Chapter 20: All His Kingdom

Abish and Zaria anxiously awaited the return of the men, though for different reasons. Zaria carried all the concern of a devoted wife for her husband’s safety; Abish was frustrated over the stagnation she already saw in the Church. The band of converts was trying, but Ammon had only left a small group of priesthood holders in his stead and the organization was tenuous at best. Word had been sent via messenger that Ammon’s brethren had indeed been saved, but they were weak and waiting to travel.

As they waited, an unexpected messenger from Queen Vitria came for Abish. The message summoned her far north, to the land of Nephi were Lamoni spent his childhood. Zaria’s sister-in-law had a baby due in a couple of months. Unlike her brothers, she did not inherit any land and so lived with her husband in her father’s palace. Before sending any reply, Abish sought Zaria’s advice and friendship.

The queen too was incredulous, “Falana is her only daughter. Lamoni has many brothers. I believe this daughter has always been special to Vitria and Lamoni-hah.”

Abish sighed. “It is a long journey. And who knows how long I’ll be there? Surely there must be a midwife in the Land of Nephi.”

The queen laughed, “But not one who has never lost a mother.”

Abish snorted at the ridiculous rumor, “I’ve lost mothers too. And babies.”

“Not many, friend. Sometimes people just need something to believe in.”

“But it isn’t real faith if the thing isn’t true.”

Zaria shrugged, “That might be the case, but a woman in labor will take even false hope if she finds something to hang on to.”

Abish fought the urge to sigh, “I will go.”

“It is probably best. Perhaps you will help to heal the rift I have caused between the house of Lamoni-hah and his son.”

“I think I’ll have better luck delivering a healthy baby!” She laughed.

Zaria laughed too and then suddenly grew somber. “There is one more thing I feel I must tell you so that you know what you are getting into.”

“Oh?”

“This is Falana’s fifth pregnancy, but she has no children. The first she lost after many months, the second was strangled by his cord, the third was a still born, and the fourth died of fever three days after birth.”

Abish felt the color drain from her face and legs weaken slightly. “No pressure.”

“You are the midwife to a queen. There will always be pressure.”


Her journey was uneventful, but her arrival at the palace was not comforting. While unbearable, Abish only had to endure Queen Vitria’s condescension and rudeness in small doses. The real problem was Falana. After just a few days, Abish feared that two more months of Falana’s near hysterics would put her over the edge. She could see that the only approach was to be completely in charge, so she organized Falana’s room and immediately put her on a soothing regimen of herbs. Drugging her mothers was not her favorite approach, but the princess’s stress would certainly bring her labor early, a thing that would likely spell disaster for mother and baby, and, Abish had to admit ruefully, herself.

Abish’s life was little better than a slave in the land of Nephi. She was not allowed to leave Falana’s side for more than a couple of hours at a time. The only other babies she delivered were of noble women who were brought to the palace. Abish missed working with the common women that had become such an integral part of the work she normally did. While she was better paid for her work in Nephi, she was dismayed to see how frequently the babies were passed off with disdain to nurses before mothers even held them.

The one redeeming bright spot in all these weeks, was that once Abish was able to soothe many of Falana’s fears, she could see that Lamoni’s sister actually wanted to have children. She had always enjoyed growing up with her many brothers and cousins and wanted the same for her children. As Abish came to know her, she saw that, like Lamoni, she was fair-minded and treated those around her with fairness. Abish learned that Falana was sorrowful over the recent estrangement between her father’s and Lamoni’s houses.

Then one day she learned something that gave her greater interest than anything that had happened so far in the Land of Nephi. One of Falana’s servants brought the breathless news. “Princess, some Nephites have come to the palace.”

Abish’s ears pricked almost immediately. Had Ammon and Lamoni finally made the journey? Falana replied, “Is my brother with them?”

She shook her head, “No ma’am. In fact, your father seemed displeased about that. And these Nephites are not the same as the one your father met.”

“There are more of them?”

Abish cleared her throat, “I believe, your highness, that some of these men may be the brothers of Ammon—the one your father met.”

The princess turned to Abish, “Do you know these men?”

“I have never met them. I only know what Ammon told me of them.”

The Princess nodded, “Then you must go and find out why they have come.”


Abish complied, knowing that she had really been given a directive. As awkward as she felt the task to be, she had to admit that she was very curious about them herself and that it would be a good diversion.


She made her way through the unfamiliar palace and was given passage into the King’s chamber where many were gathered. A tall man was standing near the center of the room, preaching. He didn’t look like Ammon: his hair was darker but his skin fairer. Still, there was something about the quality of his voice that was much like Ammon’s, though it didn’t carry such intensity. Like Ammon, the speaker was a very capable preacher. Her attention wandered to his companions. There was another that looked much like the man who was preaching, but with bluer eyes. There were other Nephites there, but she could detect no similarity. It seemed one of Ammon’s brothers, she had no idea which, had gone back to Ishmael with Ammon.

Her eyes wandered back to the speaker and she listened to him for several minutes. Could this be Aaron? He seemed older than the other brother and he certainly had a commanding presence. Aaron was the leader, Ammon had said. This man was handsome and tall and strong. And though he lacked Ammon’s inner fire, he certainly held the crowd captive with his words and gestures.

Suddenly, the King interrupted, proclaiming a desire to have a change of heart and pledging his entire earthly kingdom if only he could receive the joy his preacher had promised. As he explained to Lamoni-hah about prayer, a remarkable thought occurred to Abish. Hadn’t Vitria said that her husband had pledged half his kingdom to preserve his life? And now, here he was, pledging his whole kingdom if only salvation might be his.

The king knelt. Abish had seldom heard a thing as beautiful as King Lamoni-hah telling the Lord that he “would give away all his sins to know Him.” The sins of a Lamanite king were legion. Tears came to Abish’s eyes as she thought on her own sacrifices and trials in exchange for knowing God. She hoped Lamoni’s father would find what he was seeking, and that he indeed would know, in the end, it was worth it.

Just as his prayer ended, Lamoni-hah passed out, as completely as his son had done all those months before. As the court around her erupted in complete pandemonium, Abish stayed rooted to her spot, knowing only that Vitria would not take this state of affairs as well as Zaria had done.

Abish’s inaction only lasted until she saw several servants flee the room, undoubtedly they had gone to tell their queen of these strange events. Abish pushed her way through the crowd until she saw the brother who had not spoken off to one side. She approached him, “Are you the brother of Ammon?”

“I am Omner. And yes, Ammon is my brother.”

“I was a servant to Lamoni’s wife when this very thing happened to him.” She didn’t pause to see the recognition that flashed across his face. “The queen will not take this well. I would not be surprised if even at this moment she is sending someone to kill you.”

“We are here on the Lord’s errand. My brethren and I were sent to see this king at this time. He will protect us.”

Abish could see the familiar intensity burn in Omner’s eyes and nodded slowly, “I believe you; and I will add my prayers to yours.”

She turned away to fade into the crowd, “Abish!” He called back over the gathering din. She turned inquisitively. How had he known her name? “There is preaching in the Land of Middoni. We left two of our brethren there to organize the work.”

The words hardly registered, “Preaching? In Middoni?”

Omner nodded, happily. “Your father’s life was not in vain.”

“You know then?” Tears smarted in her eyes.

He nodded again, “We will talk when there is more time.”

“Indeed.”

She turned again and was called back one last time, “And Abish?”

“Yes?”

He smiled lightly, with an almost puzzled look around the corners of his eyes, “I expected somebody much older.”

She shrugged and smiled in return, “I am what I am.”

He bowed slightly toward her in a move that made her flush to the roots of her hair, “And this people will be eternally blessed for that.”

Gratefully, Abish was saved any reply because the melee erupted as Queen Vitria swept into the room with a contingent of guards. It was impossible for her to see what was happening with the pushing and the noise. Vitria had obviously given a command her men were reluctant to follow and there was much argument. It seemed they were afraid of the Nephites. Through the crowd, Abish caught a glimpse of the queen’s pale face; she too was afraid. What a contrast to Zaria’s fledgling faith! Vitria finally stopped issuing execution orders, but Abish could see that it was because of superstition, not belief, because she quickly began ordering men to leave the palace to find others to slay them: others who had not witnessed their power.

Abish wondered what would happen next, remembering that day at Lamoni’s palace that she helped orchestrate. It had ended well, but Abish could never forget how she felt when she thought her actions would turn the situation for the worse. She was in no hurry to find anyone to witness this scene.

And then, Aaron spoke in a voice so low Abish had to strain to hear. For a moment, he seemed to glow with some great inner fire and in that instant she saw Ammon’s exact expression run through his features. He stepped past the queen to her husband and stretched out a hand to him. The queen’s shock and horror was evident as Aaron murmured some words and raised her husband to his feet. And just like Lamoni had that day, the King began to preach words so wonderful Abish could hardly contain the song of joy in her heart. After what seemed like hours, she shook herself from her reverie and went to talk to the princess. Falana just might accept the gospel.