It took a Pentecostal to figure out the literal central story in the Book of Mormon. John Christopher Thomas is the author of A Pentecostal Reads the Book of Mormon. He discovered, and then comfirmed by an independent word count the story that sits dead center in the book is the Anti-Nephi-Lehis.
I do not think that is an accident. Their is obvious chiasm in the book, and I think Mormon crafted it to make the entire work a chiasm pointing to the most truly CHRIST-like people who have ever lived.
The Anti-Nephi-Lehis were a group of converted Lamanites who later became known as the people of Ammon. Ammon taught them the truth at great risk to his own life. Risk is something you are never going to see from the fake 15 apostles in SLC. They have a security detail with them if they are making a sandwich at home. If they were real apostles they would be living without purse or scrip (luggage or money) in the remotest parts of the world.
I went back and read the story of the people of Ammon, and as most people know they buried their weapons of war to show GOD they were truly converted to CHRIST's gospel. They were willing to be killed rather than kill, which is exact opposite of virtually every American I know.
The "Ammonites" also promised to do 2 other things.
(Alma 24:18)
1. Share their resources with anyone who asked.
2. Work hard and avoid idleness for the rest of their lives.
I only do 1 of the three things the Anti-Nephi-Lehis did after their conversion, and I do it very poorly. I never killed anyone, but I am pretty sure I would not just let someone kill me. My heart is too hard for that, but I am hoping the baptism of fire would soften my heart. I am not the hardest worker in the world, but I have a job where the check is not issued by the Corporation of the President of the Mormon church. I am roughly 16 percent as righteous as the people of Ammon, and that might get me a condo in the Telestial Kingdom.
The gospel of JESUS CHRIST is one of peace. If you want to assure yourself a place in GOD's kingdom, then you have to be willing to lay down your life rather than harm others. CHRIST is the perfect example of this, choosing to be killed in an effort to save the world from Death and Hell.
Your tithing and your temple work is Not going to save you. Accepting that JESUS is the only means of salvation, and then acting like Him will.
