1 NOW we will return in our record to Amalickiah and those who had fled with him into the wilderness; [ Those of similar nature, those who because they did not get their way one place just moved to another place all in an effort to become the ruling class. ] for, behold, he had taken those who went with him, and went up in the land of Nephi among the Lamanites, and did stir up the Lamanites to anger against the people of Nephi, [ So what has happened so far? Amalickiah attempted to become king of the Nephites. Stirred up a lot of trouble and chaos in the Nephite kingdom. Captain Moroni defeated him at great cost in battle with a lot of death on both sides. Then Amalickiah escapes to Lamanites, and while there begins to stir the king up to do battle with Nephites.So what is his mission? So at first he tried to work his way with the Nephites; to become their ruler - but that had not worked out as successful as he had hoped. So he goes to plan B. If he can get the Lamanites all worked up about how the Nephites have mistreated them. The old divide the crowd(part of the secret combinations outlined in the beginning(None Dare Call It Communism, The Naked Communist)), find those with a similar interest and us those to enrage the others until you a mass a large number. Then threaten those who do not fall in line with your teachings. So what was the discussion or the reason for difference that Amalickiah used as the talking point? The answer is back in Mosiah 10. Verse 11 & 12 says that they were wild and ferocious and they continue to use the tradition of their fathers. That is that they believe that they were driven from Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, that they were wronged while in the wilderness and they were wronged while crossing the sea. Or in other words it was Nephi and Lehi's fault. They were tricked or wronged again when they arrived on land. Which caused them to be wroth with the Nephites as all Nephites were thieves and liars because the Nephites received guidance from the Lord in their journey's, they were favored of the Lord, the Nephites were the ruling people, they took the records into the wilderness robbing them again. A pattern that the Laminites believe is repeated over and over again and that is the cause for their unhappiness and misery in life. Mosiah 10: 11-17. For these reasons they are entitled to murder, destroy, rob and plunder the Nephites. To them it is all justified. Do we see this kind of logic being employed by satan and his minions today? Antifi, Black Lives Matter, Slave repariration, renter entitlement... ] insomuch that the king of the Lamanites sent a proclamation [ So Amalickiah gets enough of the people worked up that the King can see a rebellion coming on. So he thinks that hey if I am part of the rebellion, and I support it then they will support me as the King. Otherwise they will try to over through me as King. Do we see this in our cities today? The minorities that are screaming the loudest are getting the politicians to side with them. Gay rights, Defund police, entitlement... All of the polls suggest that this is not what the majority wants. But the minority seem to be getting their way. ] throughout all his land, among all his people, that they should gather themselves together again to go to battle against the Nephites.

2 And it came to pass that when the proclamation had gone forth among them they were exceedingly afraid ; [ Why were they so afraid? Alma 46:7 the Nephites had been exceptionally blessed in their last encounter. Many Lamanites remember what happened last time they went to battle and say "no way." ] yea, they feared to displease the king, and they also feared to go to battle against the Nephites lest they should lose their lives. [ They were stuck in a very difficult position. Their only purpose is to not die in battle - as they are scared of Moroni. ] And it came to pass that they would not, or the more part of them would not, obey the commandments of the king. [ Will we see this in our day, that a good many will not want to take up arms? If so how does the King respond? He will compel them. ]

3 And now it came to pass that the king was wroth because of their disobedience; therefore he gave Amalickiah the command of that part of his army which was obedient unto his commands, and commanded him that he should go forth and compel them to arms. [ What kind of army is that going to make? Does an army that is fighting for something that they believe in - ie, their wives and their children fight harder than an army that is fighting because they are compelled to? Will members of a army that they do not believe in the cause find grounds to jump ship maybe? ]

4 Now behold, this was the desire of Amalickiah; [ Or he kind of knew this would happen. So what was Amalickiah's stratagem then? Since the king cannot get enough people to form a sizable army, and no one wants to lead the army against Captain Moroni. So that left Amalickiah in a good position - he volunteers to be the leader of the army. So Amalickiah is given the king's loyal army under the pretense that he'll force Lahonti's men to fight or kill them for defying the king. ] for he [ Amalickiah. ] being a very subtle [ Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; applied to persons; as a subtle foe. ] man to do evil therefore he laid the plan in his heart to dethrone the king of the Lamanites.

5 And now he had got the command of those parts of the Lamanites who were in favor of the king; and he sought to gain favor of those who were not obedient; therefore [ So he has those who are loyal to the king on his side as well as those that he has stirred up, those that he made feel like they were entitled to something that was taken from them. ] he went forward to the place which was called Onidah, for thither had all the Lamanites fled; for they discovered the army coming, and, supposing that they were coming to destroy them, therefore they fled to Onidah, to the place of arms. [ Here we are given the definition of Onidah - which is place of arms. ]

6 And they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.

7 And it came to pass that they had gathered themselves together upon the top of the mount [ What is the strategic advantage of being on high ground? You can see everything that is going on; 2) You have gravity working for you not against you 3) When you swing your sword you are swinging at their head they are swinging at your feet. Which one can cause the most damage when hit? How does this apply to our lives? ] which was called Antipas, in preparation to battle.

8 Now it was not Amalickiah’s intention to give them battle according to the commandments of the king; [ Why does he not just take them head on and start to slay those who will not join his forces? 1) He may end up making his army weaker through loss of men 2) Warriors are not good warriors when they do not believe in the cause. What tactics does satan use in our lives instead of taking us head on in battle? ] but behold, it was his intention to gain favor [ Seduce them, to get them to want what he has to provide a plan that is more enticing - even if it is a great lie. ] with the armies of the Lamanites, that he [ Amalickiah. ] might place himself at their head and dethrone the king and take possession of the kingdom. [ Does that sound familiar ? What is it that Satan wants to do with us? ]

9 And behold, it came to pass that he caused his army to pitch their tents in the valley which was near the mount Antipas. [ So what do they do? They pitch their tent outside of the boundaries of threat. Give the desenters a little breathing room, let them get comfortable with them around, get them to let their guard down a little - make themselves familiar with them. ]

10 And it came to pass that when it was night he [ Amalickiah. ] sent a secret embassy into the mount Antipas, [ What is the first clue that we have that everything is not on the up and up? When you start to hear secret, doing things in the dark where they are concealed; or the words hide yourself you should have a pretty good idea - actions of a follower of Christ are done in the open in the daylight and for the most part are not hidden. ] desiring that the leader of those who were upon the mount, whose name was Lehonti, that he should come down to the foot of the mount, for he desired to speak with him.

11 And it came to pass that when Lehonti received the message he durst not go down to the foot of the mount. [ What was Lehontis initial impression of what he should do? To not got down. ] And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the second time, desiring him to come down. And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sent again the third time. [ So Amalickiah did not give up - he just kept asking for what he wanted. What kind of similar positions do we find ourself in with life? Do we find the subtleties of the daily tasks seem to take over - I will not study my scriptures today I am too busy; I will not pray tonight I am just too tired; I will not go to church this week it has been a tough week... ]

12 And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, [ So Amalickiah is still not going to give up. ] nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and he sent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti, desiring that he would come down, and that he would bring his guards with him. [ Amalickiah sweetens the offer a little more. You can come down and even bring your guards if you want - the idea is that you don't have anything to worry about you will be safe - trust me... How does Satan use that logic with us? You can stay over a little longer it will be ok - nothing is going to happen, you can go to the bar with us you don't have too drink it will be fun...the list goes on. ]

13 And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come down with his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the night-time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti’s hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) a second leader over the whole army. [ Amalickiah tricks his own army by surrounding them with Lahonti's men by a secret alliance with Lahonti whom he has flattered. All under the premise that he would make Amalickiah second in command of the whole combined army. Putting himself in line to be comander number one should something happen to Lahonti - wink wink. Does this all sound so easy - too good to be true? Why is it that when we do not have to work for things there is usually some sort of catch? Does satan use any ploys like that with us? Flatterers and king-men will. Rarely speak specifics or directly state their intentions, Use vague and nebulous terms that encourage the audience to hear what they want to hear while reserving private definitions that allow for different explanations later, Disarm the opposition by appearing to side with them when they really harbor opposite intentions, and Speak in frothy, feel-good, cotton-candy platitudes. The king-men pretended to want to correct only a few details, but knew their plan would overthrow the free government. Amalickiah pledged loyalty to Lehonti, the Lamanite general, while secretly having him poisoned. ]

14 And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti. [ So everything is going according to the pre-meditated stratagem of Amalickiah. ]

15 And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they plead with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, [ Just what Amalickiah had desired to happen. How had Amalickiah had previously calculated that this would happen? Remember for the most part the army did not want to fight any way. some where just more afraid of the king than war. ] that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired. [ Amalickiah gains the trust of Lehonti. ]

16 And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king. Now this was the thing that Amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in dethroning the king.

17 Now it was the custom among the Lamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint the second leader to be their chief leader. [ Amalickiah knows their laws and then uses them to his advantage. ]

18 And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died. [ Killing by degrees would have taken a little time such that it did not look like anything other than natural death. The scriptures contain many types and shadows of Christ, and my conviction is that the story of Amalickiah provides us with a type and shadow of Satan. Think of the parallels here! Amalickiah wanted to be king, he was cast out, and he took his followers with him. Similarly, Satan wanted to: exalt [his] throne above the stars of God (2 Nephi 24:13), was cast out, and took his followers with him. Amalickiah is described as cunning, flattering, and a murderer. Satan is also described as cunning, flattering, and a murderer. Amalickiah poisoned Lehonti “by degrees.” Satan leads us “carefully” or “by degrees” down to hell (2 Nephi 28:21). Amalickiah did “not care for the blood of his people” ( Alma 49:10). Satan will not support his children at the last day ( Alma 30:60).

Amalickiah succeeded in persuading the king of the Lamanites to attack the Nephites, but a large part of the Lamanite army refused to fight the Nephites. They found refuge on top of the mount Antipas and appointed Lehonti to be their leader. Three different times, Amalickiah invited Lehonti to come down from the mountain. Lehonti refused each time. Eventually, Amalickiah went up, nearly to the camp of Lehonti, and persuaded Lehonti to come down “just a little.” Amalickiah convinced Lehonti that he was not really an enemy, but a friend who only wanted to be second in command. Eventually, Lehonti agreed to Amalickiah's scheme, and was unknowingly poisoned “by degrees” until he died.

As Latter-day Saints, we have gone up to the “mountain of the Lord” and made covenants. Satan continually invites us to come down. We refuse. so he invites us to come down just a little. If we do, we subject ourselves to his power where we will eventually be poisoned by degrees. If we are wounded by a gunshot, or a sword, we know about it! But if we are slowly poisoned, we might not even realize it's happening. Poison is a perfect metaphor for Satan's tactics, because a victim of poison may not even realize what's happening, and may still believe he's in control up until the moment he dies.

The spiritual message is powerful and chilling: Don't come down from your mountain! Keep your covenants! Satan wants us to come down so he can poison us by degrees. (It's interesting to note that Jesus was invited to come down three times from the pinnacle of the temple, but he never did. See Matthew 4:1-11). ]

19 Now, when Lehonti was dead, the Lamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and their chief commander. [ Mission accomplished. We should always be on guard and remember - that when it comes to power, there just are not any coincidences with key people dying and the resulting power shifts. It is just stratagem. Look to see who ends up in power after key people die and then you can easily identify the evil ones. Unfortunately Amalickiah Is only one example of the state of our government. Helaman will continue this theme and go into the Gadiantons who infiltrate the government by being elected and basically cause the governmental collapse as they fight each other. ]

20 And it came to pass that Amalickiah marched with his armies (for he had gained his desires) to the land of Nephi, to the city of Nephi, which was the chief city.

21 And the king came out to meet him with his guards, for he supposed that Amalickiah had fulfilled his commands, and that Amalickiah had gathered together so great an army to go against the Nephites to battle.

22 But behold, as the king came out to meet him Amalickiah caused that his servants should go forth to meet the king. And they went and bowed themselves before the king, as if to reverence him because of his greatness.

23 And it came to pass that the king put forth his hand to raise them, as was the custom with the Lamanites, as a token of peace, which custom they had taken from the Nephites.

24 And it came to pass that when he had raised the first from the ground, behold he stabbed the king to the heart; and he fell to the earth.

25 Now the servants of the king fled; and the 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.

27 And it came to pass that Amalickiah commanded that his armies should march forth and see what had happened to the king; and when they had come to the spot, and found the king lying in his gore, Amalickiah pretended to be wroth, and said: Whosoever loved the king, let him go forth, and pursue his servants that they may be slain.

28 And it came to pass that all they who loved the king, [ So through fake news he is able to get the backing of those who otherwise loved the King. ] when they heard these words, came forth and pursued after the servants of the king.

29 Now when the servants of the king saw an army pursuing after them, they were frightened again, and fled into the wilderness, and came over into the land of Zarahemla and joined the people of Ammon.

30 And the army which pursued after them returned, having pursued after them in vain; and thus Amalickiah, by his fraud, gained the hearts of the people. [ Notice how much attention Mormon gives to Amalickiah’s deceptions (his plan with and subsequent poisoning of Lehonti; his assassination of the Lamanite King; he marries the Queen and assumes the throne—all to become King of the Lamanites, after he was thwarted in his unrighteousness attempt to become King of the Nephites. As opposed to Captain Moroni, who was motivated by defense of the things he prioritized on his Title of Liberty: God, religion, freedom, peace, their wives, and children. It is to me of great interest that Mormon records all of the details, as if we need to know them; he could have just condensed it to something like: “Amalickiah betrayed the other guy and assumed control of the holdouts, eventually”…but he takes the time to show over several pages how Lehonti gives in, little by little, and trusts Amalickiah which is what led to his downfall. ]

31 And it came to pass on the morrow he entered the city Nephi with his armies, and took possession of the city.

32 And now it came to pass that the queen, when she had heard that the king was slain—for Amalickiah had sent an embassy to the queen informing her that the king had been slain by his servants, that he had pursued them with his army, but it was in vain, and they had made their escape—

33 Therefore, when the queen had received this message she sent unto Amalickiah, desiring him that he would spare the people of the city; and she also desired him that he should come in unto her; and she also desired him that he should bring witnesses with him to testify concerning the death of the king.

34 And it came to pass that Amalickiah took the same servant 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 his own servants; and they said also: They have fled; does not this testify against them? And thus they satisfied the queen concerning the death of the king.

35 And it came to pass that Amalickiah sought the favor of the queen, and took her unto him to wife; and thus by his fraud, and by the assistance of his cunning servants, he obtained the kingdom; yea, he was acknowledged king throughout all the land, among all the people of the Lamanites, who were composed of the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites, and all the dissenters of the Nephites, from the reign of Nephi down to the present time.

36 Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, [ Many of them would have grown up in the same household as the Nephites. They went to the same testimony meetings, went on missions together, they were part of the congregation of saints at one point in time. ] yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, [ Suggesting that Amalickiah and these other dissident Nephites were at one point a members of the church. Here he uses his knowledge to overtake the people. We are taught here how a secret combination is used to over through a couple of governments. ] , nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions they became more hardened and impenitent, [ This is a good question to try to understand. When they leave, why can't they just leave, walk away, why do they need to become so hard, to try to tear down what the once espoused. Why is this almost always the case? Once society gives way to the desires of the secret combinations of the mob then they are doomed, as those combinations will fester within the organizations, corruption will become even stronger which leads to great destruction. All fulfilling satan's plan to destroy mortal man by any means possible. ] 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 the Lord their God.