Amalickiah Takes over Lamanite Army

Event 110

Reference: Alma 47:1-36; 48:1-6

NOW we will return in our record to Amalickiah and thosewho had fled with him into the wilderness; for, behold, hehad taken those who went with him, and went up in the landof Nephi among the Lamanites, and did stir up theLamanites to anger against the people of Nephi, insomuchthat the king of the Lamanites sent a proclamationthroughout all his land, among all his people, that theyshould gather themselves together again to go to battleagainst the Nephites.MormonLand of Nephi73 B.C.2 And it came to pass that when the proclamation had goneforth among them they were exceedingly afraid; yea, theyfeared to displease the king, and they also feared to go tobattle against the Nephites lest they should lose their lives.And it came to pass that they would not, or the more part ofthem would not, obey the commandments of the king.3 And now it came to pass that the king was wroth becauseof their disobedience; therefore he gave Amalickiah thecommand of that part of his army which was obedient untohis commands, and commanded him that he should go forthand compel them to arms. 4 Now behold, this was the desireof Amalickiah; for he being a very subtle man to do eviltherefore he laid the plan in his heart to dethrone the king ofthe Lamanites. 5 And now he had got the command of thoseparts of the Lamanites who were in favor of the king; andhe sought to gain favor of those who were not obedient;therefore he went forward to the place which was calledOnidah, for thither had all the Lamanites fled; for theydiscovered the army coming, and, supposing that they werecoming to destroy them, therefore they fled to Onidah, tothe place of arms. 6 And they had appointed a man to be aking and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds witha determined resolution that they would not be subjected togo against the Nephites.Onidah7 And it came to pass that they had gathered themselvestogether upon the top of the mount which was calledAntipas, in preparation to battle. 8 Now it was notAmalickiah’s intention to give them battle according to thecommandments of the king; but behold, it was his intentionMount Antipas to gain favor with the armies of the Lamanites, that hemight place himself at their head and dethrone the king andtake possession of the kingdom.MormonMount Antipas73 B.C.9 And behold, it came to pass that he caused his army topitch their tents in the valley which was near the mountAntipas.Valley near mountAntipas10 And it came to pass that when it was night he sent asecret embassy into the mount Antipas, desiring that theleader of those who were upon the mount, whose name wasLehonti, that he should come down to the foot of the mount,for he desired to speak with him.Mount Antipas11 And it came to pass that when Lehonti received themessage he durst not go down to the foot of the mount.And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the secondtime, desiring him to come down.And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sentagain the third time.12 And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that hecould not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, hewent up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and hesent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti,desiring that he would come down, and that he would bringhis guards with him.13 And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come downwith his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired himto come down with his army in the night-time, and surroundthose men in their camps over whom the king had givenhim command, and that he would deliver them up intoLehonti’s hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) asecond leader over the whole army.14 And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with hismen and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that beforethey awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by thearmies of Lehonti.Valley near mountAntipas15 And it came to pass that when they saw that they weresurrounded, they pled with Amalickiah that he would sufferthem to fall in with their brethren, that they might not bedestroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiahdesired. 16 And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary tothe commands of the king. Now this was the thing thatAmalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs indethroning the king. 17 Now it was the custom among theLamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint thesecond leader to be their chief leader.MormonValley near mountAntipas73 B.C.18 And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one ofhis servants should administer poison by degrees toLehonti, that he died. 19 Now, when Lehonti was dead, theLamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and theirchief commander.20 And it came to pass that Amalickiah marched with hisarmies (for he had gained his desires) to the land of Nephi,to the city of Nephi, which was the chief city. 21 And theking came out to meet him with his guards, for he supposedthat Amalickiah had fulfilled his commands, and thatAmalickiah had gathered together so great an army to goagainst the Nephites to battle. 22 But behold, as the kingcame out to meet him Amalickiah caused that his servantsshould go forth to meet the king. And they went and bowedthemselves before the king, as if to reverence him becauseof his greatness.City of Nephi23 And it came to pass that the king put forth his hand toraise them, as was the custom with the Lamanites, as atoken of peace, which custom they had taken from theNephites.24 And it came to pass that when he had raised the first fromthe ground, behold he stabbed the king to the heart; and hefell to the earth. 25 Now the servants of the king fled; andthe servants of Amalickiah raised a cry, saying:26 Behold, the servants of the king have stabbed him to the heart,and he has fallen and they have fled; behold, come and see.Amalickiah’sServants27 And it came to pass that Amalickiah commanded that hisarmies should march forth and see what had happened tothe king; and when they had come to the spot, and foundthe king lying in his gore, Amalickiah pretended to bewroth, and said:MormonWhosoever loved the king, let him go forth, and pursue hisservants that they may be slain.Amalickiah28 And it came to pass that all they who loved the king,when they heard these words, came forth and pursued afterMormonWilderness the servants of the king. 29 Now when the servants of theking saw an army pursuing after them, they were frightenedagain, and fled into the wilderness, and came over into theland of Zarahemla and joined the people of Ammon. 30 Andthe army which pursued after them returned, havingpursued after them in vain; and thus Amalickiah, by hisfraud, gained the hearts of the people.MormonWilderness73 B.C.31 And it came to pass on the morrow he entered the cityNephi with his armies, and took possession of the city.City of Nephi32 And now it came to pass that the queen, when she hadheard that the king was slain—for Amalickiah had sent anembassy to the queen informing her that the king had beenslain by his servants, that he had pursued them with hisarmy, but it was in vain, and they had made their escape—33 Therefore, when the queen had received this message shesent unto Amalickiah, desiring him that he would spare thepeople of the city; and she also desired him that he shouldcome in unto her; and she also desired him that he shouldbring witnesses with him to testify concerning the death ofthe king.34 And it came to pass that Amalickiah took the sameservant that slew the king, and all them who were with him,and went in unto the queen, unto the place where she sat;and they all testified unto her that the king was slain by hisown servants; and they said also:They have fled; does not this testify against them?Amalickiah’sServantsAnd thus they satisfied the queen concerning the death ofthe king.Mormon35 And it came to pass that Amalickiah sought the favor ofthe queen, and took her unto him to wife; and thus by hisfraud, and by the assistance of his cunning servants, heobtained the kingdom; yea, he was acknowledged kingthroughout all the land, among all the people of theLamanites, who were composed of the Lamanites and theLemuelites and the Ishmaelites, and all the dissenters of theNephites, from the reign of Nephi down to the present time.36 Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and thesame information of the Nephites, yea, having beeninstructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless,it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions theybecame more hardened and impenitent, and more wild,wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites; giving way to indolence,and all manner of lasciviousness; yea, entirely forgetting theLord their God.MormonCity of Nephi73 B.C.1 AND now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah hadobtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of theLamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appointmen to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, againstthe Nephites. 2 And thus he did inspire their hearts againstthe Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of thenineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he havingaccomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been madeking over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all theland, yea, and all the people who were in the land, theNephites as well as the Lamanites. 3 Therefore he hadaccomplished his design, for he had hardened the hearts ofthe Lamanites and blinded their minds, and stirred them upto anger, insomuch that he had gathered together anumerous host to go to battle against the Nephites. 4 For hewas determined, because of the greatness of the number ofhis people, to overpower the Nephites and to bring theminto bondage. 5 And thus he did appoint chief captains ofthe Zoramites, they being the most acquainted with thestrength of the Nephites, and their places of resort, and theweakest parts of their cities; therefore he appointed them tobe chief captains over his armies.6 And it came to pass that they took their camp, and movedforth toward the land of Zarahemla in the wilderness.Wilderness