This article is about the Book of Mormon explorer. For the prominent Book of Mormon missionary, see Ammon (Book of Mormon missionary).

Ammon was the leader of a Nephite

Nephite

According to the Book of Mormon, a Nephite is a member of one of the four main groups of settlers of the ancient Americas. The other three groups are the Lamanites, Jaredites and Mulekites. In the Book of Mormon, the Nephites were a group of people descended from or associated with Nephi, the...

 expedition from Zarahemla

Zarahemla

Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....

, sent to discover the fate of Zeniff

Zeniff

Zeniff is a minor but pivotal person in the Book of Mormon. He is a Nephite. He left Zarahemla with a group of Nephites to go to the land of Nephi. This is remarkable since the Nephites had previously abandoned the land of Nephi. At the time of Zeniff's journey to the land of Nephi, it was...

 and his people who had not been heard from for 75 years, according to the Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...

. Zeniff and his followers left Zarahemla and travelled to Nephi, their ancestral home, which was then in possession of the Lamanites. Ammon himself was not a Nephite by birth, but a descendant of Zarahemla and thus a Mulekite. This may have contributed to his expedition, not knowing the actual route to Nephi.

Ammon and his men discovered the descendants of the people of Zeniff, who had successfully colonized Nephi, but were now enslaved by the Lamanites. Zeniff's grandson Limhi

Limhi

In The Book of Mormon, Limhi was the third and final king of the second Nephite habitation of the land of Lehi-Nephi. He succeeded his father, Noah. Led by Ammon, he escaped from the Lamanites with his people to Zarahemla.-See also:* King Noah...

 then ruled under the Lamanites and initially imprisoned Ammon. Upon learning who Ammon was, he released him and rejoiced in his arrival. Ammon, Gideon

Gideon (Book of Mormon)

According to the Book of Mormon, Gideon was a faithful Nephite leader, and a strong man and an enemy to King Noah. After King Noah's expulsion and death by fire, Gideon counseled with Noah's son, King Limhi in Mosiah 20: 17-22. He proposed a plan for escaping from Lamanite bondage. Gideon grew to...

, and King Limhi devised a plan to escape from the Lamanites, wherein they made the Lamanite guards drunk. The plan was successful and Ammon led them back to Zarahemla.

Prior to their escape, Ammon taught the people of Limhi the famous sermon of King Benjamin

King Benjamin

According to the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin, son of King Mosiah the first, was the second Nephite king to rule over Zarahemla. An account of his life and teachings are recorded in both the Words of Mormon and the Book of Mosiah...

 and helped convert them to the gospel. However, when the people desired baptism, Ammon refused to perform the ordinance "considering himself an unworthy servant". The reason for his feelings as an unworthy servant is unknown, and the people waited until they reached Zarahemla and could be baptised by Alma the Elder

Alma the Elder

According to the Book of Mormon, Alma was a Nephite prophet who established the Church of Jesus Christ in the Americas during the reign of the wicked King Noah...

, who was previously a priest among them.