Moroni explains the record he was abridging was written by
Ether. “And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the
days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be
restrained because of the Spirit of the Lord which was in him” (Ether 12:2).
Verses 7-32 gives us Ether’s genealogy down through Jared,
“[w]hich Jared came forth with his brother and their families … from the great
tower.” (Ether 1:33). This is the first mention of Jared’s brother, who will be
an important part of the record of the early Jaredites.
They came from the time of the tower of Babel, when all
language was confounded. Amaleki (see Omni 1:12) tells us about an event which
happened during the rule of Mosiah1. This is our first introduction
to the Jaredites.
“And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah1,
there was a large stone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did
interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.
“And they gave an account of one Coriantumr, and the slain
of his people. And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he
dwelt with them for the space of nine moons.
“It also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And his
first parents came out from the tower, at the time the Lord confounded the
language of the people; and the severity of the Lord fell upon them according
to his judgments, which are just; and their bones lay scattered in the land
northward” (Omni 1:20-22).
We learn more about the Jaredites after Mosiah2
finished translating the 24 plates. “[B]ehold, it gave an account of the people
who were destroyed, from the time that they were destroyed back to the building
of the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people
and they were scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth, yea, and even
from that time back until the creation of Adam” (Mosiah 28:17).
The brother of Jared is described as “a large and mighty
man, and a man highly favored of the Lord” (Ether 1:34). Jared asked him to ask
the Lord not to confound the language of their family. He did as his brother
asked. He asked the Lord to allow their language to remain the same. The Lord
answered his prayers.
Next, Jared asks his brother to ask the Lord to not confound
the language of their friends. The brother of Jared complied and the Lord did
not confound their language.
Once again, Jared goes to his brother with a request. Will
the Lord drive us out of our land? If he will, where will we go? He said they
needed to be faithful so they might receive a choice land for their
inheritance.
The brother of Jared prayed, asking the Lord where they are
to go and was it a land of their inheritance.
The Lord answered his prayer. He was told to gather their flocks, both
male and female. They were commanded to bring every type of seed they could
get. They were told to gather together their families as well as the families
of their friends.
They were told to go to a valley in the north. There, the
Lord would meet them. They will be led “thee into a land which is choice above
all the lands of the earth” (Ether 2:42). “And it came to pass that the Lord
commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that
quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did
go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions
whither they should travel” (Ether 2:5).
The Lord would bless them and the descendants of all who
went with them. They would become a great nation. This will be done through the
brother of Jared’s faith.
“The Lord led [the Jaredites] the American continent, with
the promise that if they served Him, they would ‘be free from bondage, and from
captivity, and from all other nations under heaven.’ The Nephites were also led
to the same continent later. In the end both the Jaredite and the Nephite
civilizations were destroyed, as they did not prove faithful.”[1]
[1] Blessings
of the Gospel Available to All, Elder Joseph W. Sitati, October 2009
General Conference.
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