Alma 18 - Open Your Mouth

This chapter shows us two things. 

1.     It shows us the process of a person steeped deep in evil tradition who comes to a knowledge of his baseness to the point of desiring truth to be rid of the evil that is within. 

2.     It shows the process we as missionaries will need to go through as we teach. 

After hearing what Ammon had done for his flocks, his servants and of his amazing strengths, first he was in awe and then fear.  He feared of being judged by this man of such power, and he knew in his heart he had done horrible things – not the least of which was kill his servants when they failed to protect his flocks from the Lamanites.

As Ammon proceeds to answer his question and alleviate his fears, Lamoni is astonished and marvels that such a man can be so full of good and knowledge while at the same time be so strong against the powers of evil.  By the time he has heard about God and the Plan of Redemption, which includes the history of how man came to be in the first place, he desires to repent. 

And this is the work of missionaries:  To assist the Lord in bringing to pass his work and his glory - the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39). 

I suspect very few of us will be called upon to slay the bad guys with our swords.  Our swords will be the word of God.  We must know it.  We will be called upon to teach in humility as did Ammon.  We will be required to tell it from the beginning – the creation of the earth, our purpose on earth, the part we play in the Plan of Redemption.  We will be required to help in the saving of souls from the lies of the world/Satan.

I made note of six stages Lamoni went through in this chapter:

• Awe
• Fear
• Astonishment
• Marvel
• Belief
• Desires to repent

I also have instructions to those teaching.  These are the things Ammon did as he taught King Lamoni:

• A true servant keeps the commandments.  (He followed through with the things he said he would do.)
• A true servant will ask what needs to be done.  (Ask the needs of those we are serving.)
• A true servant is humble in his greatness.  (Give glory to the Lord.)
• A true servant/teacher will start at the very basics. (First find out if they even believe in God.)
• A true servant/teacher will start at the creation.  This is also a temple reference for me. (Is this not what happens in the temple?)
• A true servant/teacher will teach the plan of redemption, happiness.  (Don’t most people have an innate desire to know where they came from, why they’re here and what happens after death?  We need to know how to explain this.)
• A true servant/teacher will teach of Christ and his roll in the plan of happiness. (As we teach the Plan of Redemption, it is impossible to do so without speaking of Christ and His roll in this plan.)

As an experiment, I tried talking out loud during a hike in the mountain and telling my imaginary investigator of the creation and the Plan of Salvation.  This was a challenge.  I suspect strongly that when I am called upon to do so, the Spirit will assist.  There is a reason for practicing these things before called upon.  However, I have faith that it will happen as we have been told.  “Open your mouth”, and the Lord will put in it what needs to be said.  I’ve enjoyed reading the letters home from some of the missionaries in our neighborhood who have had amazing experiences in this area - some of them even in foreign languages they never spoke before.  What an amazing experience this must be.  I so look forward to my day when I will be able to do so.