Alma 19

After two full days and nights, they were about to take Lamoni's body and place it in the tomb they'd built for burying their dead. The queen had heard about Ammon's reputation. She sent word asking him to come see her. Ammon did as she asked. He went to her and asked what she wanted him to do. She said: "My husband's servants have told me you're a prophet of a holy God. They say you have power to do amazing things in his name. So if that's true, I need you to go see my husband. He's been lying on his bed for two days and nights. Some people say he's not dead. Others say he is dead—that his body is already starting to smell and we need to bury him. But I don't smell anything." This was exactly what Ammon had been hoping for. He knew King Lamoni was in God's power. He knew the dark curtain of unbelief had been pulled away from his mind. The light of God's glory—the marvelous light of his goodness—had filled Lamoni's mind. This light had flooded his soul with such joy that the darkness had been driven out. The light of eternal life had been lit in his soul. Ammon knew this experience had overwhelmed Lamoni's mortal body. He'd been carried away in God. So what the queen wanted was exactly what Ammon wanted too. He went to see the king, just as the queen had asked. When he saw Lamoni, he knew he wasn't dead. He told the queen: "He's not dead. He's resting in God. Tomorrow he'll wake up. Don't bury him." Ammon asked her: "Do you believe this?" She answered: "I have no proof except your word and what the servants have said. But yes, I believe it will happen just as you've said." Ammon told her: "You're blessed because of your incredible faith. I'm telling you—there hasn't been faith this great among all the Nephites." From that moment on, she kept watch over her husband's bed, right up until the time the next day when Ammon said he would wake. He woke up exactly when Ammon said he would. As he rose, he reached out his hand to his wife and said: "Blessed be the name of God! And you are blessed! As surely as you're alive, I've seen my Redeemer! He will come and be born of a woman. He will save everyone who believes in his name." After saying this, his heart swelled with emotion and he collapsed again—overcome with joy. The queen also collapsed, overwhelmed by the Spirit. Ammon saw God's Spirit being poured out on the Lamanites—his own people—in answer to his prayers. These were the very people who'd caused so much grief among the Nephites and all God's people because of their sins and traditions. Ammon dropped to his knees. He poured out his soul in prayer and thanksgiving to God for what he'd done for his people. He too was overcome with joy. All three of them had collapsed to the ground. When the king's servants saw them fall, they also began crying out to God. The fear of God had come over them too. After all, they were the ones who'd stood before the king and testified about Ammon's great power. They called on God with all their strength until they'd all fallen to the ground—all except one Lamanite woman named Abish. She'd been converted to God years earlier because of a remarkable vision her father had. She'd been a believer for years but had never told anyone. So when she saw all of Lamoni's servants lying on the ground, along with the queen, the king, and Ammon flat on the floor, she knew it was God's power at work. She thought: "If people see this scene, maybe it will make them believe in God's power!" So she ran from house to house, spreading the news. People started gathering at the king's house. A huge crowd came. They were shocked to see the king, the queen, and all the servants lying on the ground as if they were dead. They also saw Ammon—and noticed he was a Nephite. People started arguing among themselves. Some said: "This is a terrible curse that's come on the king and his household because he let a Nephite stay in our land." But others argued back: "The king brought this on himself when he killed those servants whose flocks were scattered at Sebus!" Then the men who'd actually scattered the king's flocks at Sebus spoke up. They were still angry at Ammon for killing so many of their friends while he was defending the king's flocks. One of them—whose brother had been killed by Ammon's sword—was furious. He drew his sword and moved toward Ammon to strike him down. But as he raised his sword to attack, he dropped dead. You see, Ammon couldn't be killed. God had told Mosiah, Ammon's father: "I will protect him. What happens will match your faith." So Mosiah had trusted Ammon to God's care. When the crowd saw the man drop dead after trying to kill Ammon, fear gripped all of them. Nobody dared touch Ammon or anyone else who'd fallen. They started wondering again: "What could cause this kind of power? What does all this mean?" Many in the crowd said Ammon was the Great Spirit. Others said he'd been sent by the Great Spirit. But some argued with them all, saying: "He's a monster the Nephites sent to torture us!" Others said: "The Great Spirit sent Ammon to punish us for our sins. It's the same Great Spirit who's always helped the Nephites escape from us. This is the Spirit who's destroyed so many of our Lamanite brothers!" The argument got increasingly heated. While they were fighting like this, the servant woman who'd gathered everyone together arrived. When she saw how fiercely people were arguing, she was heartbroken. Tears filled her eyes. She went over and took the queen's hand, hoping to help her up. The moment she touched her hand, the queen stood up. She cried out loudly: "O blessed Jesus! You've saved me from a terrible hell! O blessed God, have mercy on these people!" Then she clasped her hands together, filled with joy. She spoke many words that people couldn't understand. After this, she took King Lamoni by the hand. He immediately stood up too. Seeing his people fighting, he immediately began correcting them. He taught them what he'd learned from Ammon. Everyone who heard his words believed and turned to God. But many refused to listen. They just left. When Ammon woke up, he also taught the people. So did all of Lamoni's servants. They all testified to the same thing: their hearts had been changed. They no longer wanted to do evil. Many declared they'd seen angels and talked with them. The angels had told them about God and his goodness. Many people believed their words. Everyone who believed was baptized. They became a righteous people and established a church. And so God's work began among the Lamanites. God started pouring out his Spirit on them. We can see that his reach extends to everyone who will turn to him and believe in his name.