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.