“Ammon Was with the Lamanitish Servants”

Brant Gardner

Translation: Mormon’s description of the servants as “Lamanitish” suggests that they are politically affiliated but somehow still not fully Lamanite, like those who would have been socially integrated and/or lineally “Lamanite.” Possibly this term denotes people like Ammon, foreigners who were not originally of the Lamanite polity but who had been pressed into service. However, since this adjective is only used here and in Alma 19:16, we cannot be sure if it accurately denotes a category recognized in the plates or simply emerged from the translation process. In both cases, it refers to a king’s servant. Upon such thin evidence, however, it is impossible to come to a conclusion.

Culture:The text does not tell us that the king assigns Ammon to the Sebus project, but events virtually assure us that the king knew that Ammon would undertake this task. It was obviously dangerous task because many (perhaps all?) of those previously assigned this duty have been executed (Alma 17:28, 18:4, 19:20). With dizzying speed, we see Lamoni first offering his daughter to Ammon, then purposely sending him into a situation from which, if he survived the bandits’ attack, he could expect to be executed by the king’s orders.

Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 4

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