What are secret combinations?

Some readers have wondered if this term echoes the early nineteenth century anti-Masonic rhetoric of New York where controversy over alleged Masonic conspiracies were prevalent for a time. The words "secret combinations" were actually used before, during, and after the time of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon to describe a variety of organizations, institutions and groups of people who were believed to unite for nefarious conspiratorial purposes and seems entirely appropriate to describe the kinds of factions mentioned in the Nephite record. Historically, there have been many examples of secret combinations.