In the narrative of the Book of Mormon, the father of Lamoni, a Lamanite king, played a significant role in the unfolding events surrounding the missionary efforts of the Nephite sons of Mosiah, despite being unnamed in the text. As the ruler over all the land of the Lamanites around 90 to 77 B.C., he initially appeared as a formidable figure who was prepared to defend the traditions of his people, even to the point of violence against his own son and Ammon, one of the Nephite missionaries (Alma 20:9-20). His first encounter with Ammon was marked by hostility, prompted by Ammon’s association with his son Lamoni, whom he chastised for missing the great feast and for his companionship with a Nephite (Alma 20:10-13).
The relationship between the Lamanite king and Ammon developed unexpectedly when Ammon demonstrated his intense loyalty to Lamoni and was able to disarm the king during a heated confrontation, leading the king to an astonished admiration for Ammon (Alma 20:23-26). His heart softened by this encounter, the king later became receptive to the teachings of Aaron, Ammon’s brother, who was inspired by the Spirit to approach the Lamanite ruler with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Aaron taught the king from the scriptures, revealing truths about the plan of redemption and the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. This led the king to earnestly inquire about what he could do to inherit eternal life and be born of God, to which Aaron responded with counsel on repentance and prayer (Alma 22:12-16). The commitment of the king to forsake his sins and know God was marked by a powerful spiritual experience, evidencing his genuine conversion. As a result, he fell to the earth as if dead before being revived, after which he ministered to his own household, leading them all to conversion (Alma 22:18, 23).
His conversion had far-reaching effects, not only for him and his household but also for his subjects. As a baptized member of the Church, he decreed religious freedom throughout his land, allowing the missionaries to preach unfettered, bringing thousands of his people to the knowledge of the truth and establishing many churches (Alma 23:1-5). In a significant move, and as a testament to his profound transformation, the king and those who were converted wished to distinguish themselves from their unconverted brethren by taking upon themselves the name of Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 23:16-17).
The legacy of the Lamanite king is observed further as he conferred the kingdom upon his son, renaming him Anti-Nephi-Lehi, before passing away in the same year that hostilities were renewed between the unconverted Lamanites and the Nephite people (Alma 24:3-4). Under his rule, a great spiritual awakening happened among a portion of the Lamanite nation, which would eventually lead to the inspiring account of the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, including the narrative of the Two Thousand Stripling Warriors. His transformation from a fierce upholder of tradition to a humble disciple of Christ is a poignant theme in the Book of Mormon’s message of faith and redemption.