Amalekites (Book of Mormon)


The Amalekites, in the Book of Mormon, are first mentioned described as a group of dissenters from the Nephites. They, along with the Lamanites and the Amulonites are credited with building the city of Jerusalem, in the land of Jerusalem, within the land of Nephi.
The character of the Amalekites is described as "more hardened than the Lamanites". In the various wars, the Amalekites are appointed captains because of their murderous dispositions.
Religiously, the Amalekites were followers of the order of Nehor. When Aaron, the son of Mosiah, enters their land, the Amalekites are among those who contend with him. Though they profess to believe in God, only one Amalekite is converted.
Because of them, the Lamanites are spurred on to kill their own people, the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. During the various wars between the Nephites and Lamanites, they are described as being better armed and continually inspire the Lamanites to fight.

Origins

Unlike Amlicites and Amulonites, no origin appears to be directly stated for the Amalekites, but it is worth noting that according to the Words of Mormon 1:16, there arose "false prophets" and "false preachers," who were punished as the law allowed, and some of them joined the ranks of the Lamanites.
Additionally, some scholars, including Professor Royal Skousen, have proposed, based on textual evidence and on spelling variations in the original manuscripts, that "Amalekite" is an alternative spelling of "Amlicite." Thus, Skousen's research into the original manuscripts used as the source for printing the Book of Mormon suggests that the "Amalekites" and the "Amlicites" are not two separate groups but the same group. The original manuscripts provide evidence that this confusion arose due to human error in transcribing the Book of Mormon into English, as unfamiliar names were at times spelled inconsistently, as the contents of the Book of Mormon were verbally dictated to the scribes. That confusion, while not having doctrinal implications for the book's contents, still exists in the Book of Mormon as of 2016.