Omni is the first "wicked man" to be custodian of the plates. His forefathers all kept the commandments of the Lord. The book of Omni is unlike any other book in the Book of Mormon. It is written by five different men: 1) Omni, 2) Amaron, 3) Chemish, 4) Abinadom, and 5) Amaleki. The first four authors write no more than 11 verses. Yet the book of Omni covers a time period of 230 years, from 361 BC to about 130 BC. This is the era of Nephite history which remains a great mystery. We know that they lived in the land of Nephi, that they had many wars and contentions, and that the kings kept the secular history on the large plates of Nephi (v. 11). But we don't have any prophecies, history, social developments, missionary efforts, or new revelations to speak of.