Teaching the Gospel

After protecting King Lamoni's servants and sheep, Ammon ended up going in to talk to Lamoni about what had happened. Ammon perceived by the Spirit that Lamoni had some questions, and he convinced the king to let him explain how he was able to do the things he had done in defending the sheep. Lamoni said he would listen to and believe all the words Ammon spoke to him, so Ammon proceeded to teach him the very basics of the Gospel.

The first thing you have to do when teaching someone the Gospel is to find what common ground you are starting from, so that you can understand each other. I remember on my mission, the very first discussion was about God, and how He is our Father in Heaven, and He created the earth.

Here is how Ammon started to teach Lamoni:

"24 And Ammon began to speak unto him with boldness, and said unto him: Believest thou that there is a God?

 25 And he answered, and said unto him: I do not know what that meaneth.

 26 And then Ammon said: Believest thou that there is a Great Spirit?

 27 And he said, Yea.

 28 And Ammon said: This is God. And Ammon said unto him again: Believest thou that this Great Spirit, who is God, created all things which are in heaven and in the earth?

 29 And he said: Yea, I believe that he created all things which are in the earth; but I do not know the heavens.

 30 And Ammon said unto him: The heavens is a place where God dwells and all his holy angels.

 31 And king Lamoni said: Is it above the earth?

 32 And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

 33 And king Lamoni said: I believe all these things which thou hast spoken." (Alma 18:24-32)

First, he starts off by asking if Lamoni believes in God. Lamoni was unfamiliar with that term, but Ammon already knew that Lamoni believed in the Great Spirit, because Lamoni had asked if he was the Great Spirit earlier in the conversation. So Ammon took Lamoni's understanding, and established a definition/translation for him, so they would have a common ground as they discussed more of the Gospel.

As a Mormon, or more correctly, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I know that there is a lot of verbiage and points of basic understanding that is used that might be confusing or alienating to others who aren't familiar with the LDS Church, its teachings, or its doctrine. I want to share the sweet feelings of the Spirit that I feel when I am close to the Lord, and in order to share it in a non-threatening way, a way that causes trust and understanding rather than confusion and distrust, I need to find common ground with anyone I wish to share it with. Often times, it's a simple matter of using more understandable lingo, or giving definitions. It's also helpful to listen to others to understand where they are coming from.

Ammon is a great example of how to create a relationship of trust and then teach the gospel in a clear and simple way for those learning to understand. Ultimately, Lamoni was converted, and this eventually led to the conversion of a lot of people. And it all started with Ammon's service, faithfulness, and then clear teaching.

I want to be like Ammon.