The Similarities of Two Ammons

There are several similarities between the stories of Ammon who helped rescue the people of Limhi and Ammon the son of Mosiah who served as a missionary to the Lamanites.  Three years into the reign of King Mosiah, the people “wearied him with their teasings” to know concerning the people who had gone up to the land of Nephi with Zeniff many years before.  King Mosiah “granted that sixteen of their strong men might go up to the land of Lehi-Nephi, to inquire concerning their brethren” and there was “one Ammon, he being a strong and mighty man, and a descendant of Zarahemla” who went as “their leader” (Mosiah 7:1-3).  About thirty years later, another group, the sons of Mosiah, similarly requested of Mosiah the opportunity to go up to the land of Nephi to help rescue a people: They “desired of him that he would grant unto them that they might, with these whom they had selected, go up to the land of Nephi that they might preach the things which they had heard, and that they might impart the word of God to their brethren, the Lamanites.”  After asking the Lord, King Mosiah “granted that they might go up and do according to their request” just as he had “granted” that Ammon and his group should go find the people of Limhi (Mosiah 28:1,8).  Of these missionaries Mormon recorded that “Ammon being chief among them,” just as the leader of the first group was Ammon (Alma 17:18). 

               Other facts about these two Ammons were also similar.  Ammon the missionary was the son of a king, and the other Ammon was a descendant of Zarahemla, meaning he was likely a grandson or great-grandson of Zarahemla.  Zarahemla was the leader of the Mulekite people when they were discovered by the first Mosiah.  Given that they came out of Jerusalem, a people with kings, Zarahemla was likely a king (though the text does not say that explicitly).  That means that Ammon was likely the direct descendant of a king and may even have been a rightful heir if Zarahemla hadn’t given up the right to rule to Mosiah many years earlier.  Both Ammons were also men of great strength.  The descendant of Zarahemla was described as a “strong and mighty man,” and the son of Mosiah displayed his “expertness and great strength” quite dramatically when he cut off the arms of the Lamanites (Alma 18:3).  These two men both showed great spirituality and great humility as they served people in the land of Nephi.  Ammon the son of Mosiah gave up his right to the kingdom in order to suffer among the Lamanites as a missionary for fourteen years.  He powerfully preached the gospel to King Lamoni and his people and had great success in bringing them to a knowledge of the truth.  Despite the marvelous results he saw as a missionary, he declared in humility, “I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself” (Alma 26:12).  The other Ammon also taught the gospel to a king and his people (and both kings’ names started with L and ended in i).  We read, “He also rehearsed unto them the last words which king Benjamin had taught them, and explained them to the people of king Limhi, so that they might understand all the words which he spake” (Mosiah 8:3).  He also showed his humility when the people of Limhi asked him to baptize them: “King Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant” (Mosiah 21:33).  And ultimately both Ammons were successful in bringing an oppressed people in danger down out of the land of Nephi and into the safety of the Nephite society.  The people of Limhi were able to escape their bondage under the Lamanites with the help of Ammon who led them back to Zarahemla; Ammon the missionary brought the converted Lamanites into the land of Jershon out of the reaches of the wicked Lamanites who sought to kill them.  In short, both Ammons were mighty men of God who did a great work for the salvation of many people, and the parallels between them are striking.  I have to think that perhaps Mosiah, knowing the goodness and power of Ammon the descendant of Zarahamla, named his son Ammon after him.  If that is the case, then the later Ammon certainly lived up to his righteous namesake.