A Dictionary of the Book of Mormon/Aminadab
AMINADAB. A Nephite who, in early life, belonged to the Church of God. From it he turned away, went over to the Lamanites and took up his residence in the city of Lehi-Nephi, where he dwelt B. C. 30.
When the two prophets, Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman, came into the land of Nephi and were there cast into prison, God made use of Aminadab as an instrument in explaining the meaning of the glorious manifestations of His power that then took place. We may therefore infer that Aminadab was not radically a bad man. Whether he was in the prison as an officer, a prisoner, or a stranger led thither by curiosity or by sympathy for the two Nephites, is not explained, but we find him there when the earth shook, when the voice of God was heard from heaven, and the other wonderful and awful manifestations of His presence occurred. Aminadab was apparently the first who was permitted to notice that the faces of the prophets shone with the glory of God, and that they were conversing with angelic beings. To this he drew the attention of the multitude, and when they inquired what these things meant he had faith and intelligence sufficient to explain the situation to them, and to instruct them in what they should do to escape the terrible cloud of darkness that overspread them. Further, he instructed them in the principles of faith in the coming Redeemer and of repentance for past misdeeds. It is not unreasonable to suppose that Aminadab was among those who went forth from the prison bearing joyous testimony to what they had seen and heard, through which testimony thousands were brought to a knowledge of, and obedience to the Gospel, and that Aminadab himself again yielded obedience to its laws and remained faithful thereto to the end.