Before the 2024 election, I posted a prediction comparing Donald Trump to King Amalickiah from the Book of Mormon. It is an apt comparison. This is my updated version. You can read the original here in English or French.
There is a remarkable story in the Book of Mormon in Alma chapters 46 through 51. It describes a political movement that tried to overthrow the government and replace it with a king.
The leader of this movement was a man named Amalickiah.
He was clever, manipulative, and extremely ambitious. He wanted power at any cost.
The Book of Mormon describes exactly how he achieved that power. The pattern should feel uncomfortably familiar.
In the story, a faction calling themselves the "king-men" decided they wanted to change the law and install a king.
The people voted on the proposal.
The king-men lost the vote.
Instead of accepting the result, they rebelled and tried to force their will on everyone else through violence.
The leader of the movement, Amalickiah, wanted to be the new king. Violence followed. Armies marched. The nation nearly collapsed into civil war.
Eventually the plot ended when the Nephite commander Teancum slipped into the enemy camp in the middle of the night and killed Amalickiah with a javelin.
It is honestly a terrific story. When I was a kid I liked it so much that I even invented a board game based on Teancum.
But the story is not just exciting. It is also a warning.
The Book of Mormon repeatedly warns about ambitious leaders who manipulate people, spread lies, and stir up hatred in order to seize power.
One of Amalickiah's main tactics was to stir up anger between groups of people.
Alma 47:1-4
"And it came to pass that Amalickiah sought the favor of the Lamanites; and he began to stir up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites."
He did this deliberately. He spread fear and hatred so that people would unite behind him.
Compare that pattern with the rhetoric used by Donald Trump.
Donald Trump, October 13, 2024:
"I think the bigger problem is the people from within. We have some very bad people, some sick people, radical left lunatics. We have two enemies: we have the outside enemy, and then we have the enemy from within."
According to Trump, other Americans are more dangerous than foreign enemies.
Trump has repeatedly expanded on this idea. He has described political opponents as traitors and enemies of the nation. He has suggested that these "enemies from within" could be dealt with by the National Guard or even the military.
Think about what that means.
A presidential candidate openly discussing the use of military force against his own political opponents.
This is exactly the kind of division Amalickiah used to gain power.
AP/PBS: Trump suggests he would use the military on the "enemy from within"
The Book of Mormon describes Amalickiah as a man who relied heavily on deception.
Alma 46:10
"We see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly and to destroy the foundation of liberty."
Amalickiah persuaded people through manipulation and lies.
Donald Trump has built much of his political movement on claims that are not supported by evidence.
Perhaps the most famous example is his claim that he won the 2020 election.
Trump received about 74 million votes in that election.
Joe Biden received about 81 million votes.
Dozens of courts examined claims of election fraud. No evidence was presented that would have changed the outcome of the election.
Trump's own attorney general publicly stated that the Department of Justice found no evidence that would have changed the outcome.
Nevertheless Trump continues to insist that he actually won.
The lie continues because it serves a political purpose: convincing supporters that the system itself is illegitimate.
AP: Barr says there was no widespread fraud that would change the 2020 result
The Book of Mormon also describes Amalickiah gaining power through deceit.
Alma 47:4
"Being a very subtle man to do evil, he laid the plan in his heart to dethrone the king."
Alma 48:7
"Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit."
Donald Trump has faced numerous legal cases involving fraud and financial misconduct.
In New York he was convicted on dozens of felony counts related to falsifying business records.
The Trump Organization has also been convicted of financial fraud.
Several of Trump's closest associates have been convicted of terrible crimes including fraud, financial misconduct, and child abuse.
These include Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Steve Bannon, and Allen Weisselberg.
Trump and many men surrounding him have been accused of sexually abusing women and of covering up the crimes of others.
Patterns of corruption rarely stop with one individual.
AP: Trump convicted on 34 felony counts in New York
AP: Trump Organization convicted of tax fraud
Amalickiah often caused violence through others.
Alma 47:23
"And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees."
Trump also uses language that encourages confrontation and violence.
Trump, September 29, 2024:
"We need one real rough, nasty, violent day of policing in order to eradicate crime immediately."
During the rally before the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol, Trump told his supporters:
"We fight like hell and if you do not fight like hell you are not going to have a country anymore."
"You will never take back our country with weakness."
"We are going to walk down to the Capitol."
Violence followed.
Hundreds of people were convicted of crimes related to the attack, including assaulting police officers and other serious offenses.
AP: Trump pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 defendants, including violent rioters
When I first wrote about these patterns, some people said the warnings were exaggerated.
They said Trump would never actually do the things he threatened to do.
But many of those warnings were not exaggerations. They were predictions based on Trump's own words.
And now many of those predictions have already come true.
Trump repeatedly promised to pardon people convicted for their actions during the January 6 attack.
After returning to power he followed through and issued pardons to many of those individuals.
These were not harmless protesters. Many had been convicted of violent crimes against police officers.
But Trump calls them "hostages."
That tells you something important.
He encouraged the movement.
And then he protected the people who carried out the violence.
Reuters: Trump pardons nearly everyone charged in the January 6 attack
Trump has made revenge one of the central themes of his political movement.
"I am your retribution."
That is not normal language for a democratic leader.
Presidents are supposed to serve the entire nation, not punish their enemies.
But Trump openly talks about using the power of government against people he dislikes.
He has threatened journalists, prosecutors, judges, political opponents, and government officials who refused to support his claims about the election.
When a leader talks constantly about revenge and punishment, it should concern anyone who believes in the rule of law.
Reuters investigation: Trump's campaign of retribution
Another tactic used by Amalickiah was convincing people that their neighbors were enemies.
Trump often uses language that dehumanizes entire groups of people.
He has referred to immigrants as animals.
He has claimed that immigrants are poisoning the blood of the country.
He has described political opponents as vermin.
History shows that when leaders begin describing groups of people as animals or vermin, violence often follows.
Reuters: Trump's rhetoric about immigrants and opponents
The Book of Mormon repeatedly teaches that the character of leaders matters.
Amalickiah was violent, deceptive, and power hungry.
Trump has faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct over several decades.
A civil jury found him liable for sexual assault in the case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
At least twenty six women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1970s.
Any church leader, military officer, corporate executive, or public servant facing dozens of such accusations would almost certainly be removed from leadership.
AP: Jury finds Trump liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll
Political rhetoric has consequences.
When leaders repeatedly tell their followers that the country is being stolen, that enemies are everywhere, and that violence is justified, their followers will eventually act on those beliefs.
ICE officers across the country have terrorized American citizens. They shot and killed Americans and then covered up and impeded investigations into the murders. The U.S. military has engaged in a series of illegal attacks on civilians in international waters. And the orders for this unlawful behavior came from Trump himself.
The president is waging war without the consent of Congress. He is selling pardons to criminals. He is selling secrets and technology to our enemies. He is enriching himself at the expense of our entire nation.
And he has already killed many people, including over 100 children, with American weapons.
This is exactly the kind of person the Book of Mormon very specifically warns about.
I was taught that the Book of Mormon does not just tell ancient stories.
It warns readers about human nature and political power.
It warns about leaders who manipulate people, spread lies, stir up anger, and seek power at any cost, including the lives of others.
Amalickiah used deception, anger, and violence to gain power.
Trump is the same kind of man, and he is destroying our liberty. He is literally the enemy of us all.
© 2026 - This work is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0