Secret Combinations

My brother-in-law shared a story with me about the "enemies within" our government that remined me of the secret society of the Gadianton robbers that developed over 400 years in the Book of Mormon and resulted in the downfall of the Nephites.  

Alma 47

14 And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti.

  15 And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they plead with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired.

 The most effective way for our enemies to defeat us is to secretly gain control of our government

 Helaman 3: 23

  23 And it came to pass in the forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land.

 The more settled parts of the land are the cities.  Do we know who really has control of the cities in the Untied States?

 3 Nephi 3: 15

  15 Yea, he said unto them: As the Lord liveth, except ye repent of all your iniquities, and cry unto the Lord, ye will in nowise be delivered out of the hands of those Gadianton robbers.

 The only way to be delivered out of the hands of the secret combinations is to repent of your iniquities because the Gadianton robbers control you through blackmail, vice, and idolatry.  If you want to be delivered from secret combinations you need to openly confess your sins and rely upon the strength of the Lord.  The only people who are immune from the tactics of secret combinations are the righteous. 

 4 Nephi 1: 46

  46 And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic.

 Mormon 1: 18

  18 And these Gadianton robbers, who were among the Lamanites, did infest the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof began to hide up their treasures in the earth; and they became slippery, because the Lord had cursed the land, that they could not hold them, nor retain them again.

 We need to look back at the example of the Lamanites to know how to defeat the Gadianton robbers and their secret combinations. 

 Helaman 6

37 And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.

 From this we can see that the best way to preserve the liberties and freedom of the United States of America is to preach the word of God.