The unnamed father of Lamoni was the Lamanite king who ruled over all the land of the Lamanites around 90 to 77 B.C. When his son Lamoni traveled with the Nephite missionary Ammon, the king confronted Lamoni for missing the feast he had made for his sons and for keeping company with a Nephite, whom he called one of the children of a liar (Alma 20:10-13). He commanded Lamoni to kill Ammon, and when Lamoni refused, the king drew his sword to strike his son. Ammon intervened, withstood the king’s blows, and wounded his arm so he could not use it (Alma 20:9-20).
When the king saw that Ammon could kill him, he pleaded for his life. Ammon agreed to spare him in exchange for the release of his imprisoned brethren and a promise that Lamoni keep his kingdom. Seeing Ammon’s love for Lamoni, the king was astonished and granted that his son retain the kingdom (Alma 20:23-26). He later received Aaron, Ammon’s brother, who came to him in the land of Nephi.
Aaron taught the king from the scriptures, beginning with the creation of Adam and the fall, and expounded the plan of redemption and the atonement of Christ. The king asked what he must do to gain eternal life and be born of God, and Aaron told him to repent and call on God’s name in faith (Alma 22:12-16). The king prayed, offering to give away all his sins to know God, and was struck as if dead. He was revived and ministered to his household, and they were converted (Alma 22:18, 23).
After his conversion the king sent a proclamation through his land forbidding anyone to harm Ammon, Aaron, and the other missionaries, granting them free access to preach. Aaron and his brethren went from city to city establishing churches, and thousands were brought to the knowledge of the Lord (Alma 23:1-5). The king and those converted with him took the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies to distinguish themselves from the other Lamanites (Alma 23:16-17). He conferred the kingdom on his son, renaming him Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and died the same year the Lamanites began preparing for war against the people of God (Alma 24:3-4).