The Ammonihahites were the inhabitants of the city of Ammonihah, Nephite apostates who lived during the ministry of Alma the Younger. The city lay near the borders of the land of Zarahemla. Most of its people held to the order of Nehor and rejected repentance and accountability for sin: they “did not believe in the repentance of their sins” and ascribed the power of Alma and Amulek to the devil (Alma 15:15).
When Alma preached to them, “Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah,” and they would not listen to him (Alma 8:9). Before the burning, Alma delivered to this same people his most extended exposition of the plan of redemption, teaching that mortal life is “a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God” and warning that hardening the heart against these truths brings everlasting destruction (Alma 12:24, 36-37). They turned violent against those who believed: they cast out and stoned the converts who left the city, and burned the believing women and children along with the scriptures (Alma 14:8-9; 15:1).
The Ammonihahites said their city was too great for God to destroy. In 81 B.C. a Lamanite army came in from the wilderness side and destroyed the city and its people: “the people of Ammonihah were destroyed; yea, every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed, and also their great city, which they said God could not destroy, because of its greatness” (Alma 16:9).