Whatever else one thinks of it, the Book of Mormon narrative also has frequent references to–and denunciations of–conspiracies ("secret combinations") bound by oaths somehow involving blood that lead to the overthrow and eventual downfall of societies. Extremely relevant.
Granting for sake of argument the conceit of the Book of Mormon, this is Moroni writing around AD 400 about events from perhaps 1500 - 2000 years earlier recorded by a guy named Ether. This was published in 1829 and puts George Rape Rape Martin to shame. Ether chapter 8 summary:
>The king's son, Jared, overthrows his father's kingdom but then gets rekt, cries, left alive
>Jared's daughter reminds him of the ANCIENT SECRET PLANS, plots to get hooked up with Akish if Akish kills her grandfather for her father
>Akish gathers his kin, proposes an oath-bound secret society to gain power, and ADMINISTERS OATHS (how?)
""So what's the problem with this very particular kind of secret society?""
18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; ""which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God"";
19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should ""shed blood"", but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that ""they are had among all people"", and they are had among the Lamanites.
….
23 …. it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may ""repent of your sins"", and ""suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you", which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, ""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.
""HERE WE GO. This is the same crap that's been going on for all of human existence: Cain, Nimrod, and down to our day."""
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.
So, we have an ancient order of oath-bound secret societies whose oaths involve the shedding of innocent blood. The solution: awake, repent, drain the swamp. Sounds familiar.