Ammon (Christ) Cutting off the Arms of Wicked Men

Ammon (Christ) Cutting off the Arms of Wicked Men

By Jeffrey A. Bushman     March 2014

My seminary students asked one day if people in the Book of Mormon were also similitudes of Christ and I said God is the same, so the answer should be yes.  We decided as a class to see if Ammon, one of the 4 sons of Mosiah would work as a similitude.  He did!

I will include chapter and verse for you, and tell what event is happening.  If you would like to see what you can see before looking at my ideas, stop after reading the event and before my ideas are given in red type and see what you can come up with yourself.  You need to remember my ideas are not the one and only true one, there can be many similitudes given and if you see Christ in them I can’t see how you can be wrong.

Mosiah 29:1-9

V1-2   Ammon goes to his father King Mosiah and asks to go down to the Lamanites and preach the gospel to help them become righteous.  Ammon is the son of a king as Christ is the son of the Eternal King.  Also Christ wanted to go down among a group of unbelievers (world) and try to bring them back to God.

V3, 5   They wanted salvation preached to everyone so that the Lamanites would not suffer endless torment.  They did plead with the father many days that they might go up to preach.  He and his  brothers had great love for all mankind, like Christ’s love for the world, also as Christ pleads our case before the Father (mediator), he pleaded to go help them repent.

V7  Ammon will be delivered out of the hands of the Lamanities.  Christ could not be killed and could deliver himself out of any situation.  He had to give up his life himself.

Ammon given eternal life.  Jesus is the way the truth and the life.

Many of the Lamanites would believe on his words.  Many believed on Christ’s word to eternal life.

Alma 17

V 2-6  These I will just list and you should be able to see how they are the same for both Ammon and Christ.

a.     Waxed strong in their knowledge of the truth 

b.    Men of sound understanding 

c.     Searched the scriptures diligently to know the word of God. 

d.    Gave themselves to much fasting and prayer 

e.     Had spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation. 

f.      When they taught they taught with power and authority from God. 

g.     Taught 14 years among the Lamanites.  14 is a number than means Messianic 

h.    Many brought to the knowledge of the truth. 

i.      They had many afflictions and did suffer much, both in body and in mind,….also much labor in the spirit.  

j.      Leave their father. 

k.    Give up the kingdom to go among the people.

V8  Ammon departed into the wilderness with their numbers which they had selected to go help preach.  Jesus comes into the world with those (Apostles & Leaders) who were to help preach the word unto the people.

V9-10  He describes many other similarities that you can see if you look.  I didn’t want to make this too long.  Look for more in the verses I leave out, for practice!

V11  They were to be patient in long-suffering and afflictions that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.   Christ is the example of good and was an instrument in the salvation of many souls through the atonement.

V18  Ammon being chief among them, or rather he administered to them and he blessed them and they separated to their different areas.  Christ is chief among all and he blesses all those who may be separated from others and go out to serve the Lord.

V20  Ammon entered to land of Ishmael where he was taken and bound and taken before the King.  When Christ began His ministry he was rejected (bound) and many would not listen to Him.  He was also taken bound to the Leaders prior to his death and burial.

V22-23  Brought before King Lamoni who asked if he would like to live among them.  He said yea I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.  Christ desire to dwell for a period of time and stayed until the day he died.

V24-25  Lamoni was pleased and asked him to take one of his daughters to wife.  Christ could have lived in royal comfort during his mortal ministry and had all things done for him, but instead he (Ammon) said I will be thy servant.  Christ came as a ministering servant.  Ammon was set among the flocks of the king with the other servants.  Christ came to serve and minister, he was put over the flocks because he is the good shepherd.  The other servants also minister to the flock but will hearken to Christ.  Like servants in the church.

V26  After 3 days, Ammon with the other servants take the flock to drink of the waters of Sebus.  3 means Godhead or comes from God and Jesus as the good shepherd help take the flock to the (living) waters, to drink the waters of Eternal life.  Remember sheep are symbolic of members of the church.

V27-32  Next wicked men stand up and scattered the flocks of the king in many directions.  The servants of the king began to murmur and weep saying now they will be slain by the king for letting his flock be scattered.  When Ammon sees this he rejoices and thinks I will show forth the power that is in me that I may win the hearts of these my fellow servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.  He believed he was no better than the other servants and flatters them to go in search of the flocks.  They follow Ammon and bring the flocks back to the waters.  Wicked men are Satan and his followers and they scatter the flocks of the Lord, for as we learn in verses 35 they delighted in seeing the servants of the king killed and in 18:7 they wanted the sheep to be scattered that they would go into their lands and it be an act of plunder.  Satan’s goal is to destroy the church and he takes great pleasure in seeing the servants of the king put to death.  He also seeks to drive members away from the living waters and make them part of his own flock.  These good servants follow Christ and with great swiftness they return the flock to the living water.

V33-39  The wicked men come again to scatter the flock when they see them gathered back to the waters.  Ammon instructs them to encircle the flocks that they flee not and I will go and contend with these men who do scatter the flocks.  The servants circle the flocks and Ammon goes to contend with the men who are not a few.  They are not afraid for they thought anyone of them could slay him, but they didn’t know that God would deliver him out of their hands.  Ammon stands forth and begins to cast stones at them as they come to scatter the flocks.  They try to hit him but they cannot hit him with their rocks, so they get angry and decide to come and club him to death.  As every man lifted his club Ammon smote off their arm with his sword and they became frightened and flee from before Ammon.  He had killed 6 of them with the sling but he killed none but their leader with his sword, but he had smitten off many arms, even as many as were lifted against him.  He then goes back to the flocks and they finish watering them and return to the king with the servants bringing along all the arms that were cut off.  Ammon representing Christ, tells the servants to keep the sheep (saints) safe and he will fight our battles for us.  They respond and guard the sheep and he takes out his sling and uses stones that may be symbolic of the rock of revelation, the word of God or the gospel, remember we are to build on the rock of our redeemer.  He kills 6 with the sling, remember 6 is a number that stands for Satan and they cannot hit him with their rocks.  It is nice to have a savior who can’t be destroyed who will help us fight against Satan and his followers.  As they attack him with their clubs (remember your arm is symbolic of your power or strength) he takes the sword and by the strength of his arm he cuts off all who oppose him.  In scripture the word of God is sharper than a two edge sword.  Both the rocks and the sword represent the word of God filled with might and the power of God.  He kills only their leader with the sword (Satan) he has now killed 7 which mean (perfect or complete) victory over Satan and his followers.  Christ when he was on the mount of temptation withstood Satan by quoting scripture.  Remember Satan cannot win if we have the Lord fighting for us.  The servants will now bear testimony of the saving power of Ammon (Jesus) by bearing the arms as a testimony of their great deliverance.

Alma 18

V1-7   These verses have many imageries that I won’t take the time to go through since it is conversation between Lamoni and his other servants.  I will just mention a few things but won’t put my comments.  As the servants tell the story of their deliverance from the wicked men, Lamoni  believes that Ammon is the great spirit.  The servants say we don’t know what he is but we know he cannot be killed, and our enemies cannot scatter the flocks when he is with us, because of his great power or strength.  We know that he is a friend to the king, and Lamoni comments that Ammon came down to preserve your lives that I might not slay you.  Are you seeing the imagery?  We need to stay close to the Lord so He can do certain things for us.

V8-10     Lamoni asks where Ammon is at the present time and they say he is preparing your horses and chariots,  he then said, “Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that have been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them”.   Christ has remembered all of God’s commandments and doth perfectly execute them, hence he is without sin.

V11-23   The king would like to talk to Ammon but is afraid because of his past sins, finally Ammon came in after getting the chariots ready and asks if there is anything else Lamoni would like from him.  He is afraid to answer and so after a while Ammon decides to leave when a servant says, “Rabannah” which means great powerful king, the king would like you to stay.  Ammon asks what he wants and waits an hour for a reply, but none is forthcoming.  He asks again with no answer, then he perceived the thoughts of the king.  He asks is it because of what I did in protecting your servant and sheep?  The king says how do you know what I am thinking?  Are you that great spirit who knows all things?  Ammon says no.  But he tells the king if I tell how I did what I did, will you believe me? The king says yes, so Ammon teaches him the Plan of Happiness.  Christ is certainly a great and powerful King.  One who has the power to discern our thoughts, and is willing for us to know by what power he can lead us to living water.  Who can keep us safe from he who has power to destroy both body and spirit, and return us to the pastures of the King of Heaven.

As I read this story I am impressed with Christ’s desire that the members of the church are able to drink from the “Living Waters” and that he is there to protect us, along with His chosen servants, from the evil one.  There is no doubt He has power over our enemies, and that the only reason he demonstrates His power is to lead us to salvation.  It is nice to know that we can’t lose Eternal Life if we will stay with the flock He is protecting.