. 22-40)
- The king believes, prays, and falls unconscious (v. 41-44)
My Takeaways
- Steady, conscientious service can be impactful.
- Good listening includes allowing people time to gather their thoughts.
- Effective teachers build upon concepts their students already understand.
- Effective leaders are humble.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Lamoni learns about the miracle – Alma 18:1-11
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Many of us spend a large amount of time at work, contributing to the goals of an organization and interacting with peers, subordinates, and managers. Today, I found the following principles in the Book of Mormon to help me be a better employee: Principle #1: Take ownership. Three days after Ammon accepted the assignment to…
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Serving Others?
King Benjamin was a remarkable leader. He was able to remain humble in spite of the political power he possessed, and to avoid abusing that power. At the end of his life, as he reported back to his people, he said that he had spent his days in their service. “I, myself,” he said, “have…
Behold, He Is Feeding Thy Horses – Alma 18:8-10
8 And it came to pass that king Lamoni inquired of his servants, saying: Where is this man that has such great power?9 And they said unto him: Behold, he is feeding thy horses. Now the king had commanded his servants, previous to the time of the watering of their flocks, that they should prepare…
❖ The king asks Ammon to explain his power – Alma 18:12-21
How Can I Be a Better Listener?
Today, I pondered what I can do to be a better listener. Here are some relevant guidelines taught by the Book of Mormon: 1. Recognize your own limitations and prepare yourself to participate fully in the interaction. When Nephi returned to his family’s camp after seeing a vision, he found his brothers “disputing one with…
“For the Space of an Hour” – Alma 18:14
I’ve been working on being a better listener, so I was inspired by Ammon’s response when King Lamoni failed to answer a question. Here’s the story: King Lamoni was overwhelmed when he learned that his new servant, Ammon, had singlehandedly driven away a large group of marauders who were trying to scatter his sheep. The…
How Knowest Thou the Thoughts of My Heart? – Alma 18:18-20
18 Now when the king had heard these words, he marveled again, for he beheld that Ammon could discern his thoughts; but notwithstanding this, king Lamoni did open his mouth, and said unto him: Who art thou? Art thou that Great Spirit, who knows all things? 19 Ammon answered and said unto him: I am…
Thou Mayest Speak Boldly – Alma 18:20-21
20 And the king said: How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart? Thou mayest speak boldly, and tell me concerning these things; and also tell me by what power ye slew and smote off the arms of my brethren that scattered my flocks—21 And now, if thou wilt tell me concerning these things, whatsoever…
❖ Ammon teaches the king – Alma 18:22-40
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This is God – Alma 18:24-28
24 And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God? 25 And he answered, and said unto him: I do not know what that meaneth. 26 And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit? 27 And he said, Yea. 28…
What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Creation of the Earth?
It’s so easy to have a narrow perspective. Our brains have finite capacity, and we all have tasks that must be done today. Focusing on the here and now may seem to be imperative. But provincial thinking can result in distorted perception and poor decisions. Book of Mormon prophets understood the importance of seeing the…
A Portion of That Spirit Dwelleth in Me – Alma 18:34-35
34 Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true; 35 And a portion…
“Aaron Hath Told Me”
The world rewards cynicism, but the Lord rewards trust. Lamoni’s wife believed the words of Ammon with no other evidence. Lamoni’s father prayed, “O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God.” We invite His power into our lives when we trust Him.
Old Testament Foundations
All Creatures
Based on: Psalm 148 Core message: The more fully we embrace our identity as sons and daughters of God, the more of a connection we feel with His other creations. Related Book of Mormon passages: Mosiah 28:3, Alma 18:28-36, Alma 22:10-13
Gleaning
The law which God gave to the Israelites included a provision for caring for the poor among them: When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt…
The Image of God
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27 How much are we like God? We see daily evidence of how far we—and the people around us—fall short of perfection. So how can we think we have anything in common with a perfect Being?…
New Testament Parallels
I Am a Man
It is impossible to be objective about ourselves, but we ought to try. Throughout the scriptures, prophets remind themselves and others that they are human. Alma, Nephi, Ammon, and Peter all used some version of the phrase “I am a man” to emphasize this.
Faithful over a Few Things
God cares more about the way we fulfill our responsibilities than the scope of those responsibilities. In the Parable of the Talents, both servants who did well earned the leader’s praise, even though one had five talents and the other only had two.
Servant Leadership
Jesus taught that leaders in God’s kingdom do not place themselves above others. They focus on serving and ministering to those they lead. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin and Ammon demonstrated this kind of leadership.
Church History Connections
Knowledge and Power
As he worked on his translation of the Bible, Joseph Smith sought guidance from the Lord many times about the meaning of specific passages. As he studied the book of Revelation, Joseph asked about the four beasts described in Revelation 4:6-9. These beasts each have 6 wings, reminiscent of the seraphim in Isaiah’s vision (Isaiah…
“A Portion of His Spirit”
When the sons of Mosiah and a small number of their friends embarked on a mission among their enemies, the Lamanites, they knew they couldn’t accomplish their objectives alone. They would need God’s help. To that end, they “searched the scriptures diligently” and “[gave] themselves to much prayer, and fasting.” As a result, “they had…
“This Is God” – Alma 18:24-28
We can respect and build upon the beliefs of others, even people with whom we disagree. When Ammon asked King Lamoni if he believed in God, the king replied, “I do not know what that meaneth.” Ammon, recognizing that the king was not devoid of belief, asked a follow-up question: “Believest thou that there is…
“Hold Your Peace”
The phrase “hold your peace” means to remain silent and calm. The Lord instructed Joseph and Hyrum Smith to hold their peace in 1829. A number of people in the Book of Mormon remained silent for long periods of time. We can often communicate more effectively and feel less anxious by slowing down and not…
All Posts Referencing Alma 18
- The Heaven and the Earth (1/12/2026)
- The Endowment (9/21/2025)
- “Hold Your Peace” (2/15/2025)
- Anti-Christ, Anti-Repentance (7/16/2024)
- “Aaron Hath Told Me” (7/3/2024)
- The Plan of Salvation (4/18/2024)
- Mercy (3/26/2024)
- I Am a Man (7/19/2023)
- Faithful over a Few Things (5/26/2023)
- Servant Leadership (5/9/2023)
- All Creatures (8/23/2022)
- Gleaning (6/8/2022)
- Givers (2/23/2022)
- The Image of God (12/18/2021)
- Spirit (11/10/2021)
- Knowledge and Power (7/15/2021)
- “A Portion of His Spirit” (7/4/2021)
- Stewardship (5/22/2021)
- “This Is God” – Alma 18:24-28 (4/13/2021)
- “Fellow-Servants” (Alma 17:29) (2/9/2021)
- The Role of Women in the Conversion of Lamoni’s People (6/27/2020)
- “For the Space of an Hour” – Alma 18:14 (6/23/2020)
- “I Do Not Know All Things” – Words of Mormon 1:7 (3/28/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Creation of the Earth? (12/8/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be “Caught with Guile?” (11/27/2019)
- How Can I “Use Boldess, but Not Overbearance?” (9/12/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Employee? (8/31/2019)
- What Should I Think About? (8/24/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Listener? (5/12/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Serving Others? (4/26/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Prayers Recorded in the Book of Mormon? (3/28/2019)
- How Knowest Thou the Thoughts of My Heart? – Alma 18:18-20 (3/20/2018)
- This is God – Alma 18:24-28 (1/7/2018)
- A Portion of That Spirit Dwelleth in Me – Alma 18:34-35 (1/6/2018)
- Thou Mayest Speak Boldly – Alma 18:20-21 (2/22/2017)
- He Is Feeding Thy Horses – Alma 18:8-10 (8/16/2016)
- Behold, He Is Feeding Thy Horses – Alma 18:8-10 (4/12/2016)
- A Portion of That Spirit – Alma 18:35 (6/25/2015)
- Ammon Said: This Is God – Alma 18:24-28 (6/25/2015)
- Alma 18:9-10 He Was More Astonished, Because of the Faithfulness ofAmmon (11/6/2014)