Ether 8:9 indicates that the Jaredites brought a record with them when they came to the promised land. Later in this same chapter Moroni suggests that this record contained the secret oaths and covenants that had been handed down from the time of Cain. (Verse 15.)
Moronis Warning Against Secret Combinations
Moroni says that one of the major reasons he abridged the record of the Jaredites was to warn the gentiles that they should not allow “murderous combinations” to get power over them. (Ether 8:23.) Concerning the destructive influences of such secret oaths and combinations, Moroni states: “… they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi. And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed.” (Ether 8:21-22.)
In commenting on these verses Elder Ezra Taft Benson has said:
One of the most urgent, heart-stirring appeals made by Moroni as he closed the Book of Mormon was addressed to the gentile nations of the last days. He foresaw the rise of a great world-wide secret combination among the gentiles which “… seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; … ” (Ether 8:25. Italics added.) He warned each gentile nation of the last days to purge itself of this gigantic criminal conspiracy which would seek to rule the world… .The Prophet Moroni described how the secret combination would take over a country and then fight the work of God, persecute the righteous, and murder those who resisted. Moroni therefore proceeded to describe the workings of the ancient “secret combinations” so that modern man could recognize this great political conspiracy in the last days: "Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, 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, …
"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; …
“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; …” (Ether 8:23-25. Italics added.)
The Prophet Moroni seemed greatly exercised lest in our day we might not be able to recognize the startling fact that the same secret societies which destroyed the Jaredites and decimated numerous kingdoms of both Nephites and Lamanites would be precisely the same form of criminal conspiracy which would rise up among the gentile nations in this day.
The stratagems of the leaders of these societies are amazingly familiar to anyone who has studied the tactics of modern communist leaders.
The Lord has declared that before the second coming of Christ it will be necessary to “… destroy the secret works of darkness, … ” in order to preserve the land of Zion—the Americas. (2 Nephi 10:11-16.)
The world-wide secret conspiracy which has risen up in our day to fulfill these prophecies is easily identified. President [David O.] McKay has left no room for doubt as to what attitude Latter-day Saints should take toward the modern “secret combinations” of conspiratorial communism. In a lengthy statement on communism, he said:
“… Latter-day Saints should have nothing to do with the secret combinations and groups antagonistic to the constitutional law of the land, which the Lord ’suffered to be established,‘ and which ’should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh according to just and holy principles.”’ (Gospel Ideals, by David O. McKay, p. 306. Italics added.) (Conference Report, October 1961, pp. 71-72.)