Book of Mormon; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saints
When Amalickiah fled to the court of the king of the Lamanites he
evolved a plot worthy of a demon, which only ceased with life. He was
a Napoleon in ambition and diplomacy, and possibly also in military
skill. On the first favorable opportunity after reaching the Lamanite
court, he commenced to rekindle the fires of hatred toward his former
friends. At first he was unsuccessful, the recollection of their late
defeats was too fresh in the memory of the multitude. The king issued a
war proclamation, but it was disregarded. Much as his subjects feared
the imperial power, they dreaded a renewal of war more. Many gathered
to resist the royal mandate. The king, unused to such objections,
raised an army to quell the advocates of peace, and placed it under the
command of the now zealous Amalickiah.
The peace-men had chosen an officer named Lehonti for their king
and leader, and he had assembled his followers at a mountain called
Antipas. Thither Amalickiah marched, but with no intention of provoking
a conflict; he was working for the good feelings of the entire Lamanite
people. On his arrival he entered into a secret correspondence with
Lehonti, in which he agreed to surrender his forces on condition that
he should be appointed second in command of the united armies. The plan
succeeded. Amalickiah surrendered to Lehonti and assumed the second
position. Lehonti now stood in the way of his ambition; it was but a
little thing to remove him: he died by slow poison administered by
Amalickiah's command.
Amalickiah now assumed supreme command, and at the head of his forces
he marched towards the Lamanite capital. The king, supposing that the
approaching hosts had been raised to carry the war into Zarahemla, came
out of the royal city to greet and congratulate him. As the monarch
drew near he was traitorously slain by some of the creatures of the
subtle general, who at the same time raised the hue and cry that, the
king's own servants were the authors of the vile deed. Amalickiah
assumed all the airs of grief, affection and righteous indignation
that he thought would best suit his purpose. He next made apparently
desperate, but purposely ineffectual, efforts to capture those who were
charged with the crime, and so adroitly did he carry out his schemes,
that before long he wheedled himself into the affections of the queen,
whom he married, and he was recognised by the Lamanites as their king.
Thus far his ambition was realized, but it was far from satisfied;
ambition seldom is.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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