Secret Combinations

Ever wonder what happened to the builders and inhabitants of those great civilizations the ruins of which we find all over Central and South America...?

Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, Machu Picchu, Tiahuanacu? ...

The forefathers of the Native Americans.....The Mayans, Aztecs, Toltecs, Incas, Olmecs and others?

Here's a very timely warning from them, circa 400 AD:

"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 came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old....

..... these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain.... 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.

Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away....."

--excerpts - Book of Mormon, Ether 8:13-26
http://scriptures.lds.org/ether/8

One group who practiced 'Secret Combinations' were called the "Gadianton Robbers" - which remind me of the Knights Templar/Freemasons.

Things were going pretty good up until they came along...

"And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich.

They did raise grain in abundance.... and they did flourish exceedingly,....And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land.
And they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings.

Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace.

And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year.

And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and sixth year.

And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.

For behold, ....they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain.

And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and Gadianton.

And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton’s band. But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton’s robbers and murderers.

And it was they who did murder the chief judge Cezoram, and his son, while in the judgment seat; and behold, they were not found.

And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth.

But behold, ... the more part of the Nephites... did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their stealings.

And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant.
And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.

And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen.

.....And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek....
And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and aripening for an everlasting destruction.

And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. "

--excerpts Book of Mormon, Helaman 6:11-25

http://scriptures.lds.org/hel/6

Once again Secret Combinations have taken control.

Will we learn from history's lesson?

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