Amulon was the leader of the priests of King Noah (Mosiah 23:32). After Noah’s death the priests fled into the wilderness, where they were found by the Lamanites. Amulon pleaded for their lives and sent the wives they had taken—daughters of the Lamanites—to plead for their husbands, and the Lamanites spared them (Mosiah 23:33). The priests then joined the Lamanites and, while traveling in search of the land of Nephi, came upon the land of Helam, settled by Alma and his people.
The Lamanites promised Alma’s people their lives and liberty if Alma would show them the way to the land of Nephi, but once he had, they broke the promise and set guards over Helam (Mosiah 23:36-37). The king of the Lamanites made Amulon a king and ruler over the people of Helam, with no power to act against the will of the Lamanite king (Mosiah 23:39).
Amulon knew Alma had been a fellow priest who believed Abinadi and was driven out before King Noah, and for that he was angry with him (Mosiah 24:9). He put Alma’s people under taskmasters and heavy burdens, forbidding them to pray aloud and setting guards to put to death anyone found calling on God (Mosiah 24:8, 11). Alma’s people prayed silently instead; the Lord eased their burdens and later delivered them from bondage (Mosiah 24:12-15).
Amulon’s people were called Amulonites. Almost all the seed of Amulon and his brethren were later slain by the Nephites, fulfilling Abinadi’s words about the priests who had him put to death by fire (Alma 25:4).