Lessons Learned from Alma 47

I want to share a story I read this week, about Amalickiah and Lehonti (Alma 47:13).  I'm sure we all know the story.  In Alma Chapter 47 it starts off by talking about Amalichiah, who is an apostate Nephite ... and what does he want?  He wants to be king.  As the king that would give him control of the army to attack the Nephites, Lehonti and his men break off because they are scared to attack the nephites and are scared to disobey the king.  They go into a mountain and in verse 6 amalickiah sends his men to tell lehonti to come down, but he says no.  This goes on for 3 more times.  Finally, after he realizes that he can't get him to come down, what does Amalickiah decide to do?  He decides to go up and get him.  He tells him, "come down with your guards", I just want to talk, I'm your friend.  He then tells him his plan, "come down with your big army in the night surround my little army and when they wake up we will surrender and all I want is to be second in command."  So he does exactly that.  Amalickiah is second in command and lehonti is first.  Just as he wants.  So, if someone wants to be first in command what do they do if they are second?  They kill the first one in command.  So, it continues and amalickiah poisons lehonti, but not suddenly.  He says, "by degrees" and as i heard from a talk "if someone were to murder him they would know, if someone were to stab him they would know, but if someone were to poison him no one would even notice especially if it were by degrees.  So, what i learned is that Amalickiah is a form of satan.  Amalickiah is a break off from the good.  Satan broke off from his father.  Amalickiah took followers, so did satan.  Amalickiah, after not being able to get him to fall, has to come up with another plan.  Satan tries to trick us through others, if he can't he tries to get us to fall on our own by "small degrees."  So, don't ever give into temptation no matter how small it may be!