Amalickiah understood the importance of deceiving the people or gaining their favor in order to complete he power grab. How different this is from King Benjamin, who also required a lifetime of work to pursue the opposite direction. King Benjamin was not a power grab, but rather a humble acknowledgement of duty that won the hearts of his people.
Amalickiah is self-imploding on a macro-scale.
Why do we need the Gospel of Jesus Christ? To prevent a people from being deceived as were the Lamanites. Without the protections afforded a believing people, wickedness can so easily encroach upon a society and deceive the whole body.
Woe unto you, when all amen shall speak bwell of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Luke 6:26