Ammon

When I ran into (Stalked) Heather Moore at LDS Storymakers I’d already read her LDS historical fiction series Out of Jerusalem about Lehi/Nephi’s journey to the promise land. There have been other books since then, including Abinadi, Alma, and Alma the Younger. (Abinadi was my favorite. I loved the cover photo, simple yet it said so much.)

            Her latest release, Ammon, is now in stores. I was privileged enough to receive an advance, autographed ( I told you I stalked her) copy to review.

            From the back cover:

            With the fire of newfound testimony, Ammon and his brethren leave Zarahemla to preach the gospel in Lamanite lands, carrying nothing but hunting weapons and the promises of God. Spotting an enemy scout, they part ways in the dense jungle with hopes of reuniting at the close of their harvest. ...

            As Ammon gains renown in the kingdom, he defends Elena from the advances of Gad, the loathsome widower she’ll soon be required to marry. Then swearing allegiance to the Lamanite king and trusting in the Lord, Ammon further proves his strength and devotion by sparing King Lamoni’s flocks from plunderers. The amazed king and his court are converted to the gospel through Ammon’s powerful teachings and the miraculous events that follow. But each action Ammon takes causes more and more disruption throughout the kingdom...

            Sounds good, right?

           

            My three boys, okay the girl too, love to sing the Ammon verse to Book of Mormon Stories. We didn’t know the actions, so we made up our own. They swing their invisible swords while “fight-ting fear-les-sly” around the living room. On the surface, Ammon’s story is a violent one. What I loved about H.B. Moore’s book, was that it went past the carnage and into the heart of the story – conversion.

            Moore got Ammon’s motivation. He didn’t go to the Lamanites to cut off arms or rescue sheep. He went to convert them to the gospel. I always pictured Ammon like one of our modern-day missionaries: nineteen years old, putting off dating and college (or kingship) and etc. But Moore challenged my primary vision. She gave Ammon a love interest. Elena is a Nephite by birth, Lamanite by circumstance. Her fair skin and lighter hair stand out in a crowed of Lamintes and she often covers herself to avoid scrutiny. Convinced she can be happy caring for her aged father, she prefers not to marry – until she meets Ammon.

            And whose head wouldn’t turn as a well sculpted Nephite walked by? As the son of a king, Ammon would have had extensive battle training. A muscular body, weapons training, military tactics and historical knowledge were requirements of a future king. He needed to be ready to lead his people – military style. Ammon’s strength and fighting skills are a given – he has them, he uses them - though the training behind them is never explained.

            If I were to sum up the book, I’d say it had 2 parts action; 2 parts romance; and 2 parts conversion efforts. So, it’s a balanced read. What I love the most about Moore’s work is that she developed her characters into people we can relate to giving them feelings and motivations we can identify with.

            I watched Moore in an interview on KBYU a couple months ago. She said (in a nut shell) that she hopes her books prompt readers to turn to the scriptures. To me, that is a wonderful goal for a writer. I did reread Ammon’s story and spent more time pondering it than I had before.

            You can pick up Ammon at any LDS retailer. If you still want more info, here’s the book trailer. It was really well done.