Scripture of the Day: “O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead.” —Alma 22:18
Lamoni’s father was king over all the Lamanites. He had absolute power in their kingdom. He could decide whether people lived or died!
And he was furious when he learned that his son Lamoni had skipped one of his events in order to help Ammon, a Nephite. The king tried to kill Ammon! But Ammon got the better of him, and the king had to plead for his life.
“If thou wilt spare me I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half the kingdom,” Lamoni’s father said (Alma 20:23).
The king felt the Spirit and was impressed by how much Ammon loved his son Lamoni. So when Ammon’s brother Aaron came to teach him, the king was open to hearing more about the gospel.
He humbled himself and prayed, telling the Lord:
“I will give away all my sins to know thee” (Alma 22:18).
The king was willing to give up half of his kingdom to save his life, but he was willing to give up all of his sins to better know God.
The most powerful man in the country humbled himself enough to pray to a God he wasn’t even sure existed.
What an example!