Chemish was a Nephite record keeper, who, according to Nephite custom and religious commandment, continued the lineage of scripture historians that extended back to the prophet Nephi. Son to Omni and brother to Amaron, he is mentioned in the Book of Omni, one of the books comprising the small plates of Nephi within the Book of Mormon. Chemish’s personal contributions to the record are brief, with his sole recorded statement acknowledging the transition of the record-keeping duty from his brother to himself (Omni 1:9).
On the day Chemish received the plates from Amaron, he witnessed his brother inscribe his own account onto the plates. Following this observation, Chemish adhered to the tradition established by their forefathers of maintaining and passing down the sacred records (Omni 1:8). Beyond this, Chemish’s record simply reiterates the commitment of his lineage to preserve their history and diligently hand down the records from one generation to the next. After adding his brief testimony to the plates, Chemish passed the records on to his own son, Abinadom, who likewise would add his experiences to the Nephite annals (Omni 1:10).
Chemish’s role, though modest in the written record, reflects the solemn responsibility entrusted to him by lineage and tradition, to keep an enduring record for his people, serving as a connecting link between the past and future generations of Nephite historians.