According to the Book of Mormon, Akish was a prominent figure in the society of the Jaredites, as related in the Book of Ether. In the book's narrative, Akish first established secret combinations among the Jaredites after they came to the Promised Land. This secret combination among the Jaredites nearly lead to their entire destruction. Akish established this combination because the daughter of Jared danced before him, and to obtain her hand in marriage, Akish covenanted with Jared to dethrone Omer, the legitimate king and Jared's father. Later, Akish killed Jared and took the kingdom for himself. This account has been discussed by non-LDS[1] and LDS[2] authors.
Akish is the correct pronunciation, and an alternative transliteration, of Achish (King James Bible), the King of Gath in the Bible (I Samuel), who had an ambivalent relationship with King David. This name is believed by David Rohl to be a shortened form of Akishimige, a Hurrian name meaning "the Sun God has given."[3] If the similarity of the names is not mere coincidence, it could mean a Hurrian connection for the Jaredites.