The account sons of Mosiah and their missionary efforts
found in chapters 17-24 of the Book of Alma are rich with saving doctrines and
unsurpassable storytelling. The scriptures found in Jacob 4:13 and Doctrine and
Covenants 50:22-25 provide extra thoughts and further doctrine about the role
of the Holy Ghost in our lives.
Ammon walks straight into enemy territory, is bound and
brought before the king Lamoni, only to offer himself up a servant. Even if
that was it, the whole story of Ammon, it would be insanely interesting. He would
have a deep character. But that’s only the beginning. He is King Lamoni’s best
servant he’s ever had. He even manages to bring a platter of arms to the king
of men who tried to scatter his livestock.
If that doesn’t get interesting enough, he attributes all his
success and power to his God and teaches Lamoni by the power of the Holy Ghost
about simple truths resulting in the conversion of the King and ultimately the
entire kingdom.
Through the telling of their experiences over 2,000 years
ago, the sons of Mosiah relate to us testaments of eternal truths and
doctrines. For example, Aaron preaches the most basic doctrine of Christ’s
atonement and ability to grant us freedom from the sting of sin and grief of
the grave. Ammon teaches the creation and helps illustrate how we can
communicate with the spirit. When his time to leave the land of Middoni comes,
he is warned that King Lamoni’s father would try to kill him.
Jacob 4:13 and D&C 50:22-25 are incredible passages of scripture
that teach us about the importance and power of the Spirit. The spirit will
never lead us astray. It only speaks truth. Anything else would go against the
laws of heaven. It gives us light, and
the more we adhere to that light, the brighter our lives will become.
I love this story... I loved it on my mission a lot because Ammon is like the ultimate example of a good missionary. It's cool to read it in a documentary context as well. I love Ammon's relationship with these people he just met. Everything about his character shows that he is someone to be trusted. There's even a verse somewhere that says he was "a friend to the king" and the king knew it. The king opened up so much to Ammon just because of his overall demeanor. I also love the times in the scriptures when it talks about the Holy Ghost teaching us truth. The Holy Ghost will teach us the truth of ALL things. The scriptures are true (even when relating them to filmmaking!)
ReplyDeleteAs a child, the story of Ammon was my favorite. And it has remained very dear to me as an adult. Ammon is just so humble. Even though he is a mighty man, he looks to God for power in all things and attributes all of his successes not to his own might, but to that of God. Imagine if we were all like Ammon: if we were less like the “axe that boasteth itself against him that heweth it”, as Isaiah puts it. It is one thing to be good with a camera, to know how to edit, and to know how to tell a decent story. But if we look to God for a consecration of our efforts, I believe that they will become infinitely better than when we worked alone. The Spirit can give us incredible insights in our filmmaking, and clue us into things that we never would have thought of before. In all things we should acknowledge God, and that includes our filmmaking. Without Him, we would have nothing to film after all. We would have nothing to film on. We wouldn’t even be around to film anything. God deserves a spot in our “credits”.
ReplyDeleteThe conversion of King Lamoni is fascinating to me. Before Ammon can even deliver his message, he must earn Lamoni’s trust by being a loyal friend. That is a relationship that we as filmmakers should try to cultivate with our subjects and our audiences. This can sometimes be difficult, as we are often hiding behind a camera or a screen. However, forming a bond and treating our subjects with respect, as well as being truthful to our audiences, is a good way to earn their trust. After Ammon had proven himself a good man, he started where Lamoni was at, with the knowledge that he had, and then he built upon that knowledge with simple truths. Line upon line and precept upon precept. What a great model for us as storytellers. Our audiences are also human beings, capable of rational thought. We shouldn’t talk down to them, but at the same time we should strive to give them the information in a way that is easily accessible. Like Ammon, we should start our audiences with what they are likely to know, and then add to it. Keeping our themes and information simple and clear is the best way to touch an audience. Isn’t it amazing how the words of the ancient and early Latter-Day prophets are still so applicable? I believe part of this is that the stories are so simple and plain that anyone can find value in them if they seek it. The lessons from a scripture story may even change over time for a person as they increase in light and knowledge. If we keep our stories that accessible and sincere, they will also retain that timeless quality.