Who was this "king of the Lamanites" mentioned in Alma 2:32? Was it either of the two kings which the sons of Mosiah would convert on their mission to the Lamanites--(1) king Lamoni (Alma 17:21) or (2) king Lamoni's father (Alma 20:8)? It is my opinion that Lamoni and his father were not this king who fought with Amlici. In order to understand who this unnamed king might logically have been, we must review the following information:
1. When Alma1 fled from the local land of Lehi-Nephi and eventually found his way to the local land of Zarahemla, the sequence of places where he stayed were: (1) the waters of Mormon, (2) land of Helam, (3) valley of Alma. We might assume that this sequence led one to the land of Zarahemla.
2. When the Lamanite armies and the priests of Amulon returning from the land of Amulon to the local land of Nephi stumbled upon Alma and his followers in the land Helam, they became rulers over them and over the land of Helam (Mosiah 23:35--24:1).
3. The Lamanites took possession of all these lands and the king of the Lamanites appointed kings over all these lands (Mosiah 24:2).
4. The sons of Mosiah began their mission to the Lamanites in the first year of the reign of the judges (Alma 17:6).
5. The Amlicite wars were all fought in the fifth year of the reign of the judges (Alma 3:25).
6. There is no mention or reference to any wars fought by either Lamoni or his father immediately prior to their conversions.
7. Aaron went to the city of Jerusalem which was "joining the borders of Mormon" (Alma 21:1). The Amalekites and the people of Amulon had built the city of Jerusalem (Alma 21:2). The Amalekites and Amulonites were hardened and caused the Lamanites they lived with to become more hardened than normal (Alma 21:3).
8. The Amalekites and the Amulonites "were after the order of the Nehors" (Alma 21:4).
9. "The Amalekites were not converted, save only one; neither were any of the Amulonites; but they did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt" (Alma 23:14).
10. Amlici was after the order of the Nehors (Alma 2:1).
11. The armies of Amlici gathered before they came to the hill Amnihu (Alma 2:9, 15). This gathering place was presumably downstream (northward from the local land of Zarahemla).
12. The armies of Amlici met the Lamanites "in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of Nephi" (Alma 2:24).
13. When the Amlicites and Lamanites fled the Nephites armies near the local land of Zarahemla, they fled "west and north" (Alma 2:36).
14. The city of Ammonihah was "west" and "north" of the local land of Zarahemla according to the travels of Alma (Alma 8:3, 6).
15. Some of the rulers in Ammonihah belonged to the order of Nehors (Alma 14:16, see also Alma 16:11).
Thus, it is more probable that the Amlicite wars involved Lamanites (and their local king) who (1) were associated with the order of Nehors, and (2) lived between the land of Minon and the city of Jerusalem--presumably near the land of Helam or lands closer to the Nephites (near the land of Manti?--Alma 22:27). [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]