Antionah was a chief ruler among the people of Ammonihah who played a significant role in a theological discourse found within the narrative of the Book of Mormon. During the preaching efforts of Alma the Younger, around 82 B.C., he emerged as a prominent interlocutor, challenging the missionary on doctrinal points related to life after death and the resurrection. His recorded interaction is of particular importance as it prompted a detailed explanation of the Fall of Adam and Eve, the purpose of life as a probationary state, and the plan of redemption which includes the resurrection from the dead (Alma 12:20-21).
Antionah queried Alma on the plausibility of the resurrection, referencing scriptural accounts that after the Fall, cherubim and a flaming sword guarded the tree of life, ostensibly removing the possibility of eternal life (Alma 12:20-21). Alma’s response elaborated on the mercy and justice of God, culminating in a sermon that outlined the high priesthood after the holy order of the Son of God, the sanctity of Melchizedek’s calling, and the need for a preparatory state for mankind to exercise faith and repentance (Alma 12:24; Alma 13:1-19).
Ultimately, the discourse that involved the questioning by Antionah failed to soften the hearts of the majority of the Ammonihahites, who continued in their rejection of Alma’s teaching, except for a notable few, including Zeezrom. Antionah’s encounter with Alma remains inscribed in the text as a key moment for the elucidation of foundational Christian doctrine concerning mortality, the afterlife, and the Atonement within the Book of Mormon narrative.