Don't Wrest The Scriptures

I think we have Ether 8-9 an example of the truthfulness of this principle taught by Alma: “Behold the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction” (Alma 13:20).  The daughter of Jared said to her father, “Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?” (Ether 8:9)  She must have been referring to those before the flood who were caught up in great wickedness, but clearly she did not understand the scriptural account that she was alluding to.  She clearly didn’t understand the flood.  She convinced Akish to marry her, and then he covenanted to kill Jared’s father Omer.  The Lord saved Omer and he escaped before the plan was carried out.  So how did the story turn out for this daughter of Jared?  Jared became king, only to be killed by Akish, her husband.  He then turned on their son whom he starved to death.  Eventually a great war broke out between the sons of Akish—presumably her sons—which resulted in the “destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom,” and likely included her and Akish.  So that’s the “kingdoms and great glory” that she obtained: the destruction of her entire family.  Alma was right: if you wrest the scriptures it will be to your destruction.