AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE

                     ALL * AMERUS SAVINGS & RETIREMENT PLAN

                      FOR EMPLOYEES OF AMERICAN MUTUAL LIFE




          WHEREAS, AmerUs Life Insurance Company, an Iowa Corporation, (formerly
called American Mutual Life Insurance Company), (the "Company") has heretofore
established and maintains a defined contribution plan for the benefit of certain
of its employees and certain employees of its affiliates designated as the "All
* AmerUs Savings and Retirement Plan for employees of American Mutual Life" (the
"Plan");

          WHEREAS, the Company desires to amend the Plan in certain respects;

          NOW, THEREFORE, the Plan is hereby amended effective as of February 3,
1997, as follows:

1.   The name "AmerUs Life Holdings Inc.," is hereby substituted for the name
     "American Mutual Life Insurance Company" in each place where the latter
     name appears in the Plan.

2.   Section T.23 is amended by adding the following new sentence immediately
     after the first sentence thereof:

          "An investment option may consist of a fund invested solely in
          "qualifying employer securities" within the meaning of Section
          407(d)(5) of ERISA without regard to the limitation on such investment
          contained in Section




          407(a)(3) of ERISA pursuant to Section 407(b)(1) of ERISA."

3.   Article 5 is amended by inserting the following new Section 5.05 appearing
     therein and the remaining of Sections of such Articles are appropriately
     renumbered:

          "SECTION 5.06. SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO COMPANY STOCK.  (a)
          VOTING SHARES OF COMPANY STOCK.  The Trustee shall vote, in person or
          by proxy, shares of common stock of AmerUs Life Holdings Inc.,
          ("Company Stock") held by the Trustee as instructed by Members.  Each
          Member shall be entitled to give voting instructions (i) with respect
          to the number of shares of Company Stock allocated to his Account and
          (ii) a portion of the aggregate number of shares of Company Stock held
          by the Trustee for which no instructions are timely received by the
          Trustee, as of the shareholder record date for such vote.  Such
          portion shall be determined by multiplying the aggregate number of
          shares described in paragraph (ii) of the preceding sentence by a
          fraction of the numerator of which is the number of shares of Company
          Stock then allocated to the Accounts of each Member for whom the
          Trustee has timely received voting instructions with respect to a
          particular meeting of the Company's shareholders and the denominator
          of which is the aggregate number of shares of Company Stock then
          allocated to the Accounts of all such Members.  Written notice of any
          meeting of shareholders of the Company and a request for voting
          instructions shall be given by the Committee or the Trustee, at such
          time and in such manner as the Committee shall determine to each
          Member entitled to give instructions for voting shares of Company
          Stock at such meeting.  The Committee shall establish and pay for a
          means by which a Member can expeditiously deliver such voting
          instructions to the Trustee.  All such instructions shall be
          confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person, including any
          Company.

          (b)  TENDER OFFERS.  (1)  RIGHTS OF MEMBERS.  In the event a tender
          offer is made generally to the

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          shareholders of the AmerUs Life Holdings Inc., to transfer
          all or a portion of their shares of Company Stock in return for
          valuable consideration, including, but not limited to, offers
          regulated by section 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
          as amended, the Trustee shall respond to such tender offer in
          respect of shares of Company Stock held by the Trustee
          in accordance with instructions obtained from Members.  Each Member
          shall be entitled to instruct the Trustee regarding how to respond to
          any such tender offer with respect to the number of shares of Company
          Stock then allocated to his account.  Each Member who does not provide
          timely instructions to the Trustee shall be presumed to have directed
          the Trustee not to tender shares of Company Stock allocated to his
          account.  A Member shall not be limited in the number of instructions
          to tender or withdraw from tender which he can give, but a Member
          shall not have the right to give instructions to tender or withdraw
          from tender after a reasonable time established by the Trustee
          pursuant to paragraph (3) below.

          (2)  DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE.  Within a reasonable time after the
          commencement of a tender offer, the Committee shall provide to each
          Member:

               (i)  the offer to purchase as distributed by the offeror to the
               shareholders of AmerUs Life Holdings Inc.;

               (ii)  a statement of the shares of Company Stock allocated to his
               or her Account; and

               (iii)  directions as to the means by which a Member can give
               instructions with respect to the tender offer.

          The Committee shall establish and pay for a means by which a Member
          can expeditiously deliver instructions to the Trustee with respect to
          a tender offer.  All

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          such instructions shall be confidential and shall
          not be disclosed to any person, including any Company.  The Committee
          shall transmit, or cause to be transmitted, to the Trustee aggregate
          numbers of shares to be tendered or withheld from tender representing
          instructions of the Member.  The Committee at its election may engage
          an agent to receive instructions from Member and transmit them to the
          Trustee.

          For purposes of allocating the proceeds of any sale or exchange
          pursuant to a tender offer, AmerUs Life Holdings Inc., or the
          independent record keeper, as the case may be, shall then treat as
          having been sold or exchanged from each of the individual Accounts or
          Member who provided timely directions to the Trustee under this
          Section 5.06 that number of shares of Company Stock subject to such
          directions and the proceeds of such sale or exchange shall be
          allocated accordingly.  The adjustments to individual accounts
          pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be made by the Company or
          the independent record keeper, as the case may be, based on
          information supplied by AmerUs Life Holdings Inc., or the Trustee.

          (3)  DUTIES OF THE TRUSTEE.  The Trustee shall follow the instructions
          of the Member with respect to the tender offer as transmitted to the
          Trustee.  The Trustee may establish a reasonable time, taking into
          account the time restrictions of the tender offer, after which it
          shall not accept instructions of Member.

 

4.   Section 5.07 of the Plan (as renumbered) is amended by adding the following
     new sentence at the end thereof:

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          "For purposes of this Article 5 (other than Section 5.05), a
          beneficiary shall have all the rights of a member prior to the
          distribution of the beneficiaries account pursuant to Article 6."

5.   Appendix A is amended by deleting AmerUs Properties, Inc., and including:

          AmerUs Life Insurance Company


















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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be executed
by its duly authorized Officers on this 31st day of January, 1997.




                                   
                         AMERUS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


                         By: /s/ Victor N. Daley
                             _______________________________
                                    Victor N. Daley


                         Title: Chairman, 
                                Benefits and Pension Committee




                              
ATTEST:


By: /s/ James A. Smallenberger
    _______________________________


Title: Senior Vice President and Secretary
       ___________________________________