Also known as the People of Ammon, after Ammon, son of Mosiah, and then later, Ammonites.
Citations
- 15) Therefore, we have named all the cities of the Lamanites in which they did repent and come to the knowledge of the truth, and were converted.
- 16) And now it came to pass that the king and those who were converted were desirous that they might have a name, that thereby they might be distinguished from their brethren; therefore the king consulted with Aaron and many of their priests, concerning the name that they should take upon them, that they might be distinguished.
- 17) And it came to pass that they called their names Anti-Nephi-Lehies; and they were called by this name and were no more called Lamanites.
- 18) And they began to be a very industrious people; yea, and they were friendly with the Nephites; therefore, they did open a correspondence with them, and the curse of God did no more follow them.
- The Anti-Nephi-Lehies flee to Nephite lands and settle in the Land of Jershon.
- 1) Behold, now it came to pass that after the people of Ammon were established in the land of Jershon, yea, and also after the Lamanites were driven out of the land, and their dead were buried by the people of the land
- 19) Now this man went over to the land of Jershon also, to preach these things among the people of Ammon, who were once the people of the Lamanites.
- 20) But behold they were more wise than many of the Nephites; for they took him, and bound him, and carried him before Ammon, who was a high priest over that people.
- 8) Now the people of the Zoramites were angry with the people of Ammon who were in Jershon, and the chief ruler of the Zoramites, being a very wicked man, sent over unto the people of Ammon desiring them that they should cast out of their land all those who came over from them into their land.
- 9) And he breathed out many threatenings against them. And now the people of Ammon did not fear their words; therefore they did not cast them out, but they did receive all the poor of the Zoramites that came over unto them; and they did nourish them, and did clothe them, and did give unto them lands for their inheritance; and they did administer unto them according to their wants.
- 10) Now this did stir up the Zoramites to anger against the people of Ammon, and they began to mix with the Lamanites and to stir them up also to anger against them.
- 11) And thus the Zoramites and the Lamanites began to make preparations for war against the people of Ammon, and also against the Nephites.
- 12) And thus ended the seventeenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
- 13) And the people of Ammon departed out of the land of Jershon, and came over into the land of Melek, and gave place in the land of Jershon for the armies of the Nephites, that they might contend with the armies of the Lamanites and the armies of the Zoramites; and thus commenced a war betwixt the Lamanites and the Nephites, in the eighteenth year of the reign of the judges; and an account shall be given of their wars hereafter.
- 11) Yea, and they also knew the extreme hatred of the Lamanites towards their brethren, who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, who were called the people of Ammon—and they would not take up arms, yea, they had entered into a covenant and they would not break it—therefore, if they should fall into the hands of the Lamanites they would be destroyed.
- 12) And the Nephites would not suffer that they should be destroyed; therefore they gave them lands for their inheritance.
- 13) And the people of Ammon did give unto the Nephites a large portion of their substance to support their armies; and thus the Nephites were compelled, alone, to withstand against the Lamanites, who were a compound of Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael, and all those who had dissented from the Nephites, who were Amalekites and Zoramites, and the descendants of the priests of Noah.
- Now when the servants of the king saw an army pursuing after them, they were frightened again, and fled into the wilderness, and came over into the land of Zarahemla and joined the people of Ammon.
- The formation of the 2000 stripling warriors.
- Epistle from Helaman regarding the state of the war in the southwestern quarter. They successfully capture a large Lamanite army. None of the 2000 stripling warriors are killed.
- Reinforcements arrive for the stripling warriors. They are all miraculously spared in another battle.
- 39) And those sons of the people of Ammon, of whom I have so highly spoken, are with me in the city of Manti; and the Lord has supported them, yea, and kept them from falling by the sword, insomuch that even one soul has not been slain.
- 40) But behold, they have received many wounds; nevertheless they stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has made them free; and they are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually; and their faith is strong in the prophecies concerning that which is to come.
- 17) And when they had entered into this covenant they sent them to dwell with the people of Ammon, and they were in number about four thousand who had not been slain.
- 27) Now it came to pass that many of the Lamanites that were prisoners were desirous to join the people of Ammon and become a free people.
- 28) And it came to pass that as many as were desirous, unto them it was granted according to their desires.
- 29) Therefore, all the prisoners of the Lamanites did join the people of Ammon, and did begin to labor exceedingly, tilling the ground, raising all manner of grain, and flocks and herds of every kind; and thus were the Nephites relieved from a great burden; yea, insomuch that they were relieved from all the prisoners of the Lamanites.
- And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land.
Notes
The "Anti" in Anti-Nephi-Lehies is usually taken to be an English rendering of an idea expressed by some native word. However, the existence of numerous words with "anti" as an element suggest that this prefix doesn't have the English meaning we would expect. The impression I get is that the Lamanites had a linguistic tradition which was distinct from that of the Nephites, so finding Anti as a Lamanite word seems fairly important. The land of Antionum, the village of Ani-Anti, and Mount Antipas, all Lamanite place names, also suggests that "Anti" is a feature of the local linguistic tradition.
Among the Nephites, we have the City of Antiparah, the monetary unit, the Antion, and the personal names, Antipus and Antionah. Even the Land of Manti has this combination of sounds. It is interesting that both locations are close to the border with the Lamanites.
Hugh Nibley has proposed both Semitic and Egyptian origins for "Anti", and apparently, Joseph originally had it rendered as "Ante", which suggest an entirely different interpretation if we take the word to be an English prefix.[1]
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Other References