The Lamanite King, whose specific name is not recorded in the textual account, played a pivotal role in the machinations of the notorious Nephite defector, Amalickiah. Residing in the city of Nephi within the land of the same name, the Lamanite King found himself embroiled in a mounting conflict with the Nephites. Amalickiah, aiming to assume power over the Lamanites, stirred the king to anger against the Nephites, prompting him to issue a proclamation calling his people to prepare for war (Alma 47:1). However, the majority of his people, disinclined to engage in conflict with the Nephites, openly defied the call to arms, much to the Lamanite King’s wrath (Alma 47:2-3). In a move that would prove to be his undoing, the king appointed Amalickiah as the commander of those willing to fight and granted him authority to conscript others into military service (Alma 47:3).
Amalickiah, however, harbored his own aspirations for the throne. Through a series of deceptions and betrayals, including the murder of the Lamanite military leader Lehonti, Amalickiah secured command over the Lamanite army (Alma 47:4-16). As Amalickiah approached the land of Nephi with his army, the Lamanite King unsuspectingly exited the city to greet him, expecting that Amalickiah had fulfilled his designs to arm the people (Alma 47:20-21). Amalickiah’s servants, feigning reverence, met the king; yet in a treacherous act, one servant, upon the signal, assassinated the king by stabbing him to the heart (Alma 47:22-24). Amalickiah then manipulated the situation to his advantage, accusing the king’s own servants of the regicide and portraying himself as a loyal subject, thus winning the hearts of the people (Alma 47:25-30).
The Lamanite King’s demise allowed Amalickiah to seamlessly ascend to the throne, notably by marrying the widowed queen and consolidating his power (Alma 47:35). Posthumously, the Lamanite King’s reign was marked as the period leading to the rise of Amalickiah, an event that precipitated significant political upheaval and intensified military conflict between the Lamanite and Nephite nations.