Anti-Nephi-Lehi was a Lamanite king and the brother of Lamoni (Alma 24:5). When his father, the king over all the Lamanites, converted under the preaching of the Nephite missionaries led by Ammon, he conferred the kingdom on this son and gave him the name Anti-Nephi-Lehi; the father died that same year, as the Lamanites prepared for war against the converts (Alma 24:3-4). The name may be of Egyptian origin, denoting “the one of Nephi and Lehi” rather than implying opposition as the English prefix would suggest.
The converts took the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies to distinguish themselves from the other Lamanites, opened friendly relations with the Nephites, and were no longer called Lamanites (Alma 23:16-17). Anti-Nephi-Lehi held a council in the land of Ishmael with his brother Lamoni and with Ammon about how to defend themselves against the coming attack (Alma 24:5). None of the converts would take up arms against their attacking brethren, and their king commanded them not to make any preparations for war (Alma 24:6). After their king’s exhortation, they buried their weapons deep in the earth, covenanting to give up their own lives rather than shed the blood of their brethren (Alma 24:17-18). When the Lamanites fell upon them, 1,005 were slain without resistance; seeing the converts lie down and praise God as they died, many of the attackers repented, threw down their weapons, and joined the people of God, more than the number who had been slain (Alma 24:20-27).