Flaming tires seen early on February 11, 2019, in the streets of Hinche in the center of Haiti; Voice of America; public domain
Where Science Meets the Book of Mormon: Come Follow Me Lesson: December 9-15; Moroni 7-9
We are told by Moroni in Ether 8:9-25, “Now the daughter of Jared…did talk with her father, …Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?...And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you? And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life…And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning. And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms…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; 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. 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. And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi…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.”
Haiti is a modern example of a nation torn apart by political corruption and gang violence. A report of a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, 22 October 2024, stated, “Rising Displacement, Criminal Gangs and Corruption Continue to Plague Haitian Life, Slowing Democratic Reform…Criminal gangs continue to sow violence and terror in Haiti, where more than 700,000 are now internally displaced…”1
Apparently, there are around 200 armed gangs in Haiti, half of them operating in Port-au-Prince, under two major gang coalitions. One, called the G9, is led by Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, a former Haitian police officer. The other is called GPep, and is led by Gabriel Jean-Pierre, based in Port-au-Prince’s impoverished Cite Soleil district.
According to Jillian Kestler-D'Amours reporting in Al Jazeera, in Mar 2024, “For decades, Haiti’s gangs have been closely associated with politicians, political parties, businessmen or other so-called ‘elites’ in the country. Most experts trace the phenomenon back to the era of Haiti’s former President Francois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier, whose combined dictatorship lasted 29 years.” [Beginning in the late 1950s]. The gangs have amassed money via “…extortion, as well as kidnappings for ransom, drug trafficking and the smuggling of small weapons…The country is the poorest in Latin America and among the most unequal in terms of wealth distribution. It faces a number of systemic problems, such as high unemployment and a lack of opportunities, that contribute to the power of armed groups.”2
Kestler-D'Amours quoted Robert Fatton, a Haiti expert and professor at the University of Virginia, as saying, “A lot of youngsters and young men have no future, no jobs, no education. They really have no hope. You can understand why some of them join the gangs. That is a structural, social, economic problem,” said Fatton.3
According to an April 2024 post in The Conversation by Amalendu Misra, “For generations, Haiti’s gangs have received power, patronage and privileges from the country’s political establishment, the opposition and businesses. Although disbanded in the late 1980s, their legacies live on. The 200 or so marauding gangs that are currently terrorising Haitians can be traced back to the dreaded [death squad] Tonton Macoute [Haitian Creole for bogeyman], a paramilitary and secret police force that Papa Doc implanted in the country’s political culture.”4
In a 2001 book, Jean Tartter stated, “The Macoute, which by 1961 was twice as big as the army, never developed into a real military force but was more than just a secret police…As of early 1986, the organization included more than 9,000 members and an informal circle of thousands more. The VSN [Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale, English: National Security Volunteers] acted as a political cadre, secret police and instrument of terror. It played a crucial political role for the regime, countering the influence of the armed forces, historically the government's primary source of power. The VSN gained its deadly reputation in part because members received no salary, although they took orders from the Presidential Palace. They made their living, instead, through extortion and petty crime. Rural members of the VSN, who wore blue denim uniforms, had received some training from the army, while the plainclothes members, identified by their trademark dark glasses, served as Haiti's criminal investigation force.”5
US government officials, members of the military, the police, and many other public servants swear an oath to the country and to its citizens — to protect and defend the Constitution and the rights of the people. Secret police, on the other hand, often swear oaths to a specific person. Taking an oath is not the problem; to whom the oath is sworn is the problem.
For example, we are told in Ether 8:13-15, “And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you? And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life. And it came to pass that thus they did agree with Akish. And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning.”
In another example, the German military swore an oath to Adolf Hitler, called the “Führer Oath”: “I swear by God this holy oath, that I will render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, Führer of the German Reich and People, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and that I am ready, as a brave soldier, to risk my life at any time for this oath.” Notice that this oath was a “holy” oath, that brought Germany, and much of the world with it, to the very brink of destruction.
In Haiti, François Duvalier was a voodooist, who reinforced his despotic rule by incorporating Haitian mythology into his own personality cult.6 Duvalier claimed to be an “immaterial being,” the “Haitian flag,” and the physical embodiment of Haiti. He used voodooism and his claim of being a Vodou priest to further consolidate his power. To make himself appear more imposing, Duvalier purposefully modeled his image on that of Baron Samedi, one of the lwa (law-giving Haitian spirits). He often wore sunglasses to hide his eyes and talked with a strong nasal tone allegedly associated with the lwa. His propaganda stated that he was “Jesus Christ and God himself.” An image from Duvalier’s reign shows Jesus standing beside a seated Duvalier, with a hand on his shoulder, and the caption, “I have chosen him.” In 1964, Duvalier published a new catechism in which the Lord's Prayer was reworded to praise Duvalier instead of God.7
I was unable to discover what oaths the Haitian gangs may have taken — they are secret after all. Furthermore Moroni stated in Either 8:20, “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.” It seems that Satan’s power; in the form of secret police, gangs, and oaths; is still alive and well in Haiti and in other parts of the modern world.
Trent Dee Stephens, PhD
References
1. press.un.org/en/2024/sc15859.doc.htm; retrieved 5 December 2024
2. Kestler-D'Amours, Jillian, Who are Haiti’s gangs and what do they want? All you need to know, Al Jazeera, 13 Mar 2024; aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/13/who-are-haitis-gangs-and-what-do-they-want-all-you-need-to-know; retrieved 6 December 2024
3. Ibid
4. Misra, Amalendu, Haiti’s freefall into an abyss can only be prevented if gangs are allowed to be part of a new government, The Conversation, April 5, 2024; theconversation.com/haitis-freefall-into-an-abyss-can-only-be-prevented-if-gangs-are-allowed-to-be-part-of-a-new-government-226999#; retrieved 6 December 2024
5. Tartter, Jean, Haiti: National Security § The Duvalier Era, 1957–86, In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Dominican Republic and Haiti, Country Studies, Research completed December 1999 (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 2001, p. 464
6. Greene, Anne, Haiti: Historical Setting § François Duvalier, 1957–71, In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.), Dominican Republic and Haiti, Country Studies, Research completed December 1999 (3rd ed.), Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 2001, pp. 288–289
7. Wright, Giles, François 'Papa Doc' Duvalier, web.archive.org/web/20150918205301/http://thedictatorship.com/biographies/papadoc.htm; retrieved 7 December 2024
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