The sons of Mosiah were powerful missionaries. These brothers brought thousands “to the knowledge of the Lord” (Alma 23:5).

The Lamanites who converted to the truth were called the people of Ammon or the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Their leader, Lamoni’s brother named Anti-Nephi-Lehi, spoke about their repentance and conversion:

“And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—

“Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.

“Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins” (Alma 24:11-13).

And then, because their conversion was so complete “they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man’s blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth” (Alma 24:17).

Their enemies continued to come against them, but these people would not fight and would rather die keeping this covenant they had made than to break it. In fact, later we read about another war where they were tempted again to take up their weapons and fight, but Helaman would not let them break their promise to the Lord by fighting. Instead, their children stepped up and defended their families.

When we truly repent, we should bury our sins deep. We should not linger at their burial place with a shovel.

How effective would Ammon and his brothers have been as missionaries had they continually dug up their past? They sincerely repented and moved on.

Sincerely repent. Be reclaimed through Christ. Move on. And don’t dig up the past.

P.S. In a similar vein, Elder Shayne M. Bowen shares a great analogy in the video below.