Akish

Akish is a prominent character in the Book of Mormon's Book of Ether. Akish was a wicked leader of the Jaredites who obtained his throne through oaths and secret combinations. Originally a friend or Omer, king over the Jaredites, Akish fell into his wicked ways when Omer's son Jared brought him into a secret agreement whereby Akish would kill omer in order for Jared to take the kingdom himself. Having been tempted by Jareds beautiful daughter, Akish agreed to kill Omer in exchange for marrying Jared's daughter. To make the plan work, Akish made a secret society, through oaths with his family and friends. Omer, however, had been warned in a dream and fled with his family to Ablom. Jared took the throne and gave his daughter to Akish to marry. This proved to be Jared's downfall, as Akish used his secret society to murder Jared and take the throne for himself. While king, Akish took measures to ensure his position, even placing one of his sons in jail until he starved to death. This created a division between him and his remaining sons. One of them, Nimrah, left the land with a small group of men and fled to Ablom. Others raised an rebellion against him, which lasted for the space of many years. In that time frame, it is evident that he, along with all but thirty, were killed. Those thirty fled to Omer in Ablom, leaving him to once again take the throne.[1]