I love the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon. It is an appendage to the Book of Mormon, transcribed by Moroni from 24 gold plates discovered by the people of Limhi while they were seeking in the wilderness for the people of Nephi, from whom they descended. The record was first translated by King Mosiah, but the information was not released to the people until after their visitation by Jesus Christ after His resurrection, because they were so commanded.
Moroni included this record, which contains much of the history of a people we know as Jaredites, who inhabited an area believed to be in North America nearly 1000 years before the arrival of the family of Lehi to the American continents, as an appendage to the record of his father, Mormon. Moroni indicates in his writings that he had not supposed that he would live to be able to continue the record long after the death of his father, but we know from Moroni’s writings, calculations made by various scriptorians and historians, and statements made by the prophet Joseph Smith, that Moroni lived and wandered alone for more than 20 years after his father’s death, before he buried the record he completed, which we have today as the Book of Mormon.
I have often heard the question asked, “Why was the record of Ether included in the Book of Mormon?” Most of the Book of Ether is filled with description of corruption and terrible wars and destruction, until, finally, the entire Jaredite civilization, which lasted for 1000 years, was entirely destroyed, save one sole survivor, Coriantumr. What message is there in that for our day?
Let me tell you why I believe the Book of Ether is among the most important books of holy writ we have at our disposal in this time of social and moral upheaval in our world. I believe it is a message of hope and faith especially prepared for our day and time.
The people of Jared came forth from the Tower of Babel at the time when the Lord God confounded the language of the people, to disperse them. Jared and his faithful brother, sought the favor of the Lord and asked that the language of them and their family and friends not be confounded. The Lord granted their desire and promised to lead them to a land for their inheritance. He said “I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth. There I will bless thee and thy seed, 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.” (Ether 1:42-43)
The Lord led them to the shores of the ocean, but here the people became satisfied and settled and no longer sought the guidance of the Lord. They were content where they were and stopped listening for that “still small voice (1 Kings 19:11)” that would guide them on. They had no conception that this happy place was not the choice land the Lord had promised them. After four years on that quiet, comfortable beach, the Lord with great power and sternness “did…talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. (Ether 2:14)”
The people repented of their slothfulness and the Lord instructed them, warning that His “Spirit will not always strive with man” when they forget to diligently seek His will, to build eight barges in which he would take them across the oceans to this new, undiscovered and choice land. He commanded, “Go to work and build…”
The manner after which the people were to build their barges was described as follows:
“They were small and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water.”
“They were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water, like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish.” (Ether 2:16-17)
The brother of Jared (as he was known in the record), directed this work and the people accomplished it just as they were commanded. The brother of Jared then went to the Lord for some clarification on some of the details of the construction, which the Lord detailed for him. He then discovered a problem that greatly concerned him: There was no light in the boats for them to live by when the doors were closed. The brother of Jared asked for guidance on how to deal with this problem. He asked, “Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we should cross this great water in darkness?”
The Lord’s answer was gentle, but instructive:
“What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire.
For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.
And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore, what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?” (Ether 2:23-25)
The brother of Jared went into the mountains and “molten out of a rock” sixteen small, clear, glass-like, stones, which he then carried before the Lord. He asked the Lord to “touch these stones with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness…” that they might produce light for their journey. For his diligence, the brother of Jared was rewarded with one of the greatest spiritual manifestations and revelations the world has ever known (see Ether 3) in which the Lord answered his prayer and touched each stone with His finger.
“And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.”
Therefore, the people of Jared and his brother prepared for their journey, taking into their vessels all the provisions they could carry, and they went forth upon the waters in faith.
“And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.
And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.
And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish…therefore when they were encompassed about by the many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.
And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land…”
“And thus they were driven forth: and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them, and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.” (Ether 6: 5-10)
The record continues:
“And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.” (Ether 6:12)
What could be more instructive for us in our day, in this tumultuous time of societal upheaval, corruption, natural disasters, illness, disease, lasciviousness, godlessness, and shattered hopes? What could bring more hope to mankind than the understanding that the Lord has prepared each of us to cross “this great deep” and that the furious winds and the tempests and floods of change and tremendous difficulty are the waves, and floods, and winds sent forth out of His mouth and that they “never cease to blow towards the promised land.”
How wonderful it is to me to know that the Lord has touched some of those among us (“for…God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” – Matthew 3:9 ) with His finger and prepared “stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.”
How blessed I feel to know that if I will “cry unto the Lord,” with all my heart, He will bring me up again out of my depths upon the top of the waters and that there is nothing in this world that He cannot defeat.
“And thus they were driven forth: and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them, and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.” (Ether 6: 5-10)
Therefore, let us be diligent and build our vessels “tight, like unto a dish,” as His servants have taught, that we may be light upon the waters and impenetrable to those destructive elements that will continually assault us while crossing “this great deep.”
And may we always know that these furious winds “never cease to blow towards the promised land.”
TH 01/10/21
(All italics added)