In Alma 27:26 we find that when the Anti-Nephi-Lehies entered Nephite territory and settled in the land of Jershon, "they were called by the Nephites, the people of Ammon." Some might wonder, How could Ammon and the people of Ammon be named after the Egyptian Amon, isn't that a pagan god? According to Hugh Nibley, he's not pagan at all. In several of our hymns we use the word Amon for the name of God:
What, tho, if the favor of Ahman possessing,
This world's bitter hate you are called to endure?
("The Time is Far spent" Hymnbook, p. 266)
The Egyptian word Amon means lots and lots of things. The main thing it means is "the unknown one," the one the Egyptians don't know. They call him "the hidden one, the concealed one, the one whose name nobody knows." Of course, that's exactly what the Hebrews said about him. Only the high priest in Israel knew the name of God. He only whispered it once a year when he went behind the veil. Nobody else knew that name. The name of Amon is written in Egyptian with a man concealing himself behind a blind. That is always read as Imn, "the one who is not seen, the one who is invisible, the one we don't know and who is above." [Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2, pp. 432-433]
The Antinephilehies Were Called the People of Ammon
When the Anti-Nephi-Lehies applied to the Nephites in Zarahemla for refuge, the voice of the people came back in favor of the agreement. Alma 27:26 states that the Anti-Nephi-Lehies "went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon; and they were called by the Nephites the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after." It might be wise for the reader to contemplate the covenant aspect of the Nephite/Anti-Nephi-Lehi agreement laid out it Alma 27:20-27.
Raymond Treat notes that part of the ancient Hebrew covenant ritual involved exchanging names or taking a new name. Each covenant participant would take the other person's last name and add it to his own. God and Abram exchanged names. God's name in Hebrew is YHWH. So God took an "H" from his name and gave it to Abram, changing his name to Abraham. Abraham's wife Sarai was also given an "H" which changed her name to Sarah. Abraham gave his name to God. That is why he is called the God of Abraham. [Raymond C. Treat, "Understanding Our Covenant," in Recent Book of Mormon Developments, Vol. 2, pp. 34-35]
Note*If we understand that the name Ammon is another name for God, then the phrasing in Alma 27:27 becomes interesting. There it says that "they [the Anti-Nephi-Lehies] were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. Another name for the church of God was the people of God (Mosiah 25:24) Another name for the people of Ammon [the Anti-Nephi-Lehies] was the people of God (see Alma 25:13). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes] [See the commentary on Alma 27:24]