Aaron’s rebuke seems to have been given “by kindness,” and “without hypocrisy, and without guile” as the Lord directs, but was probably not based on “pure knowledge” (D&C 121:42). Ammon’s answer to Aaron’s rebuke is a great message to missionaries of this dispensation. His own nothingness and the Lord’s greatness (Alma 26:11–12) reflects the words of King Benjamin to his people regarding their knowledge of the glory of God and their own nothingness as unworthy creatures. The king promised those people that through prayer and faith they would always rejoice and be filled with the love of God (see Mosiah 4:11–12). Thus we assume that Ammon was filled with the love of God as he boasted. Today missionaries can also do all things in the strength of God (Alma 26:12). Furthermore, no one can glory too much in the Lord and of his attributes (v. 16). Only those who have experienced the joy of seeing the Lord work as Ammon had among the Lamanites can appreciate his inability to say the smallest part of what he felt (v. 16). The Lamanites had been loosed from the “ pains of hell” and “the chains of hell” as well as brought out of darkness into everlasting light (vv. 13–15). Ammon’s invitation for his brethren to rejoice in the Lord seems to have been inspired of the Spirit. What a great example of humility he gives us.
Ammon switches his subject to his own and his brother’s conversion when they were with Alma the younger (see Mosiah 27:10–17). As with the Lamanites, he and his companions had received the mercy of God instead of the sword of justice (Alma 26:17–20). We will further discuss the attributes of justice and mercy in chapter 15 of this work.