Alma 17:36 - 17:39

Alma 17:36 But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.

Ammon attacked them first with his sling. He did so with great power and killed a few of them. The bad guys were astounded by the power of his arm and started to sling stones at him. However Ammon was able to dodge their stones, so they charged him with their clubs.

Alma 17:37 But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm.

When they charged forward to kill Ammon with their clubs, he chopped off their arms with his sword. Any man of them that tried to club him had their arm cut off. Now these bad guys realized that they could not kill this Ammon and began to run away. It was by the power of his arm that he ran them all off.

Obviously it was the power that the Lord gave to him that he was able to fun off these killers in spite of being only one.

Alma 17:38 Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.

Six had been killed by Ammon’s sling, but only one had died by his sword and that was the leader. The ones that had their arms amputated by Ammon’s sword were still alive and had fled. It was a sizeable number that were severely injured by Ammon’s divine power.

One can only wonder at the reaction of Ammon’s fellow servants as they witnessed his fighting power against the bad guys. However we do find out in the next chapter.

Alma 17:39 And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done.

After the bad guys had been driven off by Ammon, the flocks were watered and returned to their normal pastures owned by the king. The servants then took the arms of the men that Ammon had cut off in defense of the king’s herds to lay before the king as a testimony of what had just happened.

This whole incident was a set up by the Lord. This was not just a coincidence. This was bring together all the characters necessary to cause this event to take place and all the participants were totally unaware that the Lord did this. Our lives are the same. The events in our lives at least the major ones are no accident. Only question I have, did we know about in the pre-existence and approved or not. I think we did. Wonder if I was looking forward to them or thought that this would be necessary and buck up in the face of them.