Awake to a Sense of Your Awful Situation
Book of Mormon Notes - Sunday, May 19, 2024, Ether 8 (Part 2)
There are innumerable iterations of the daughter of Jared in modern American society, from Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Cardi B to Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, there are innumerable iterations of people like Jared who know how to wield sex as a weapon of blackmail. A careful study of the works and networks of Jeffrey Epstein, for example, reveals that the governments of the United States and Israel, as well as those of other countries, are run by blackmail operations that would have impressed Jared and his daughter. In fact, most of our recent presidents of the United States of America may have been compromised and controlled in a way that is similar to how the daughter of Jared compromised and controlled Akish, son of Kimnor.
After the daughter of Jared proposed her evil plan, she and her father went to work:
And now Omer was a friend to Akish; wherefore, when Jared had sent for Akish, the daughter of Jared danced before him that she pleased him, insomuch that he desired her to wife. And it came to pass that he said unto Jared: Give her unto me to wife.
And Jared said unto him: I will give her unto you, if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king.
And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you?
And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life.
And it came to pass that thus they did agree with Akish. And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning.
And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.
And it was the daughter of Jared who put it into his heart to search up these things of old; and Jared put it into the heart of Akish; wherefore, Akish administered it unto his kindred and friends, leading them away by fair promises to do whatsoever thing he desired.
And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;
For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man. (Ether 8:11-19)
Thus an evil secret combination, a conspiracy, was formed among the Jaredites. This is a simple diagram of the hierarchy of this evil conspiracy:
The devil → Cain → Ancient Secret Combinations → The Daughter of Jared → Jared → Akish → Kinsfolk, Kindreds, and Friends of Akish
Similar hierarchies and conspiracies exist in our communities and countries today, and they work under cover of darkness, often under a cloak of false religious or political legitimacy.
Like other Book of Mormon prophets before him, Moroni refuses to divulge the manner of the oaths and combinations that Jared, his daughter, and Akish dug up from Cain and other ancient conspirators. But Moroni shares the sad truth that is most relevant to his latter-day audience:
And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.
And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.
And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not. (Ether 8:20-22)
Think of it. The Lord revealed unto Moroni, the great Prince of America, that the same kind of oaths and combinations that the devil administered to Cain, and that Akish administered to his friends, are had among all people. Moroni knew that secret combinations, or diabolical conspiracies, existed among the Lamanites and caused the destruction of both the Lamanites and the Nephites. It is customary to read the Book of Mormon as the tale of the downfall of the Nephites at the hand of the Lamanites, but Moroni teaches that both the Nephites and the Lamanites were destroyed from within by evil conspiracies or secret combinations. Furthermore, Moroni prophesies the destruction of whatever nation upholds these conspiracies and allows them to spread.
If we pause to consider the ways in which the United States of America currently upholds and spreads secret combinations, and how pervasive and entrenched they are, then the logical conclusion is that we are on the brink of destruction. The blood of the saints - the blood of millions of innocent aborted babies and other victims of war, abuse, sex trafficking, torture, and murder - cries from the ground for vengeance. The Lord will not tolerate this evil.
Moroni’s warning to us is very clear and concise, and no honest student of the Book of Mormon can reasonably conclude that Moroni’s warnings are baseless “conspiracy theories.” President Ezra Taft Benson taught:
Joseph Smith said that the Book of Mormon was the “keystone of our religion” and the “most correct” book on earth. (DHC, vol. 6, p. 56.) This most correct book on earth states that the downfall of two great American civilizations came as a result of secret conspiracies whose desire was to overthrow the freedom of the people. “And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking,” says Moroni, “and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.” (Ether 8:21.)
Now undoubtedly Moroni could have pointed out many factors that led to the destruction of the people, but notice how he singled out the secret combinations, just as the Church today could point out many threats to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work, but it has singled out the greatest threat as the godless conspiracy. There is no conspiracy theory in the Book of Mormon—it is a conspiracy fact.
Listen carefully to Moroni’s warning because he speaks directly to us, addressing our present predicament:
Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. (Ether 8:23-26)