Amalickiah is playing a very dangerous game. He has aspirations to rule over all of the Lamanites and intentionally yields control of the over-king’s army to become second in command to Lehonti. While this incident shows Amalickiah’s deviousness, it also provides clues about the social structure in which this story occurs. Lehonti, the newly appointed king, must have had a valid claim to kingship, or the soldiers would not have been willing to switch their allegiance. This detail further confirms that this ruling lineage preceded that of the king enthroned by the Lamanite army “stirred up” by Nephite apostates (Amalekites and Amulonites). The army Amalickiah is leading came from the city of Nephi; therefore, its soldiers would know the people of Lehonti and respect the royal lineage in this kin group. All of these subtle social interactions lie behind the events revealing themselves in glimpses as the story unfolds.
Another puzzling element may be the Lamanite army’s easy capitulation. However, we must remember that Mesoamerican armies were closely associated with their commanders, who were either the king or his direct representative. The death or capture of this commander, especially in the absence of a well-defined and professional chain of command typical of modern armies, might signal the end of the war. When the commander defected, the battle was essentially over with only the formality of surrender to go through.
A final question is why Lehonti would accept Amalickiah, a Nephite traitor who has also just betrayed the Lamanite over-king, as his second in command. I hypothesize that Amalickiah flattered Lehonti by recognizing and promising to support his own rights of kingship against the “usurping” Lamanite king. Furthermore, as I have hypothesized, Amalickiah could claim “royal” blood to fuel his aspirations in Zarahemla. He was thus, in an important way, Lehonti’s equal who was willing to become his subordinate and ally. He had also apparently shown his “loyalty” by delivering an intact army.