for Akish, a man of authority, and entice him. If Akish is pleased with her and desires to wed her, as a condition he must agree to deliver the head of Jared's father, King Omer. To fulfill Jared's wish, Akish forms a circle of men who swear upon their lives that they will never divulge the secret, their plot, or the identities of their brethren. To join the secret group, one has to perform a series of oaths administered by Akish. Moroni explains that the promises or covenants are "kept up by the power of the devil" through the ages. After finishing the account, Moroni tells of the effect the secret combination had upon the nation: "They have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi." Another group said to be practicing secret combinations in the Book of Mormon are the Gadianton robbers. In the modern world During the Cold War, Ezra Taft Benson, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), repeatedly described communism as a secret combination. As church president, Benson stated that "a secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world." Another LDS Church leader, Bruce R. McConkie of the Council of the Seventy, claimed, "Reliable modern reports describe their existence among gangsters, as part of the governments of communist countries, in some labor organizations, and even in some religious groups." LDS Church apostle M. Russell Ballard described secret combinations as including "gangs, drug cartels, and organized crime families... They have secret signs and code words. They participate in secret rites and initiation ceremonies. Among their purposes are to '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.'" LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley compared modern terrorists to the "Gadianton robbers, a vicious, oath-bound, and secret organization bent on evil and destruction." See also Mormon folklore Mormonism and Freemasonry References Book of Mormon words and phrases Secrecy