Amalickiah was a Nephite who led a dissenting faction against the church and government around 73 B.C. and later became king of the Lamanites. He was a descendant of Zoram, as his brother Ammoron later stated (Alma 54:23). He was desirous to be a king, and those who supported him — chiefly the lower judges, who were seeking power — followed his flatteries on the promise that he would make them rulers over the people (Alma 46:4-5).
Those who would not hearken to Helaman and the other high priests over the church gathered against them, and Amalickiah led this faction in seeking to destroy the church of God and the foundation of liberty. When Moroni, chief commander of the Nephite armies, heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah (Alma 46:1-2, 10-11).
After Moroni rallied the people against him, Amalickiah fled with his men into the land of Nephi among the Lamanites. He stirred the Lamanites to war, was given command of part of the king’s army, and used that command to dethrone the king: he had a servant poison the rival leader Lehonti by degrees, took command of the army, then had the king stabbed and afterward took the widowed queen to wife, obtaining the kingdom by fraud (Alma 47).
Once he had obtained the kingdom, Amalickiah inspired the Lamanites against the Nephites and sought to reign over all the land (Alma 48:1-2). His campaign captured the city of Moroni and a string of cities along the east seashore — Nephihah, Lehi, Morianton, Omner, Gid, and Mulek (Alma 51:23-26).
While Amalickiah and his men slept after the labors and heat of the day, the Nephite captain Teancum stole into the king’s tent by night and put a javelin to his heart, killing him without waking his servants (Alma 51:33-34).