Culture: The death of Lamoni’s father raises a question about his age and condition during his combat with Ammon (Alma 20:20). Although the amount of time that passes between the two events is not specified, it is hard to see it as more than a few years. Perhaps it was illness, rather than old age, that caused the king’s death.
This verse provides further evidence of just how political “Lamanite” is for Mormon. Just a few verses ago, “Lamanite” included Lamoni’s father who was king of the Lamanites and all of the cities that both did and did not accept the gospel. But once they convert and change their name, they are no longer Lamanite. In that instant, they changed (in Mormon’s eyes) from Lamanite to something else: the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, who were so not-Lamanite that the curse had been removed (Alma 23:18). The smaller number of “Lamanites” who are led by Amulonites and Amalekites, both of whom used to be Nephites, has now become Mormon’s definition of “Lamanite.” “Lamanite” really does indicate those who are opposed to the Nephites, regardless of ancestry (Jacob 1:14).