Welcome to Day 72...
Moroni completed Mormon's record by calling upon those who do not believe in Jesus Christ to repent and turn to the Lord. He reminded us that God is a God of miracles who does NOT change,"the same yesterday, today and forever," and that miracles cease only when there is lack of faith. "Whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth...come unto the lord with all your heart." (Mormon 9:21)
And now we commence the book of Ether! This record, discovered by Limhi's people, contains the history of the Jaredites. Jared and his brother lived during the time of the Tower of Babel. Jared asked the Lord to preserve the language of his family and his request was granted! The Lord promised that He would lead them to a promised land, where they would become a great nation.
Jared, his brother and their families were led by the Lord through the wilderness where He instructed them to build barges to carry his people over the sea to a land of promise. As the people obeyed the Lord in faith, the Lord gave them guidance and direction. The brother of Jared asked the Lord if they must cross the ocean in darkness, and the Lord answered with the question, "What will YE that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23) Ahh...he wants us to ponder solutions to our problems, then ask in faith for miracles.
So what will YE that the Lord should do that ye may have light in YOUR vessel today? Have faith and the Lord will illuminate you!
- Opening Song: "Be Still My Soul"
- Begin study session with prayer.
- Scripture Study: Mormon 9-Ether 2 (listen)
- Study Guide: (here)
- Video: Discussions on the Book of Mormon Ether 1-6
"O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him. Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God." Mormon 9:27-28
"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." Mormon 9:21
Why study this book?
As students study the book of Ether, they will learn about the Jaredites—a group of people who traveled to the Western Hemisphere and lived there for many centuries before the arrival of the people of Lehi. Students will learn important principles about prayer, revelation, and the relationship between exercising faith in Jesus Christ and receiving spiritual knowledge. They will also learn about the role of prophets in persuading people to repent and about the consequences that come to those who reject Jesus Christ and His prophets.
Who wrote this book?
Moroni abridged this book from 24 gold plates called the plates of Ether. The book is named for the prophet Ether, who was the last prophet of the Jaredites and who created a record of their history (see Ether 15:33–34). About 500 years before Moroni made his abridgment of the sacred records, some of the people of Limhi discovered the plates of Ether as they were searching for the land of Zarahemla (see Mosiah 8:7–11; Ether 1:2). Nephite prophets and record keepers passed the plates of Ether down until they came into Moroni’s possession. Moroni stated that he did not include even “the hundredth part” of the record in his abridgment (Ether 15:33).
To whom was this book written and why?
Because Moroni abridged the plates of Ether after the Jaredites and his own people had been destroyed, he intended this book for the people of our day. Moroni admonished latter-day Gentiles to repent, serve God, and do away with secret combinations (see Ether 2:11–12; 8:23). He also recorded the words of Jesus Christ, inviting “all ye ends of the earth” to repent, come unto Him, be baptized, and receive the knowledge that is withheld from the world because of unbelief (see Ether 4:13–18).
When and where was it written?
Ether completed the record of his people during and after the final great battle that killed all but two of the Jaredites—himself and Coriantumr (seeEther 13:13–14; 15:32–33). He then hid his writings “in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them” (Ether 15:33; see also Mosiah 8:7–9). Moroni abridged the record of Ether between A.D. 400 and A.D. 421 (seeMormon 8:3–6; Moroni 10:1). Moroni wrote that the Jaredites were destroyed in “this north country” (Ether 1:1), indicating he may have been in the land where they were destroyed when he abridged their record.
What are some distinctive features of this book?
Unlike other books in the Book of Mormon, the book of Ether does not relate the history of the descendants of Lehi. The book recounts how the Jaredites came forth from the Tower of Babel and traveled to the land of promise, where eventually they were destroyed. The book of Ether is a second witness to the record of the Nephites illustrating that “whatsoever nation shall possess [the promised land] shall serve God, or they shall be swept off … when they are ripened in iniquity” (Ether 2:9).
Jesus Christ’s premortal appearance to the brother of Jared “ranks among the greatest moments in recorded history.” This event “established the brother of Jared among the greatest of God’s prophets forever” (Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 17). Moroni’s account of the vision provides a powerful witness of Jesus Christ and presents distinctive teachings about the nature of spirit bodies (see Ether 3:4–17).
Ether 1:1–32
Moroni records the genealogy of Ether back to Jared at the Tower of Babel
To remember where the book of Ether came from, review the overview of journeys in Mosiah 7–24. Refer to journey 4: attempt to find Zarahemla. Look for what Limhi’s people found on this journey. Turn to the first page of the book of Ether. The summary below the title explains that the book of Ether was taken from the 24 plates found by the people of Limhi.
After Moroni finished the record of his father, he wrote an abridgment, or an abbreviated version, of the record found on the 24 gold plates. This record contained the history of the Jaredites, who lived on the American continent before the Nephites and Lamanites.
- Video: "The Jaredites Leave Babel"
- Video: "The Faith and Diligence of the Brother of Jared"
“Revelation need not all come at once. It may be incremental. “Saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” Patience and perseverance are part of our eternal progression.” --Russell M. Nelson, “Ask, Seek, Knock,” Ensign, Nov 2009, 81–84.- Record impressions and favorite verses in your journal.
- Close study session with prayer.
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