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THE BOOK OF ETHER
The record of the Jaredites, taken from the twenty-four plates found by the people of Limhi in the days of king Mosiah.
CHAPTER 1
Moroni abridges the writings of Ether—Ether’s genealogy set forth—The language of the Jaredites is not confounded at the Tower of Babel—The Lord promises to lead them to a choice land and make them a great nation. [ Moroni’s intent was for the record to teach future generations “from the dust,” he did not hold back in inserting his own editorial comments. Because this text is “layered,” it is interesting to notice, at the outset, that in any given verse, the following “voices” may be speaking to us or influencing the text’s wording and meaning. Those possible voices would include (1) Jared or the brother of Jared, (2) other ancient Jaredite recordkeepers or story-tellers, (3) the final Jaredite prophet Ether, (4) King Mosiah as translator, (5) Moroni as abridger or editor, (6) Moroni as commentator or as author adding his own thoughts and impressions, and finally (7) Joseph Smith as translator bringing it forth in English. Facing this complexity would normally be unsettling, but realizing that all of this was possible—at every important turn—because of the gift and power of God gives us as readers confidence going forward. ] How could Joseph Smith have done this without a word processor unless he was translating? [ Another intriguing feature is the source text’s underlying continuity. If one were to mark everything spoken by Moroni in one color, and mark everything that is archaic Jaredite in a contrasting color, one can take the Moroni material out, and the underlying Jaredite text flows seamlessly together. This careful splicing of the text is incredibly difficult to do successfully without a word-processor. The result is, from a text-critical point of view, a powerful testimony of the antiquity and the editorial process by which this came. Also, in this context, think of Joseph Smith dictating the translation of Ether 1–12 to Oliver Cowdery, presumptively over the four days from May 25–28, 1829. Imagine anyone telling a story, beginning with a list of 30 names, and then over the next four days elaborating the histories of those 30 leaders in exactly the opposite order, interspersing various side stories, interactions between parties, conflicts, and editorial asides, and yet never leaving out a single name in the original list or confusing their order. There is no evidence or reason to believe that Joseph had any notes or even access to Oliver’s manuscript page for Ether 1 as he revealed the text of Ether 6–12. In fact, reported interviews from Emma Smith and David Whitmer indicate that there were no such outlines or notes. The Brother of Jared and his experience can also be viewed in Temple context. It's an allegory for our lives. The fall, the journey through a wilderness, crossing deep waters to get to a promised land and being redeemed in the process. ]
1 AND now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account [ What was going on in Moroni’s very lonely life and traumatized situation when he was finally able to fulfill his father Mormon’s editorial promise that “this account shall be written hereafter; for it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account” (Mosiah 28:19)? Note that about 15 years had passed since the final Nephite battle and Mormon’s death (Mormon 8:6). ] of those ancient inhabitants [ The Jaredites. ] who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country.
2 And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, [ Mosiah 21:25-27. Moroni's translation of the records. ] which is called the Book of Ether. [ Who was Ether? When and why was his account written? (See Ether 12:2–5; 13:2–12). ] .
3 And as I suppose that the first part of this record, [ It was supposed by Moroni that it ( A record from the creation down to the time of ‘the great tower’. ) would be had among the Jews. ] , which speaks concerning the creation of the world, [ Why does the Lord always start there? If we know that he is the creator, that he is out literal father then that changes out perspective on a great many things. ] and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the great tower, and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews— [ Or the records(we need to remember that these records which they had were greater than what is in the bible, and would include some of the apocrypha and it would have been before the jews started to remove many plain and precious truths) from which we get todays Bible at least Genesis 1-10. ]
4 Therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates; and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account.
5 But behold, I give not the full account, but a part of the account I give, from the tower down until they were destroyed. [ The book of Ether originates in a very different time of human history than did Lehi and Nephi. One must shift gears to understand the world in which they lived. They seem to have left the Middle East shortly before the fall of the great tower and the confusion of the languages at Babel. ]
6 And on this wise do I give the account. He that wrote this record was Ether, [ What records did Ether rely on as he wrote his original multilayered account of the destruction of his people, the Jaredites, on his 24 gold plates? Those records included at least certain records “brought across the deep” (Ether 1:3; 8:9), a Jaredite king list (1:6–33), records of the brother of Jared (1:33–3:16; 3:21–28); and a Jaredite royal history (6:2–8:18; 9:1–12:1). Ether’s account was translated by King Mosiah, the son of Benjamin about 92 BC (Mosiah 28). ] , and he was a descendant of Coriantor. [ Most references here refer to "son of" here it is descendant of Why? Is it because he skips a few generations here - or is he from the daughters side? ]
7 Coriantor was the son of Moron.
8 And Moron was the son of Ethem.
9 And Ethem was the son of Ahah.
10 And Ahah was the son of Seth.
11 And Seth was the son of Shiblon.
12 And Shiblon was the son of Com.
13 And Com was the son of Coriantum.
14 And Coriantum was the son of Amnigaddah.
15 And Amnigaddah was the son of Aaron.
16 And Aaron was a descendant of Heth, [ Most references here refer to "son of" here it is decendant of Why? Is it becuase he skips a few generations here - or is he from the daughters side? ] who was the son of Hearthom.
17 And Hearthom was the son of Lib.
18 And Lib was the son of Kish.
19 And Kish was the son of Corom.
20 And Corom was the son of Levi.
21 And Levi was the son of Kim.
22 And Kim was the son of Morianton.
23 And Morianton was a descendant of Riplakish. [ Most references here refer to "son of" here it is decendant of Why? Is it becuase he skips a few generations here - or is he from the daughters side? ]
24 And Riplakish was the son of Shez.
25 And Shez was the son of Heth.
26 And Heth was the son of Com.
27 And Com was the son of Coriantum.
28 And Coriantum was the son of Emer.
29 And Emer was the son of Omer.
30 And Omer was the son of Shule.
31 And Shule was the son of Kib.
32 And Kib was the son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared; [ Now we are at Jared who was there at the great tower of babel (around 2220 B.C.) . In the LDS bible Dictionary we read that the city had walls 85 feet wide and 335 feet high. Gen 11 ]
33 Which Jared came forth with his brother [ “It is not clear why the name of the brother of Jared does not appear in the Book of Mormon. However, the following are possible reasons:(1) The people at the time were building a great tower. "To make a name for THEMSELVES" to show that they were more powerful than God was. Names were very important in those days. As a matter of fact you were nothing until you were named. Just like Adam named the animals. So the fact that the name of the brother of Jared is left out of the record is in direct contrast to what was happening at the time that they left Babylon. (2) He may have omitted his name out of modesty (John the Beloved did essentially this same thing in the Gospel of John, which he wrote). (3) The book of Ether is clearly a family record of Jared, not of the brother of Jared; Ether—the final writer and perhaps the abridger of the record—was a descendant of Jared and might naturally have emphasized the achievements of his direct ancestor rather than the brother of his ancestor. (4) Moroni may have omitted the name in his abridgment because of difficulty in translating (or transliterating) the name into the Nephite language.” Ludlow, Daniel H. A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon. 310. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976. ] and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, [ Note what it does not say here - "The Tower Of Babel". This all fits into other writings as according to The Book of Jasher it was not called the “Tower of Babel” until after the languages were confounded. The Jaradites would have been gone before the tower received its name “tower of Babel” before that according to the Book Of Jasher it was simply called the “Great Tower”. Noah (Birth 2926 BC Death 1976 BC Lived 950 years) The flood was estimated to be about 2325/2324 BC. We learn from the Book Of Abraham the following: Nimrod(2274 BC - 1987 BC) is described as the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and great-grandson of Noah(Who would have still been alive at the birth of Abraham). Nimrod is the one who built the tower of Babel after the flood Gen 10:8-10. We also know that Nimrod was king at the time of Abraham's birth, and that Abraham's father Terah was employed by the King of Babylon who was Nimrod as well at the time of Abrahams birth.(Nibley; Teachings of the Pearl of Great Price Lecture 23:10) Terah the father of Abraham, was a ninth descent from Noah. Nimrod is repeatedly referred to as a descendant of Canaan in the Book Of Abraham (whose sister, as the Book of Abraham relates, founded the first dynasty of Egypt with her son as the first Pharaoh; see Abr. 1:20-27 and King Nimrod her other son as the first King). Ham who was one son's of Noah who was a righteous man(Abr. 1:26), but married Egyptus; and Egyptus was a descendant of Cain. Noah had 3 sons Shem; Ham and Japheth; from Ham came Pharaoh and King Nimrod. So we can see that Nimrod and Abraham were alive and at the same place and time as the tower of Babel(means confusion) was being built. When Mosiah II finally translates the Jaredite records, he doesn't use the name "Tower of Babel" like Genesis does. He instead simply calls it "the great tower.’(Gen 11:9; Mosiah 28:17) Later on, Moroni also calls it “the great tower”(Ether 1:33). This all fits into other writings as according to The Book of Jasher it was not called the “Tower of Babel” until after the languages were confounded. The Jaradites would have been gone before the tower received its name “tower of Babel” before that according to the Book Of Jasher it was simply called the “Great Tower”. We are taught in Mosiah 28:17 that the Jaradites left just prior to the time when the Lord was going to confound the languages, a time when the tower was being built. So we have the Jaradites leaving just prior to the confounding, Abraham is there during the confounding, as well as King Nimrod. So they would have all known each other. ] at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; [ After this they were dispersed abroad, on account of their languages, and went out by colonies everywhere; and each colony took possession of that land which they light upon, and unto which God led them; so that the whole continent was filled with them, both the inland and the maritime countries. There were some also who passed over the sea in ships, and inhabited the islands. And some of those nations do still retain the denominations which were given them by their first founders: but some have lost them also. (Book 1, Chapter 5). Antiquities of the Jews; Flavius Josephus. ] and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered.
34 And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man, [ The word large in Hebrew comes from the parent root "Res Peh" (Reph) and carry's a relational meaning to the word Rephaim which was a description of a characteristic shared by a group of people. The Rephaim means are described in the Old Testament as "giants" and "mighty men". This provides a little more clarity in what it means to be a large and mighty man. See Gen 1:16 “While residing in Kirtland Elder Reynolds Cahoon had a son born to him. One day when President Joseph Smith was passing his door he called the Prophet in and asked him to bless and name the baby. Joseph did so and gave the boy the name of Mahonri Moriancumer. When he had finished the blessing he laid the child on the bed, and turning to Elder Cahoon he said, the name I have given your son is the name of the brother of Jared; the Lord has just shown [or revealed] it to me. Elder William F. Cahoon, who was standing near heard the Prophet make this statement to his father; and this was the first time the name of the brother of Jared was known in the Church in this dispensation” (“The Jaredites,” Juvenile Instructor, May 1, 1892, 282). We read in the scriptures that the brother of Jared was a large man but we may not be comprehending the whole story as too how large, observe these modern day comments to help understand his size. Martin Harris, WS: The two stones set in a bow of silver were about two inches in diameter, perfectly round, and about five-eighths of an inch thick at the center; but not so thick at the edges where they came into the bow. They were joined by a round bar of silver, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and about four inches long, which, with the two stones, would make eight inches The stones were white, like polished marble, with few gray streaks. (Interview with Martin Harris Tiffany's Monthly 1859 New York: Published by Jc Tiffany, No. 6 4th Ave) According to this description it would appear that they were made for a man much larger in size than Joseph Smith, because they appear to be about 4 inches apart and they were too large for Joseph as we read in the next description from William Smith the son of Joseph Smith. Explaining the expression as to the stones in the Urim and thummim being set in two rims of a bow he said: A silver bow ran over one stone, under the other, around over that one and under the first in the shape of a horizontal figure 8 much like a pair of spectacles. That they were much too large for Joseph and he could only see through one at a time using sometimes one and sometimes the other. By putting his head in a hat or some dark object it was not necessary to close one eye while looking through the stone with the other. In that way sometimes when his eyes grew tired he relieved them of the strain. He also said the Urim and Thummim was attached to the breastplate by a rod which was fastened at the outer shoulder edge of the breastplate and to the end of the silver bow. This rod was just the right length so that when the Urim and Thummim was removed from before the eyes it would reach to a pocket on the left side of the breastplate where the instrument was kept when not in use by the Seer. (Statement of J.W. Peterson Concerning William Smith," Smith," 11 May 1921, Community of Christ Library-Archives, Independence, MO.) ] and a man highly favored of the Lord, [ He was one who had paid the price in order to commune with God. In this case as an example he had been told that God was going to confound the language of the people. He has obtained personal revelation, he is one who is able to discern messages from God from messages that are false. We are instructed in the temple how an important key to our eternal progression is learning to discern, distinguish, and discern between the false and the truth, between the errors that surround us in our society. And we need to reject those things and cleave unto light and truth. Here the Brother of Jared is acting in a role of an intercessor (Priest), or, as in a Davidic type of role where he is pleading to the Lord for his family and interceding on their behalf. And this comes on, this goes on for some time and the Lord responds to that. The Lord has compassion upon the Brother Jared and his family and he promises not to confound them, but instead to lead them. ] Jared, his brother, said unto him: Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.

[ Confound the language of Jared’s family, his brother, and their friends at the time of the Tower of Babel. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) taught that the Jaredites likely spoke in the language of Adam: “It is stated in the Book of Ether that Jared and his brother made the request of the Lord that their language be not changed at the time of the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel. Their request was granted, and they carried with them the speech of their fathers, the Adamic language, which was powerful even in its written form, so that the things Mahonri wrote ‘were mighty even . . . unto the overpowering of man to read them.’ That was the kind of language Adam had and this was the language with which Enoch was able to accomplish his mighty work” (The Way to Perfection [1970], 69).]

35 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded. [ Once Mahonri Moriancumer had obtained that blessing for himself and his brother, he accepted counsel from Jared again to pray that their friends not be confounded, and that blessing, too, was granted. Again he accepted counsel to ask if God would lead them to a promised land and got that blessing. In fact, he got more than the blessing; he got the call to leadership: ]
36 Then Jared said unto his brother: Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language.
37 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends and their families also, that they were not confounded.
38 And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, [ Why does Jared not just go do this for himself? Because the answer that he is asking for is for the people and Jared does not have the stewardship over all of the people. On the other hand the Brother of Jared is the prophet and as such he is the one entitled to get the direction from the Lord for the church. Jared sent his brother repeatedly to consult with the Lord on behalf of himself and their families. It appears that there may have been a priesthood function involved. In the ancient world, families would dedicate some of their children to serve in the temple. We also know that temple building and seeking heaven was a big part of this culture, though the people of Babel went about it in the wrong way. Temple priests served an important role in Mesopotamian society. In the ancient Mesopotamian world, they even sold temple franchises. The temples were an economy that had to be managed. Priests would have stewardships over crops, land, and animal. They had to be able to hold the proper festivals. They needed to support themselves so that they could attend to the functions of the temple and the religion. It was a great honor for a family to dedicate a child or two to this service. The priests probably did not make a lot of money, but they certainly garnered great prestige. Perhaps Jared and his family had a connection of that nature through the brother of Jared. He may have been involved in the religious worship and he had faith necessary to be able to get the answers and blessing from the Lord that he needed. Why does the Brother of Jared have such a good relationship with the Lord? ] saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, [ How similuar is the language to that used to describe Adam and Eve’s being driven from the Garden of Eden ( Gen. 3:24; Moses 4:31), as well as the expression Cain used when he was driven from “the face of the Lord” (Moses 5:39; Gen. 4:14). The same words are used when the Israelites are expelled from Egypt (Ex. 11:1; 12:31), and when the inhabitants of Canaan are driven out before the children of Israel (33:2; 34:11). The Hebrew word used in these verses is garash, which means to “drive out,” “cast out,” “separate,” “divorce” or “expel,” sometimes suggesting “forcible or violent expulsion” (Harris 1:173).] and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. [ So some times we need to pray amd ask the Lord is there anything that you want me to do? sometimes you will get an answer; sometimes you may not . so what can we take from that ? sometimes the Lord wants to tell sus what the plan is sometimes he wants use to figure out what the plan is to be? Both have there specific purpose. We will see as we expore the life of the Brother of Jared how the Lord works both ways in his life - sometimes he tells him what to do and other times he tells hiim to figure it out on his own. ] And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.
39 And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared.
40 And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him, and said unto him:
41  Go to and gather together thy flocks, [ Compare this with what the Lord told Abram to do as found in Jasher 13:5. ] both male and female, of every kind; and also of the seed of the earth of every kind; and thy families; and also Jared thy brother and his family; and also thy friends and their families, and the friends of Jared and their families.
42 And when thou hast done this thou shalt go at the head of them down into the valley which is northward. And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth. [ Mighty and large as Moriancumer was, his leadership position came only partly because of his capacity for action; he also relied on the Master, who taught him constantly in the practical details of the journey:. The Lord has compassion upon the Brother Jared because of his relationship with God, God promises that he will not confound the language of his family and that he will instead lead them to a promised land. From the temple context we can see that as we traverse through this life (mortality), through this veil of tears, we do so with the hope of a future far better land of promise ( heaven ). ]
43 And there will I bless thee and thy seed, [ A little backstory here: In the Book Egyptian Life the Lord is said to predict the flood of Noah. After the Flood, the Lord says: I will deliver what is left of the righteous among them; and I will bring them to a distant land, and the land in which you live now shall remain desolate and without one inhabitant in it. (Egyptian Life 53:7) This verse appears to be predicting that Adam and Eve would not live in the same place that Noah would land. Adam and Eve apparently lived in a "distant land"-distant from Noah's immediate descendants. Also, according to this prophecy, the land vacated by the Flood would remain uninhabited. This sounds a lot like the Jaredites coming to an empty continent: " ... the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been.)57 Following the apocryphal Second Life of Adam and Eve, Adam tells his sons to take his body on the ark during the future great flood and then to rebury him "in the middle of the earth": "For the place where my body shall be laid, is the middle of the earth; God shall come from thence and shall save all our kindred.”(Second Life Of Adam and Eve 8:13) In summary, there are two locations: the first is where Adam dwells. It is also going to be flooded and left "desolate" and uninhabited. The second location is where Noah will land and rebury the body of Adam. It is distant from the first land. It is also where the Messiah will come from. It is, by deduction, where the tower of Babel will be built and the Jaredites will flee from. According to the Book of Mormon, the Jaredites will flee from this second location to a mystery place that is uninhabited and, after a long and messy history, will be called "Land of Desolation" by the Nephites. To continue with the story go to Mosiah 28:17. ] and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, [ They are promised that they would be led by a prophet under the direction of God to a new inheritance where they and their seed would become a great nation. These promises of God to the Jaredites contain the essential elements of the everlasting covenant detailed later to Father Abraham and to every covenant people. These elements include priesthood, posterity, and a land of inheritance (see Abr. 2:11; B. McConkie, A New Witness 505). Modern revelation makes it clear that these covenants, often referred to as the Abrahamic covenant, were previously and subsequently made with Adam and the other patriarchs (see Moses 6:65–68; 7:51; 8:2; also see Old Testament Student Manual 70–72). This covenant is the new and everlasting covenant that God established in this dispensation (see D&C 49:9; 66:2; 132:2–7). According to Elder Bruce R. McConkie, “the covenant made with the fathers was that their seed after them should receive the same gospel, the same priesthood, the same promise of salvation, that blessed the lives of those with whom the covenant was first made” (A New Witness 524).] upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me. [ This came about as a result of the Brother of Jared initiating the process, he took the steps, the time to build a relationship with God, he showed his faith, and going to the Lord. Without that none of what followed would have happened. And it's the same in our life. We can sit there passively and we can go through the temple and come out two hours later, you know, having a good nap or thinking about, you know, what's going on at work or other things, or we can engage in this process. It's up to us. Blessings had come to his people as a result of prayers offered over a long time. Enduring obedience coupled with frequent and persistent prayers is powerful. In an 1839 discourse in Commerce, Illinois, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “God is not a respecter of persons, we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you; we are entitled to the same blessings” ([recorded in Willard Richards Pocket Companion, 78–79] cited in The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, comp. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [1980], 15). taught that we must put great effort into our prayers and that we must pray frequently: “Do you get answers to your prayers? If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation? “When you pray, do you just speak, or do you also listen? Your Savior said, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20.) “. . . Should we ever fail to get an answer to our prayers, we must look into our lives for a reason” (“Prayer,” New Era, Mar. 1978, 17). ]