The Family of Lamoni

I’m interested in what we can learn about Lamoni and his family in the stories found in the first half of Alma.  Lamoni obviously was the first of his family to accept the message of the sons of Mosiah.  Lamoni and his wife were converted, and “the work of the Lord did commence among the Lamanites” starting with their household (Alma 19:36).  Lamoni’s father—the king of all the Lamanites—was at first angered by the work of Ammon but eventually he too was converted after Aaron taught him.  Following his conversion the king “did minister unto [the people], insomuch that his whole household were converted unto the Lord” (Alma 22:23).  He granted Lamoni full autonomy over the land of Ishmael, and the king “sent a proclamation” declaring protection for the sons of Mosiah and that the “word of God might have no obstruction” (Alma 23:1-3).  The Lamanites in seven cities were ultimately converted, and Lamoni’s father “consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning the name that they should take upon them” and decided upon the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 23:8-12, 16-17). 

                Soon the unconverted Lamanites become angry with the new Anti-Nephi-Lehies and “they began to rebel against their king, insomuch that they would not that he should be their king.  Perhaps the stress of all of this did the king (Lamoni’s father) in, and he “conferred the kingdom upon his son, and he called his name Anti-Nephi-Lehi” and then “died in that selfsame year” (Alma 24:2-4).  So Anti-Nephi-Lehi was the brother of Lamoni, and these two brothers and the sons of Mosiah did “hold a council” to determine what to do about the great threat of the other Lamanites who were preparing for war (Alma 24:4-5).  The king Anti-Nephi-Lehi gave an incredible testimony of the blessings of God to his people, and they unquestioningly refused to fight against their brethren to protect their lives.  The Lamanites “came up to the land of Nephi for the purpose of destroying the king, and to place another in his stead, and also of destroying the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.”  They slew 1005 of them but subsequently stopped when they realized that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies were not giving them any resistance (Alma 24:20).  My guess is that among those 1005 was Lamoni as well.  He is not mentioned again in the Book of Mormon.  Anti-Nephi-Lehi did survive, though, and it was with him that Ammon counseled about going to settle in the land of Zarahemla for protection (see Alma 27). 

                Anti-Nephi-Lehi clearly was no longer the king of the Lamanites, and someone else was placed in his stead likely around 77 BC when the people of Ammon joined with the Nephites.  It was only about five years later when Amalickiah came on the scene and took over the kingdom by killing the unnamed king of the Lamanites (who likely was the one who replaced Anti-Nephi-Lehi).  So within a very short amount of time, the king of the Lamanites joined the Nephites, and a prominent Nephite became the king of the Lamanites.  What incredible faith this family had—Lamoni, his brother Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and their father—to give up their positions of prominence for the gospel.  They truly did forsake their nets and devoted the rest of their lives to the Lord.