Amalickiah (Tennis Shoes Adventure Series)

"(Garth: You wanted to be king.) Yes. And the people wanted me to be king. Even at this day my supporters in Zarahemla rally for my return. I will not disappoint them. The nations will unite under Lamanite dominance. After all, the ancient right of kingship belongs to them. They recognized my eminence at once, welcomed my leadership with open arms."

- Amalickiah denying Garth's accusations of him being a liar

"She has the complexion of a queen. I will raise her up to be such. In a year or two, after the child has blossomed into womanhood, there will be a wedding the likes of which has never been known in all the land. It will be the wedding of a king whose power and glory stretch the length and breadth of all the earth."

- Amalickiah declaring his intentions regarding Jennifer Hawkins

Amalickiah is the main antagonist of Chris Heimerdinger's novel Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites. He is a fictionalized version of the Book of Mormon character of the same name.

Before The Series
Amalickiah grew up in a time where the Lamanites wanted to keep peace, but lived in a time of poverty and pain. Amalickiah blamed the church of Jesus Christ for making its followers believe that God will bless them when they die, as Amalickiah does not believe in God himself. Amalickiah resolved to make himself king, annihilate the Nephites, and thereby vanquish their religion.

Amalickiah rose to power by talking the Lamanite king into waging war on the Nephites. In order to remain in command, Amalickiah killed the military official Lehonti. Amalickiah's soldiers later killed the Lamanite king, and Amalickiah convinced everyone that the king's servants did it. As a result of the people's support, Amalickiah was made king.

Tennis Shoes Among The Nephites
By the time the series begins, Amalickiah's armies have been waging war against the Nephites for some time. Captain Moroni has fortified all of the major Nephite cities against Amalickiah's soldiers, forcing them to attack the weaker cities.

During this war, Lamanite soldiers find Jim Hawkins, Garth Plimpton, and Jenny Hawkins. The three children are brought before Amalickiah at a royal feast. Jenny is presented by Ammoron as a gift to Amalickiah, so that the latter can make Jenny one of his queens. Ammoron introduces Jim and Garth as well, and Garth shows off some of their modern-day technology. Amalickiah curiously asks Jim and Garth where they are from, and Jim says they are from Cody, Wyoming.

Amalickiah then explains his backstory and motivations for conquering the land. After he is finished with his story, Garth calls Amalickiah a liar and points out the lies in his story. Amalickiah denies having killed Lehonti, then expresses his suspicions that Jim and Garth are lying about their origin. He calls them Nephite spies and summons the Lamanite priests. Amalickiah sentences Jim and Garth to the Lamanite priests' next ritual and declares his intention to raise Jenny as a Lamanite and marry her.

Unbeknownst to Amalickiah, one of his Lamanite troops frees Jim and Garth and sends them off into the jungle. The boys are found by the Nephite captain Teancum, along with some of his family members. Jim and Garth are taken back to a Nephite city while the Nephite-Lamanite war continues.

Towards the end of the book, Jim accompanies Teancum on a march to Amalickiah's camp. Teancum's army overtakes Amalickiah's and discovers Amalickiah's camp. Jim and Teancum sneak into the camp, find Amalickiah's tent, and discover Amalickiah sleeping. Teancum thrusts a javelin through Amalickiah's heart, killing him and ending his cruel reign. Not long after, Jenny is rescued by Jim and Teancum.