Akish Thrawted In His Evil Designs

In Ether 8 and 9 we find a classic story of intrigue. Jared, the son of Omer, is very sad that he lost the kingdom that he usurped previously. His brothers didn't kill him because he begged for his life and promised that he would be good boy. He's a classic addict but his addiction is power. As soon as Jared gets tempted again he goes right back to his old drug.

His beautiful daughter sees his sorrow and comes up with a solution. She and her father are people of the world with no qualms to do what it takes to get power and gain. The daughter of Jared has  plan. She proposes that she dance for a man named Akish. Akish is a friend of Omer the King. This must have been a special kind of dance used to attract and or seduce men. When Akish desires her to marry her, he would come to Jared to ask her hand in marriage. When this occurs, Jared would request his father's head on plate.

It all happens like clock work. But, in order to pull it off Akish, has to build a secret combination (see my secret combination essay). Akish unites all his friends and family to promise under penalty of death not to tell anyone about their secret crimes. Its just like the current hit reality show, Survivor. Akish knows he can use his friendship (trust) with king Omer to pull of the deception.

Here's where the story changes. Omer is warned of the Lord of conspiracy and is told to depart with his family into the wilderness. Jared takes back the kingdom and no blood is shed. Jared becomes the king and gives he daughter to Akish to marry.

But it doesn't stop here. Akish, who has his secret network, decides to kill Jared. Jared's head get chopped off while on his throne surrounded by people. Akish becomes the king. No mention is made of his wife, the daugher of Jared. She was either part of the plan or more likely wondering what she had done. Had she created a monster? As king, Akish starts acting paranoid. He starves and kills one of his sons. By the end of the story Akish's kingdom falls into civil war and all but thirty souls remain alive. Omer returns and takes back the kingdom.

The moral of the story is that God protects those who puts their trust in Him and permits the wicked to kill each other off. Caution should be taken in trusting people. Subterfuge should never be used to get what you want. Secret alliances are evil and put people in the ultimate bind where they must deny the righteous impulses under threat of death.