As Ammon and Lamoni are traveling, they meet Lamoni’s father. This is the same father that Lamoni was going to take Ammon to see, and of whom the Lord suggested that he would seek Ammon’s life. We have the very interesting situation where the Lord told Ammon not to go Lamoni’s father, but that is the very man they meet while on their way to the other mission given them by the Lord. In this case, we must assume that the Lord knew very well that they would meet Lamoni’s father on the road.
As we will see, the intent to kill will still be there, but meeting the king on the road has probably placed Ammon in a different situation where he will be able to act in ways where he would have been constrained had he been before the king in his palace. For instance, it will be clear as this story continues that Ammon is armed, and that makes a great difference in the ending of this tale. Has Ammon appeared before the king in his court, it is unlikely that he would have been allowed (as a Nephite) to enter the presence of the king armed.