Ether 8

King Shule passed the crown to his son Omer and the royal intrigues continued. Omer’s son Jared2 raised an army and conquered Omer, forcing his father to live in captivity and servitude. Then two of Omer’s other sons defeated Jared and restored Omer as king. Jared would have been killed, along with his army, except for the compassion of his brothers, who granted him his life.

Afterwards, Jared was deeply depressed about having lost the kingdom and the glory it entailed. “Why are you so sad?” Jared’s beautiful daughter asked. “Our ancient records tell of secret plans that can be used to obtain kingdoms and glory.”

Jared conspired with his daughter, who proposed to regain the throne for him through trickery and seduction. According to his daughter’s plan, they invited Akish, a close friend of King Omer’s, for dinner. “Look at how beautiful I am,” she said. “I will dance for him, and he will want me for his wife. When he asks for my hand in marriage, you can give your approval — on the condition that they deliver to us your father’s head.”

When Jared’s daughter danced for Akish, he was smitten; and he agreed to murder his friend the king, just as Jared and his daughter had planned. Akish then formed a diabolical alliance of fellow conspirators and swore them to secret oaths. They swore to Akish, in the name of God in heaven, by the heavens, and by their lives, that they would not divulge any of the secrets that they swore to.

I will not divulge the details of their oaths and conspiracies because these exist among all men, wrote Moroni. They caused the destruction of the Jaredite people, and also my own people. Any people or nation who upholds secret conspiracies for power and gain will be destroyed in vengeance by God. This certain destruction is shown to you so that you will repent beforehand, and not commit this heinous act. Secret conspiracies are like poison to freedom in all lands and result in destruction to those who use them. They are tools of the devil. I write these words so that this evil will end, and the devil will lose his power over the hearts of men who have been persuaded to do good.