Moroni 1-6
It is interesting to note there seems to be two reasons these additional chapters are added when Moroni believed he had competed the record. They are 1- they testify of the need for a formal church organization and 2- they witness of the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ- and as an extension- His church.
Moroni Chapter 1
Moroni has been wandering and hiding in an attempt to protect his life from his brethren the Lamanites. He believed after completing the abridgment of the Jaredite record (the Book of Ether), he would have been done adding to the record we now know as the Book of Mormon. “Now I, Moroni, after having made an end of abridging the account of the people of Jared, I had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.” (Moroni 1:1) Imagine yourself living as he has lived year after year. Fearing the Lamanites locate him and demand he “deny the Christ”. Moroni wrote the Lamanites “because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ. And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.” (Moroni 1:2-3)
Moroni was a man of God but a man who knew war. He stood for things which were right, as did his father, Mormon. Yet he still had charity. Concerning these additional writings he hoped “perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord.” (Moroni 1:4) It is interesting how often we hear this same type request of the Lord from his servants writing the record. They had an understanding of the purpose of the record. Remember Enos? He prayed “that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation” (Enos 1:13) and the Lord responded. “I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.” (Enos 1:16) Also remember the title page from the Book of Mormon, penned by the hand of Moroni. This record is “written to the Lamanites”. The Lord in latter-day revelation has repeated this as one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon record. In Doctrine and Covenants 3:19-20, we read: “And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, which contain these records—that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his people; And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved.”
Moroni Chapter 2
The church set up on the American continent by the Resurrected Jesus Christ was operated under the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The apostles had the authority to confer the gift of the Holy Ghost. Christ gave this authority to the apostles. He ordained them in the same manner as it is done today. He “called them by name” (verse 2) and gave them the authority. He further indicated the authority of power to do this would be when they “call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer” (verse 2). This brings up the importance of personal worthiness and priesthood power.
The power and authority to act in the name of God is not obtained solely by a desire to serve God. It is not obtained by achieving an ecclesiastical degree from a seminary or college. It is based upon personal worthiness and only when prophesy, revelation and the laying on of hands by one who has the authority has ordained the priesthood upon another male. Doctrine and Covenants 121:36 reads: “the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.”
In verse 3, Moroni writes, concerning the apostles conferring the gift of the Holy Ghost: “on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost”. This testifies they had actual authority to bestow this gift and teaches of the importance of the role of the Holy Ghost as it relates to the functioning of the priesthood of God. The prophet Joseph Smith said: “We believe in the gift of the Holy Ghost being enjoyed now, as much as it was in the Apostles’ days. We believe that it [the gift of the Holy Ghost] is necessary to make and organize the Priesthood, that no man can be called to fill any office in the ministry without it; we also believe in prophecy, in tongues, in visions, and in revelations, in gifts, and in healings; and that these things cannot be enjoyed without the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg 243) The role of the third member of the Godhead is underestimated all too often. It is the function of the Holy Ghost to allow us to benefit from all blessings from God and most importantly the function of His priesthood and church upon the Kingdom of God on earth.
Moroni Chapter 3
The teachers and priests ordained in the church were done so in the same manner as today. Interesting to note is the admonition and priesthood responsibility “to preach repentace and remossion of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end” (verse 3).
Moroni Chapters 4 and 5The Savior instituted the sacrament among the church here in America after his glorious resurrection. Moroni’s father, Mormon, had already addressed the symbolism of the sacrament emblems. Moroni and the Lord felt it important for there to be a record of the exact ordinance of the sacrament. He testifies this was the way the ordinance was performed when he starts both chapters with “The manner…” This was the manner the sacrament was both instituted by Jesus Christ and performed by the church. It is the same today. We received latter-day revelation which is consistent with “this manner” (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:76-79).
I was impacted by the sacrament prayers that we “witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father”. When we witness we “covenant”. It also came out in Gospel Doctrine class that the ordinance prayers refer to the “souls of all those who partake”. This connotes the eternal nature of the sacrament ordinance.
The sacred ordinance and covenant is that if we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ, always remember Him and keep the commandments, we will have His spirit, the Holy Ghost, to be with us always. See above comments from chapter 2 concerning the importance of the Holy Ghost.
Moroni Chapter 6
In this chapter Moroni begins by discussing baptism and the qualifications for entering the waters of baptism. Candidates were to bring “forth fruit” (verse 1) which were a “broken heart and a contrite spirit” and “witness unto the church that they truly repented of all their sins” (verse 2).
He then discusses the importance and purpose of record keeping. When a person was baptized “they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ”. This was so they can be “remembered and nourished by the good word of God”. This is to “keep them in the right way”, “continually watchful unto prayer” and “relying alone upon the merits of Christ” (verse 4).
This is considerably important in light of the direction given to us by President Gordon B. Hinckley in the April 1997 general conference: “With the ever-increasing number of converts, we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way. Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with “the good word of God” (Moroni 6:4). It is our duty and opportunity to provide these things.”
Moroni provides direction as to why we have our church meetings. The church met “together oft to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” and “to partake of bread and wine”. (verses 5-6) There was additional instruction and guidance given concerning church meetings in verse 9. The meetings of the church were “after the manner of the workings of the Spirit”. This directs us that all instruction, the topics of sacrament talks, the hymns we sing, the choice of who speaks, all should be the result of inspiration and direction from the Holy Ghost.
Moroni discussed the need of the church as a whole to “observe that there should be no iniquity among” the members. There are conditions set forth for the church to ensure the church as an institution. Rooting out evil has always been one of the responsibilities of the elders of the church in each dispensation. Those who misunderstand the role of discipline in the church fulfilling its three fold mission (perfecting the saints, proclaiming the gospel and redeeming the dead) may view excommunication, disfellowshipment, or other formal disciplinary efforts as unfair or punitive. Elder Theodore M. Burton noted that “the most loving action the Church can take at times is to disfellowship or excommunicate a person” (To Forgive Is Divine, Ensign May 1983, page 70). When deemed necessary through inspiration and direction from the Lord, these repentance processes can help the sinner fully realize the gravity of their sin. Imagine if there were no consequences for the sin? Could the sinner feel the repentance process and by extension the Atonement of Christ has been cheapened? This process also lifts the weight and responsibility of covenants they have made with God which they are having difficulty keeping. When they have partaken of the fruits of the Atonement, and tasted the sweet forgiveness available, they are changed- through the assistance of their priesthood leader, they can find their way back to the covenants they made.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Book of Mormon Lesson 46: “By Faith All Things Are Fulfilled”
Ether 7-15
This Sunday School lesson presented many challenges in preparing for a discussion which would only be forty minutes. One reason for this was the amount of spiritual and historical information covered over the nine chapters for this week. Over the past year, we have spent week after week reading and studying the spiritual and complete eventual decay of the Nephite nation. We will cover in this one lesson the decline of the Jaredite nation. For brevity’s sake, I chose upon seven topics which cover highlights from chapters 7 through 11. These topics cover lessons we can learn from the Jaredite nation, remember, we are to “liken all scripture unto us… for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23) and don’t forget, Moroni saw our day and abridged this record for our benefit.
The Effects of a Wicked King upon the People
We have already learned this lesson. It has been taught to us again and again. In Mosiah chapter 29, Mosiah proposed that judges be chosen in place of a king. Unrighteous kings lead their people into sin. It was bright in the people’s mind after King Noah had ruled over them. More recently for the Jaredites, soon after arriving in the Promised Land, they wanted a king to be chosen to rule over them. The brother of Jared knew this would lead to problems. He said, speaking of having a king, “Surely this thing leadeth into captivity” (Ether 6:23) But Jared said unto his brother: Suffer them that they may have a king. And therefore he said unto them: Choose ye out from among our sons a king, even whom ye will” (Ether 6:24). Is there any doubt as to how this lead to problems for the Jaredites? We only have to look as far ahead as Riplakish, who “did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord”. (Ether 10:5) Riplakish taxed and imprisoned the people. When they would not work he had them put to death. When they were in prison he required them to labor “for fine work, yea, even his fine gold he did cause to be refined in prison; and all manner of fine workmanship did he cause to be wrought in prison”. (Ether 10:7) Riplakish afflicted the “people with his whoredoms and abominations”. (Ether 10:8)
The Effects of a People who uphold Secret Combinations
Here again is another lesson we have already learned from the Nephites. Remember where the secret combinations originated. They have been since the beginning (2 Nephi 9:9) and have been a part of Lucifer’s plan and attack since Eden. These oaths and combinations are to get gain and to subvert the ways of the Lord. They found their way with the Jaredites with the daughter of Jared (not to be confused with the Jared who arrived in the Promised Land in the barges). This Jared is a descendant. He was the son of Omer, a Jaredite king. Jared began to “flatter many people” with “his cunning words”. (Ether 8:2) He gained half the kingdom from his father, Omer, and then gave battle to him. He captured Omer and placed him in captivity. Omer had more sons, Esrom and Coriantumr. They were upset that their father, Omer, was a slave to their brother Jared. They attacked Jared and won. When they were about to slay him, Jared plead for his life. Omer was set free and Jared “became exceedingly sorrowful” for losing the kingdom he had built up. (Ether 8:7) Jared’s daughter (unknown name) was dangerous. She was exceedingly expert, ie smart (Ether 8:8) and exceedingly fair, ie beautiful. (Ether 8:9) She saw that her father, Jared, was upset over losing the kingdom and brought his attention to the “secret plans” used to “obtain kingdoms and great glory”. (Ether 8:9) She devised a plan to get Akish to want to marry her. She planned to wile him with her ways (this is a spin of a quote from Ernest T. Bass of The Andy Griffith Show- my favorite show on television- email me if you can guess the episode it is from… it’s not hard, Ernest T. Bass was only in five episodes…sorry, back to the Jaredites) Akish was convinced he wanted to marry Jared’s daughter. The deal was however, she would only marry him if he killed and beheaded his friend the king, Omer. Where this becomes more obviously wicked is in the following explanation. This is Omer’s granddaughter and his son (Jared) plotting his death with his “friend”, Akish. How wicked were these people? Moroni speaks to us about secret combinations, calling them “most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God”. (Ether 8:18) He continues “And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not. Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved”. (Ether 8:22-26) How can we recognize and protect ourselves from secret combinations in our day? President Ezra Taft Benson said : "...Moroni speaks to us in this day and says, 'Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you....'
"The Book of Mormon further warns that 'whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold they shall be destroyed....'
"This scripture should alert us to what is ahead unless we repent, because there is no question but that as people of the free world, we are increasingly upholding any of the evils of the adversary today. By court edict godless conspirators can run for government office, teach in our schools, hold office in labor unions, work in our defense plans, serve in our merchant marines, etc. As a nation, we are helping to underwrite many evil revolutionaries in our country.
"Now we are assured that the Church will remain on the earth until the Lord comes again--but at what price? The Saints in the early days were assured that Zion would be established in Jackson County, but look at what their unfaithfulness cost them in bloodshed and delay.
"President [J. Reuben] Clark [Jr.] warned us that 'we stand in danger of losing our liberties, and that once lost, only blood will bring them back; and once lost, we of this church will, in order to keep the Church going forward, have more sacrifices to make and more persecutions to endure than we have yet known....' And he stated that if the conspiracy 'comes here it will probably come in its full vigor and there will be a lot of vacant places among those who guide and direct, not only this government, but also this Church of ours." (CR, Apr 1972)
America- a choice and Promised Land above all others
We read again and again of the conditional promises of the Lord to those nations who occupy this land. It is repeated in these chapters and we see the destruction of a nation who becomes ripe in iniquity. “And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.” (Ether 9:20)
Power of Living a Righteous Life
Although we do read of the wicked kings of the Jaredites, there are some who are striving to follow the commandments. Emer and Coriantum are fine examples. “And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead. And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.” (Ether 9:21-22) Is there any more of a reward available to us in this life than to receive the Second Comforter, even the Son of Righteousness, Jesus Christ and have Him appear to us?
The Importance and Place of the Lord’s Prophets and Their Counsel
What place do we give in our lives for the prophets and their counsel? The Jaredites did not open their hearts or accept the counsel. We read in Ether 9:28-29, “And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent. But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.” This type of rejection continued in Ether 11:1-7, “And there came also in the days of Com many prophets, and prophesied of the destruction of that great people except they should repent, and turn unto the Lord, and forsake their murders and wickedness. And it came to pass that the prophets were rejected by the people, and they fled unto Com for protection, for the people sought to destroy them. And they prophesied unto Com many things; and he was blessed in all the remainder of his days. And he lived to a good old age, and begat Shiblom; and Shiblom reigned in his stead. And the brother of Shiblom rebelled against him, and there began to be an exceedingly great war in all the land. And it came to pass that the brother of Shiblom caused that all the prophets who prophesied of the destruction of the people should be put to death; And there was great calamity in all the land, for they had testified that a great curse should come upon the land, and also upon the people, and that there should be a great destruction among them, such an one as never had been upon the face of the earth, and their bones should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land except they should repent of their wickedness. And they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, because of their wicked combinations; wherefore, there began to be wars and contentions in all the land, and also many famines and pestilences, insomuch that there was a great destruction, such an one as never had been known upon the face of the earth; and all this came to pass in the days of Shiblom.” Is there any question about the importance of following the Lord’s servants, the prophets, while in this sojourn on earth?
The Lord Sends Natural Disasters to Humble His People
Ether 9:30-35 reads: “And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth. And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla. And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way; nevertheless, there were some which fled into the land southward. And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents. And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all. Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord. And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.” Consider Moses and the plagues sent to the Pharaoh and his people. This does not mean bad things do not happen to good people. In contrast, sometimes good things happen to bad people who need to be humbled.
Ether 12
Moroni teaches us several things about faith. Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen (verse 6). Dispute not because you have not seen. The witness shall not be given until after the trial of your faith (verse 6). It was by faith that Christ appeared unto the people on this continent after his resurrection (verse 7). If there is no faith, God cannot do his miracles among men (verse 12).
It is interesting how Moroni cautions us to “Dispute not because you have not seen”. In the previous verse, he tells us why the people did not believe Ether and the great prophesying and marvelous things done for the people. It was because they “saw them not”. The world today is stuck with the saying “seeing is believing”. Is this the case? Is it more true that “believing is seeing”? I remember a quote from the movie, The Polar Express where the Conductor says, “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see”. This is especially true when applied to faith. It is the most real and important things in the world that we can’t see.
This Sunday School lesson presented many challenges in preparing for a discussion which would only be forty minutes. One reason for this was the amount of spiritual and historical information covered over the nine chapters for this week. Over the past year, we have spent week after week reading and studying the spiritual and complete eventual decay of the Nephite nation. We will cover in this one lesson the decline of the Jaredite nation. For brevity’s sake, I chose upon seven topics which cover highlights from chapters 7 through 11. These topics cover lessons we can learn from the Jaredite nation, remember, we are to “liken all scripture unto us… for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23) and don’t forget, Moroni saw our day and abridged this record for our benefit.
The Effects of a Wicked King upon the People
We have already learned this lesson. It has been taught to us again and again. In Mosiah chapter 29, Mosiah proposed that judges be chosen in place of a king. Unrighteous kings lead their people into sin. It was bright in the people’s mind after King Noah had ruled over them. More recently for the Jaredites, soon after arriving in the Promised Land, they wanted a king to be chosen to rule over them. The brother of Jared knew this would lead to problems. He said, speaking of having a king, “Surely this thing leadeth into captivity” (Ether 6:23) But Jared said unto his brother: Suffer them that they may have a king. And therefore he said unto them: Choose ye out from among our sons a king, even whom ye will” (Ether 6:24). Is there any doubt as to how this lead to problems for the Jaredites? We only have to look as far ahead as Riplakish, who “did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord”. (Ether 10:5) Riplakish taxed and imprisoned the people. When they would not work he had them put to death. When they were in prison he required them to labor “for fine work, yea, even his fine gold he did cause to be refined in prison; and all manner of fine workmanship did he cause to be wrought in prison”. (Ether 10:7) Riplakish afflicted the “people with his whoredoms and abominations”. (Ether 10:8)
The Effects of a People who uphold Secret Combinations
Here again is another lesson we have already learned from the Nephites. Remember where the secret combinations originated. They have been since the beginning (2 Nephi 9:9) and have been a part of Lucifer’s plan and attack since Eden. These oaths and combinations are to get gain and to subvert the ways of the Lord. They found their way with the Jaredites with the daughter of Jared (not to be confused with the Jared who arrived in the Promised Land in the barges). This Jared is a descendant. He was the son of Omer, a Jaredite king. Jared began to “flatter many people” with “his cunning words”. (Ether 8:2) He gained half the kingdom from his father, Omer, and then gave battle to him. He captured Omer and placed him in captivity. Omer had more sons, Esrom and Coriantumr. They were upset that their father, Omer, was a slave to their brother Jared. They attacked Jared and won. When they were about to slay him, Jared plead for his life. Omer was set free and Jared “became exceedingly sorrowful” for losing the kingdom he had built up. (Ether 8:7) Jared’s daughter (unknown name) was dangerous. She was exceedingly expert, ie smart (Ether 8:8) and exceedingly fair, ie beautiful. (Ether 8:9) She saw that her father, Jared, was upset over losing the kingdom and brought his attention to the “secret plans” used to “obtain kingdoms and great glory”. (Ether 8:9) She devised a plan to get Akish to want to marry her. She planned to wile him with her ways (this is a spin of a quote from Ernest T. Bass of The Andy Griffith Show- my favorite show on television- email me if you can guess the episode it is from… it’s not hard, Ernest T. Bass was only in five episodes…sorry, back to the Jaredites) Akish was convinced he wanted to marry Jared’s daughter. The deal was however, she would only marry him if he killed and beheaded his friend the king, Omer. Where this becomes more obviously wicked is in the following explanation. This is Omer’s granddaughter and his son (Jared) plotting his death with his “friend”, Akish. How wicked were these people? Moroni speaks to us about secret combinations, calling them “most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God”. (Ether 8:18) He continues “And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not. Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be. Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up. For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved”. (Ether 8:22-26) How can we recognize and protect ourselves from secret combinations in our day? President Ezra Taft Benson said : "...Moroni speaks to us in this day and says, 'Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you....'
"The Book of Mormon further warns that 'whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold they shall be destroyed....'
"This scripture should alert us to what is ahead unless we repent, because there is no question but that as people of the free world, we are increasingly upholding any of the evils of the adversary today. By court edict godless conspirators can run for government office, teach in our schools, hold office in labor unions, work in our defense plans, serve in our merchant marines, etc. As a nation, we are helping to underwrite many evil revolutionaries in our country.
"Now we are assured that the Church will remain on the earth until the Lord comes again--but at what price? The Saints in the early days were assured that Zion would be established in Jackson County, but look at what their unfaithfulness cost them in bloodshed and delay.
"President [J. Reuben] Clark [Jr.] warned us that 'we stand in danger of losing our liberties, and that once lost, only blood will bring them back; and once lost, we of this church will, in order to keep the Church going forward, have more sacrifices to make and more persecutions to endure than we have yet known....' And he stated that if the conspiracy 'comes here it will probably come in its full vigor and there will be a lot of vacant places among those who guide and direct, not only this government, but also this Church of ours." (CR, Apr 1972)
America- a choice and Promised Land above all others
We read again and again of the conditional promises of the Lord to those nations who occupy this land. It is repeated in these chapters and we see the destruction of a nation who becomes ripe in iniquity. “And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.” (Ether 9:20)
Power of Living a Righteous Life
Although we do read of the wicked kings of the Jaredites, there are some who are striving to follow the commandments. Emer and Coriantum are fine examples. “And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead. And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.” (Ether 9:21-22) Is there any more of a reward available to us in this life than to receive the Second Comforter, even the Son of Righteousness, Jesus Christ and have Him appear to us?
The Importance and Place of the Lord’s Prophets and Their Counsel
What place do we give in our lives for the prophets and their counsel? The Jaredites did not open their hearts or accept the counsel. We read in Ether 9:28-29, “And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent. But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.” This type of rejection continued in Ether 11:1-7, “And there came also in the days of Com many prophets, and prophesied of the destruction of that great people except they should repent, and turn unto the Lord, and forsake their murders and wickedness. And it came to pass that the prophets were rejected by the people, and they fled unto Com for protection, for the people sought to destroy them. And they prophesied unto Com many things; and he was blessed in all the remainder of his days. And he lived to a good old age, and begat Shiblom; and Shiblom reigned in his stead. And the brother of Shiblom rebelled against him, and there began to be an exceedingly great war in all the land. And it came to pass that the brother of Shiblom caused that all the prophets who prophesied of the destruction of the people should be put to death; And there was great calamity in all the land, for they had testified that a great curse should come upon the land, and also upon the people, and that there should be a great destruction among them, such an one as never had been upon the face of the earth, and their bones should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land except they should repent of their wickedness. And they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, because of their wicked combinations; wherefore, there began to be wars and contentions in all the land, and also many famines and pestilences, insomuch that there was a great destruction, such an one as never had been known upon the face of the earth; and all this came to pass in the days of Shiblom.” Is there any question about the importance of following the Lord’s servants, the prophets, while in this sojourn on earth?
The Lord Sends Natural Disasters to Humble His People
Ether 9:30-35 reads: “And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth. And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla. And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way; nevertheless, there were some which fled into the land southward. And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents. And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all. Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord. And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.” Consider Moses and the plagues sent to the Pharaoh and his people. This does not mean bad things do not happen to good people. In contrast, sometimes good things happen to bad people who need to be humbled.
Ether 12
Moroni teaches us several things about faith. Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen (verse 6). Dispute not because you have not seen. The witness shall not be given until after the trial of your faith (verse 6). It was by faith that Christ appeared unto the people on this continent after his resurrection (verse 7). If there is no faith, God cannot do his miracles among men (verse 12).
It is interesting how Moroni cautions us to “Dispute not because you have not seen”. In the previous verse, he tells us why the people did not believe Ether and the great prophesying and marvelous things done for the people. It was because they “saw them not”. The world today is stuck with the saying “seeing is believing”. Is this the case? Is it more true that “believing is seeing”? I remember a quote from the movie, The Polar Express where the Conductor says, “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see”. This is especially true when applied to faith. It is the most real and important things in the world that we can’t see.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Book of Mormon Lesson 45: “Never Has Man Believed in Me As Thou Hast”
Ether 1-6
Where did the book of Ether come from? Ether wrote the record of the Jaredites, a people who left Babylon when the Lord confounded the language of the people attempting to build the tower Babel (Ether 1:33-43) and (Genesis 11:1-9). Ether wrote this record on 24 gold plates, which were later found by the people of Limhi (Mosiah 8:7-11). The book of Ether contains Moroni’s abridgment of Ether’s record.
We read in Mosiah 28:19, “this account (the book of Ether) shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account". Mormon however did not include the record prior to his death. His son, Moroni added the book of Ether to the record, "And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether" (Ether 1:1-2).
Why do you think God preserved the book of Ether for our day? There are warnings to those who occupy the promised land, there is a promise of forthcoming scripture and another powerful witness of the decline and eventual destruction of a nation who turned from God.
Before we start, the book of Ether never refers to the people as the Jaredites. There is only a single reference to that name by Mormon in Moroni 9:23. This is why we call the people of the book of Ether, those who descended from Jared, the Jaredite nation.
Ether 1
Here we are privileged to the genealogy from Ether back to Jared. Interesting to note, the record lists those who are “sons” and those who “descended”, making it complete in some fashion but not all.
Interesting to note, we learn about Jared and the brother of Jared. There is never any mention of the second other than “the brother of Jared”. There is a lot of speculation as to why his name is never written in the record. It is similar to how John omits his name during his writings in the New Testament.
We do know the brother of Jared’s name thanks to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Here is the account related by George Reynolds: "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 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." (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p264)
What else do we know about Mahonri Moriancumer? He was a large and mighty man, highly favored of the Lord (verse 34). His brother, Jared, had great faith in his faith and came to him asking for assistance from the Lord that their language would not be confounded (verse 35). He was a man well versed in prayer and had built a relationship with the Lord though communicating with prayer (verses 35-43).
What do you think the difference is between “crying unto the Lord” and merely saying prayers? What can we do to make our prayers more effective? (See Alma 34:17–28.)
Ether 2
The brother of Jared, Jared, their friends and families (all those who did not have their language confounded) did as the Lord commanded. They went to the valley northward named Nimrod. (verse 1) There they gathered together their flocks, caught birds and fish to carry with them. They gathered seeds of every kind and deseret (honey bees) (verse 3). The Lord spoke with the brother of Jared from a cloud (verse 5). Just as Jehovah appeared to and conversed with Moses and led the children of Israel in the wilderness in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21 Numbers 11:25 Numbers 12:5), so did he lead the Jaredites as they were in the wilderness. The Lord commanded them to continue in the wilderness to that "quarter" where there never had been man. It has been suggested that they traveled through central Asia. Whether this was their path or not, they eventually came to the great sea. Here they rested on their laurels. For four years, they parked themselves at the sea shore.
Before we get to this four year span and the Lord chastening them, Moroni puts in a discourse about the promised land (verses 7-12). The Lord preserved the American continent as a “choice land” to which he could lead a righteous people and they could prosper by following Him (1 Nephi 17:38). This same land was promised to the brother of Jared and the Jaredites. This promise of being prosperous, free from bondage and captivity and possessing the land altogether, is a conditional promise. It is conditioned upon the righteousness of the people the Lord brings here. A wicked people who will not serve and love God will be swept of the land and have the wrath of God (is there any doubt? Look to the Jaredites and the Nephites)
President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “These passages of scripture from the Book of Mormon are true; this nation is not exempt, and the people , if they continue to pursue the course of evil and ungodliness that they are now treading, shall eventually be punished. If they continue to disregard the warning voice of the Lord, deny their Redeemer, turn from His gospel unto fables and false theories, and rebel against all that he has through his servants in this day declared for the salvation of man; and if they increase in the practice of iniquity, I want to say to you, that if they do these things, the judgments of the Lord will come upon this land, and this nation will not be saved; we will not be spared from war, from famine, from pestilence and finally from destruction as a nation. Therefore, I call upon the people, not only Latter-day Saints but to all throughout the whole land, to repent of their sins and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and the God of this land. Turn from your evil ways, repent of your sins and receive the fullness of the gospel through the waters of baptism and obedience, that the judgments which shall be poured out upon the ungodly may pass you by” (Doctrines of Salvation 3:321-322)
President Ezra Taft Benson: “ ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation” (Proverbs 14:34). This is the key to understanding our heritage and this is the key to maintaining it. The foundations of America are spiritual. That must never be forgotten nor doubted….. “there are some in this land, among whom I count myself, whose faith it is that this land is reserved only for a righteous people, and we remain here as tenants only as we remain in the favor of the Lord, for He is the landlord as far as this earth is concerned. If we are to remain under heaven’s benign protection and care, we must return to those principles which have brought us our peace, liberty and prosperity. Our problems today are essentially problems of the Spirit. “The solution is not more wealth, more food, more technology, more government, or instruments of destruction- the solution is personal and national reformation. In short, it is to bring our national character ahead of our technological and material advances. Repentance is the sovereign remedy to our problems” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, page 569 and 580)
Is there any doubt without changes and the gospel reaching and touching more people’s lives we are headed for a collapse of a nation?
They then prepared to cross the sea. The people of Jared built barges following the instructions of the Lord. The brother of Jared called upon the Lord to report that he had prepared the boats as the Lord had commanded. He went on to say, "...and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?" (verse 22). The Lord responds to the brother of Jared. (verses 23-25) President Harold B. Lee: "It was as though the Lord were saying to [the brother of Jared], 'Look, I gave you a mind to think with, and I gave you agency to use it. Now you do all you can to help yourself with this problem; and then, after you've done all you can, I'll step in to help you'." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p243)
Elder Russell M. Nelson stated that he has often heard President Gordon B. Hinckley say, "I don't know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work." (Ensign, Nov 1997, p16)
What did Mahonri Moriancumer do? (Ether 3:1-5) Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” and “How has the Lord worked in my life this way?”.
Ether 3
The brother of Jared provided stones and prayed to the Lord,
"And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea" (verse 4).
He sees the finger of the Lord. How would I feel to have this experience? The brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear (verse 6). Nothing was better established in the minds of the ancients than the necessity of holiness- the certain knowledge that unholy man would be unprepared to see God. How often do we read “no unclean thing”? It is the entire purpose for the Atonement. The brother of Jared sees the finger of Christ and cannot be held from within the veil. It is based on his great faith. We read “never has man believed in me as thou hast” (verse 15). It is then made clear the Lord still only has a spirit body, he would not come to earth to receive his physical body for another 2000 years.
Moroni explains he “could not make a full account of these things which are written” in the Jaredite record (verse 17). Interesting is his comments in verse 19,”And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.” From an eternal perspective, knowledge and faith work together. Here we see a culmination of faith, which led to knowledge.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “In the eternal sense, because faith is the power of God himself, it embraces within its fold a knowledge of all things. This measure of faith, the faith by which the worlds are and were created and which sustains and upholds all things, is found only among resurrected persons. It is faith of saved beings. But mortals are in process, through faith, of gaining eternal salvation. Their faith is based on knowledge of truth, within the meaning of Alma’s statement “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things,’ but that men have faith when the ‘hope for things which are not seen, which are true.’ In this sense faith is both preceded and supplanted by knowledge, and when any person gains a perfect knowledge on any given matter, then, as pertaining to that thing, he has faith no longer; or, rather, his faith is dormant; it has been supplanted by pure knowledge… the brother of Jared stands out as a good illustration of how the knowledge of God is gained by faith, and also of how that perfect knowledge, from a mortal perspective, replaces faith.” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pages 209-210, 211)
The brother of Jared then has a vision of all things from before the creation of the world to the end. It is in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon and promised to those who believe in God and his word. See comments for chapter 4.
Ether 4
In verse 7 we read, "And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are."
In verses 13-15 we learn more about this knowledge: "Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you--yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel."
This knowledge is promised to us with conditions. If we are faithful, believing and prayerful we can know them. There is no room for wavering. This is a tremendous vision and amount of knowledge which has been shared with many faithful servants of the Lord. It is not a secret, but only kept sacred from those not prepared to receive it. In addition, it is a protection from those not spiritually prepared to receive the greater knowledge.
Ether 5
This chapter has direct instruction for the Prophet Joseph Smith and includes the calling of three witnesses of the truthfulness of the ancient record. See and read the testimony of the three witnesses.
Ether 6
After 344 days being driven by the winds and sea, the Jaredites arrive at the Promised Land, on the American continent. They are preserved by the goodness of God and by their preparations of following God’s counsel and directions. There was light and air in the barges, just as the Lord promised there would be. When they arrive, they sing praises to the Lord. They shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them (verse 12).
After their arrival in the Promised Land the sons and daughters of Jared, his brother, and their friends began to multiply in the land, wax strong, and prosper. In time, as many families developed, there arose desires for a King. They asked many until finally, Orihah, a son of Jared, agreed to be king. The brother of Jared knew what would happen when a king rules. In verse 23, he said “Surely this thing leadeth to captivity. When they requested a king, the brother of Jared resisted. He recognized, as Mosiah would, a king’s righteousness determines the righteousness of the people (see Mosiah 29:13-32). This concern of the brother of Jared came true as subsequent Jaredite kings turned from righteousness to wickedness and idolatry and the spiritual decline of another fallen nation in the record of the Book of Mormon.
Where did the book of Ether come from? Ether wrote the record of the Jaredites, a people who left Babylon when the Lord confounded the language of the people attempting to build the tower Babel (Ether 1:33-43) and (Genesis 11:1-9). Ether wrote this record on 24 gold plates, which were later found by the people of Limhi (Mosiah 8:7-11). The book of Ether contains Moroni’s abridgment of Ether’s record.
We read in Mosiah 28:19, “this account (the book of Ether) shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account". Mormon however did not include the record prior to his death. His son, Moroni added the book of Ether to the record, "And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether" (Ether 1:1-2).
Why do you think God preserved the book of Ether for our day? There are warnings to those who occupy the promised land, there is a promise of forthcoming scripture and another powerful witness of the decline and eventual destruction of a nation who turned from God.
Before we start, the book of Ether never refers to the people as the Jaredites. There is only a single reference to that name by Mormon in Moroni 9:23. This is why we call the people of the book of Ether, those who descended from Jared, the Jaredite nation.
Ether 1
Here we are privileged to the genealogy from Ether back to Jared. Interesting to note, the record lists those who are “sons” and those who “descended”, making it complete in some fashion but not all.
Interesting to note, we learn about Jared and the brother of Jared. There is never any mention of the second other than “the brother of Jared”. There is a lot of speculation as to why his name is never written in the record. It is similar to how John omits his name during his writings in the New Testament.
We do know the brother of Jared’s name thanks to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Here is the account related by George Reynolds: "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 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." (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p264)
What else do we know about Mahonri Moriancumer? He was a large and mighty man, highly favored of the Lord (verse 34). His brother, Jared, had great faith in his faith and came to him asking for assistance from the Lord that their language would not be confounded (verse 35). He was a man well versed in prayer and had built a relationship with the Lord though communicating with prayer (verses 35-43).
What do you think the difference is between “crying unto the Lord” and merely saying prayers? What can we do to make our prayers more effective? (See Alma 34:17–28.)
Ether 2
The brother of Jared, Jared, their friends and families (all those who did not have their language confounded) did as the Lord commanded. They went to the valley northward named Nimrod. (verse 1) There they gathered together their flocks, caught birds and fish to carry with them. They gathered seeds of every kind and deseret (honey bees) (verse 3). The Lord spoke with the brother of Jared from a cloud (verse 5). Just as Jehovah appeared to and conversed with Moses and led the children of Israel in the wilderness in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21 Numbers 11:25 Numbers 12:5), so did he lead the Jaredites as they were in the wilderness. The Lord commanded them to continue in the wilderness to that "quarter" where there never had been man. It has been suggested that they traveled through central Asia. Whether this was their path or not, they eventually came to the great sea. Here they rested on their laurels. For four years, they parked themselves at the sea shore.
Before we get to this four year span and the Lord chastening them, Moroni puts in a discourse about the promised land (verses 7-12). The Lord preserved the American continent as a “choice land” to which he could lead a righteous people and they could prosper by following Him (1 Nephi 17:38). This same land was promised to the brother of Jared and the Jaredites. This promise of being prosperous, free from bondage and captivity and possessing the land altogether, is a conditional promise. It is conditioned upon the righteousness of the people the Lord brings here. A wicked people who will not serve and love God will be swept of the land and have the wrath of God (is there any doubt? Look to the Jaredites and the Nephites)
President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “These passages of scripture from the Book of Mormon are true; this nation is not exempt, and the people , if they continue to pursue the course of evil and ungodliness that they are now treading, shall eventually be punished. If they continue to disregard the warning voice of the Lord, deny their Redeemer, turn from His gospel unto fables and false theories, and rebel against all that he has through his servants in this day declared for the salvation of man; and if they increase in the practice of iniquity, I want to say to you, that if they do these things, the judgments of the Lord will come upon this land, and this nation will not be saved; we will not be spared from war, from famine, from pestilence and finally from destruction as a nation. Therefore, I call upon the people, not only Latter-day Saints but to all throughout the whole land, to repent of their sins and to accept the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and the God of this land. Turn from your evil ways, repent of your sins and receive the fullness of the gospel through the waters of baptism and obedience, that the judgments which shall be poured out upon the ungodly may pass you by” (Doctrines of Salvation 3:321-322)
President Ezra Taft Benson: “ ‘Righteousness exalteth a nation” (Proverbs 14:34). This is the key to understanding our heritage and this is the key to maintaining it. The foundations of America are spiritual. That must never be forgotten nor doubted….. “there are some in this land, among whom I count myself, whose faith it is that this land is reserved only for a righteous people, and we remain here as tenants only as we remain in the favor of the Lord, for He is the landlord as far as this earth is concerned. If we are to remain under heaven’s benign protection and care, we must return to those principles which have brought us our peace, liberty and prosperity. Our problems today are essentially problems of the Spirit. “The solution is not more wealth, more food, more technology, more government, or instruments of destruction- the solution is personal and national reformation. In short, it is to bring our national character ahead of our technological and material advances. Repentance is the sovereign remedy to our problems” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, page 569 and 580)
Is there any doubt without changes and the gospel reaching and touching more people’s lives we are headed for a collapse of a nation?
They then prepared to cross the sea. The people of Jared built barges following the instructions of the Lord. The brother of Jared called upon the Lord to report that he had prepared the boats as the Lord had commanded. He went on to say, "...and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?" (verse 22). The Lord responds to the brother of Jared. (verses 23-25) President Harold B. Lee: "It was as though the Lord were saying to [the brother of Jared], 'Look, I gave you a mind to think with, and I gave you agency to use it. Now you do all you can to help yourself with this problem; and then, after you've done all you can, I'll step in to help you'." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p243)
Elder Russell M. Nelson stated that he has often heard President Gordon B. Hinckley say, "I don't know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work." (Ensign, Nov 1997, p16)
What did Mahonri Moriancumer do? (Ether 3:1-5) Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” and “How has the Lord worked in my life this way?”.
Ether 3
The brother of Jared provided stones and prayed to the Lord,
"And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea" (verse 4).He sees the finger of the Lord. How would I feel to have this experience? The brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear (verse 6). Nothing was better established in the minds of the ancients than the necessity of holiness- the certain knowledge that unholy man would be unprepared to see God. How often do we read “no unclean thing”? It is the entire purpose for the Atonement. The brother of Jared sees the finger of Christ and cannot be held from within the veil. It is based on his great faith. We read “never has man believed in me as thou hast” (verse 15). It is then made clear the Lord still only has a spirit body, he would not come to earth to receive his physical body for another 2000 years.
Moroni explains he “could not make a full account of these things which are written” in the Jaredite record (verse 17). Interesting is his comments in verse 19,”And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.” From an eternal perspective, knowledge and faith work together. Here we see a culmination of faith, which led to knowledge.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “In the eternal sense, because faith is the power of God himself, it embraces within its fold a knowledge of all things. This measure of faith, the faith by which the worlds are and were created and which sustains and upholds all things, is found only among resurrected persons. It is faith of saved beings. But mortals are in process, through faith, of gaining eternal salvation. Their faith is based on knowledge of truth, within the meaning of Alma’s statement “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things,’ but that men have faith when the ‘hope for things which are not seen, which are true.’ In this sense faith is both preceded and supplanted by knowledge, and when any person gains a perfect knowledge on any given matter, then, as pertaining to that thing, he has faith no longer; or, rather, his faith is dormant; it has been supplanted by pure knowledge… the brother of Jared stands out as a good illustration of how the knowledge of God is gained by faith, and also of how that perfect knowledge, from a mortal perspective, replaces faith.” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pages 209-210, 211)
The brother of Jared then has a vision of all things from before the creation of the world to the end. It is in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon and promised to those who believe in God and his word. See comments for chapter 4.
Ether 4
In verse 7 we read, "And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are."
In verses 13-15 we learn more about this knowledge: "Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief. Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you, because of unbelief. Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you--yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel."
This knowledge is promised to us with conditions. If we are faithful, believing and prayerful we can know them. There is no room for wavering. This is a tremendous vision and amount of knowledge which has been shared with many faithful servants of the Lord. It is not a secret, but only kept sacred from those not prepared to receive it. In addition, it is a protection from those not spiritually prepared to receive the greater knowledge.
Ether 5
This chapter has direct instruction for the Prophet Joseph Smith and includes the calling of three witnesses of the truthfulness of the ancient record. See and read the testimony of the three witnesses.
Ether 6
After 344 days being driven by the winds and sea, the Jaredites arrive at the Promised Land, on the American continent. They are preserved by the goodness of God and by their preparations of following God’s counsel and directions. There was light and air in the barges, just as the Lord promised there would be. When they arrive, they sing praises to the Lord. They shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them (verse 12).
After their arrival in the Promised Land the sons and daughters of Jared, his brother, and their friends began to multiply in the land, wax strong, and prosper. In time, as many families developed, there arose desires for a King. They asked many until finally, Orihah, a son of Jared, agreed to be king. The brother of Jared knew what would happen when a king rules. In verse 23, he said “Surely this thing leadeth to captivity. When they requested a king, the brother of Jared resisted. He recognized, as Mosiah would, a king’s righteousness determines the righteousness of the people (see Mosiah 29:13-32). This concern of the brother of Jared came true as subsequent Jaredite kings turned from righteousness to wickedness and idolatry and the spiritual decline of another fallen nation in the record of the Book of Mormon.
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