During his tenure as King, he fought constant warfare from many contenders to the throne, these battles would make up the First Samoan Civil War, which is documented in A Footnote to History: Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa.

In June 1894, both Laupepa and his son Mōlī II visited with the Latter-day Saint missionaries at Lalovi, Mulifanua with an army regiment of about 1,000 men.

Laupepa maintained his devout profession of Christianity throughout his life, although he became increasingly aggressive as he was thrust into the power struggle against his warlike uncle Talavou.

Laupepa did not enjoy universal support from his fellow Samoans and his warfare record was dismal; he did, however, win some battles and managed to have himself crowned and subsequently deposed as Joint-King, Deputy-King (under Talavou), and sole King of Samoa in 1881.

Churchward (84) recorded that the "Ellice group", now known as the Tuvalu islands, were "formally annexed to Samoa in the name of Malietoa" by one of Laupepa's colleagues from Malua Theological College.

Before his death on August 22, 1898, Laupepa managed to gain the support of the foreign consuls but he had suffered great losses of prestige and confidence in the eyes of many Samoans after being continually routed in battle and eventually exiled to the Marshall Islands.

Laupepa owned a "prized Samoan war club" – probably a Malietoa family anava heirloom – which he gave to the American consul William Churchill.

It was headed by John Edward Bush, and awarded the honorary decoration Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Star of Oceania the same day.

The Hawaiians seemed to understand Samoan politics better than the Europeans since they also sought the signatures of the other tamaʻāiga but the Germans prevented Matāʻafa and Tupua Tamasese from attesting the document.

Support from the Hawaiian Kingdom never materialized and Laupepa was ultimately driven into hiding by the German-backed Sā Tupua army in August.

Matāʻafa – who was supported by Faʻalataitaua and the Sā Talavou faction – managed to reconsolidate the Malietoa allies and led them against Tamasese Titimaea in August 1888.

The people of Atua experienced the same fate when the newly refurbished Matāʻafa-Malietoa fleets from Manono and Faʻasaleleaga invaded the coastal villages of Tamasese's allies in Falefā, Faleapuna, Lufilufi and Sāluafata.

Instead, Germany, Britain, and the United States signed the General Act of Berlin on June 14, 1889, which declared Laupepa king once again even though he was still in exile (Bevans 118).

When Laupepa returned to Samoa on November 8, 1889, he acknowledged Matāʻafa's right to the title and office which had both been acquired through war and the consent of the people.

[7]: 92  On December 4, 1889, a fono (traditional council of Samoan leaders) was held in Lepea, Faleata and Laupepa's supporters (including several Tutuila chiefs) declared him King of Samoa.

Latter-day Saint missionary journals reveal that support from eastern ʻUpolu (Ātua) had rallied behind Matāʻafa (who was by this time the Tuiātua) in Malie and hundreds were arriving to offer their assistance.