The story of Aaron’s encounter with King Lamoni’s father began because Aaron followed the Spirit, as Ammon had done earlier (compare v. 1 and Alma 20:2–7). Aaron opened the door, so to speak, to a discussion by simply mentioning the role of the Lord’s Spirit. He then let the king express his concerns and continued to do so throughout their exchange. Aaron and Ammon were identical twins in their teaching approach (see commentary at Alma 18).
When Aaron testified that there is a God, the king responded with another question: “Is God that Great Spirit that brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem?” Aaron’s answer reflected his desire to build a relationship of trust based on common beliefs. The king’s idea of God as the Great Spirit was sufficient to begin laying the doctrinal foundation. An incorrect or less-effective approach would have been for Aaron to reply, No way. He is not some Great Spirit. He is an exalted, glorified, resurrected, celestialized Man with a body of flesh and bones. That statement is true, but it is not information that is needed all at once. That would be trying to feed the investigator meat before milk. Rather, “when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king.” He taught directly from the scriptures, and he expounded the core principles of the plan of salvation—the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement, or what Elder Bruce R. McConkie called the three pillars of eternity. This serves as an example to every teacher and leader in the Lord’s Church.