Ether 6:1-11

Chapter 6

The Jaredite barges are driven by the winds to the promised land—The people praise the Lord for His goodness—Orihah is appointed king over them—Jared and his brother die.

Having wrote his words to Joseph Smith about translating the book of Ether, he continues his account of the Jaredites.

Having finished conversing with the Lord, the brother of Jared returned and placed the stones in each of the vessels. The stones would provide light during their voyage.

The Jaredites began to make final preparations for the voyage. They had food for them and the animals. “And it came to pass that Jared and his brother, and their families, and also the friends of Jared and his brother and their families, went down into the valley which was northward, (and the name of the valley was Nimrod, being called after the mighty hunter) with their flocks which they had gathered together, male and female, of every kind” (Ether 2:1).

Having finished their preparations, they set off on their voyage across the sea. They entrusted themselves to the Lord’s care.

“After his experience with the Lord, the brother of Jared continued to diligently prepare himself for the journey ahead. So too must we hearken to the teachings of our prophets. The living prophets have counseled us time and again to put our lives in order—to eliminate debt, to store food and other essential items, to pay our tithing, to obtain appropriate education, and to live the commandments. Have we obeyed these essential instructions?”[1]

As they departed, the Lord caused a “furious wind” to blow across the waters. This wind blew them towards the promised land.

“For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

“And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come” (Ether 2:24-25).

We know the Lord also caused a wind to blow Lehi’s party across the sea. “And it came to pass after we had all gone down into the ship, and had taken with us our provisions and things which had been commanded us, we did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land” (1 Nephi 18:8).

It was a rough voyage. The winds caused waves to crash over the barges. They were tossed to-and-fro. The storms were a consequence of the winds the Lord provide for them.

The barges were water-tight. When they sunk beneath the ocean’s surface, no water leaked into the barges. When they spent an excessive amount of time under the sea, they prayed and asked the Lord to bring them back to the surface, which He did.

“Hugh Nibley has called attention to accounts from Jewish tradition of similar arrangements that were made for the ark of Noah, to which the Jaredite vessels are compared in Ether 6:7. Several early Jewish sources indicate that God told Noah to suspend precious stones or pearls inside the ark to lighten it; in some traditions, it is a jewel-encrusted heavenly book. The gem would glow during the night and grow dim during the day so Noah, shut up in the ark, could tell the time of day and how many days had passed. This was the explanation given by the rabbis for the sôhar[2] that the Lord told Noah to construct in the ark. The word is rendered ‘window’ in the King James Version of Genesis 6:16, but ‘light’ in some other translations.”[3]

Throughout their voyage, the wind continued to blow the towards the promised land.

As they traveled, they sang praises to the Lord. “The light that facilitated the Jaredites’ miraculous voyage to the New World is an effective symbol of faith. In part, travels of the Jaredites represented the journey of life, and in crossing the turbulent ocean, the Jaredites faithfully ‘did thank and praise the Lord all the day long’ while having continual light that came miraculously from the finger of God.”[4]

The brother of Jared also gave thanks and sang praises to the Lord.

“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

“My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together” (Psalms 34:1-3).

“Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 37:37).

“And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with” (D&C 46:32).

“And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water” (Ether 6:11).

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[1] Faith through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy, Robert D. Hales, April 2003 General Conference.

[2] “The Zohar (‘Splendor’ or ‘Radiance’) is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology.” (Wikipedia)

[3] Glowing Stones in Ancient and Medieval Lore, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute website.

[4] Light: A Masterful Symbol, Richard Dilworth Rust, Maxwell Institute website.

Ether 5:1-5

Chapter 5

Three witnesses and the work itself will stand as a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Moroni breaks into his abridgment of the plates of Ether to write a message to he who would translate the record – Joseph Smith.

He tells Joseph he wrote the words which he was commanded, “according to my memory” (Ether 5:1).  He reminds him he should forbidden to translate the part of the book which is sealed, unless commanded by God.

“The sealed portion of the gold plates contains, as Moroni explains, the complete record of the brother of Jared’s vision. After elaborating on the origin and future of the record of this great vision (see Ether 3:17–4:19), Moroni writes a short letter, effectively addressed to Joseph Smith, wherein he warns him not to touch the sealed plates, evidently so he can keep the gift to translate them (see Ether 5:1).”[1]

Joseph is told he would be able to show the plates to those who assist him. The Lord told Joseph, “And the testimony of three witnesses will I send forth of my word” (D&C 5:15). These witnesses would be an essential part of bringing the Book of Mormon to the world.

Joseph is told three will be shown the plates “by the power of God” (Ether 5:3). “And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words” (2 Nephi 11:3).

The three will know for “a surety that these things are true” (Ether 3:3). “And then he shall say unto the people of this generation: Behold, I have seen the things which the Lord hath shown unto Joseph Smith, Jun., and I know of a surety that they are true, for I have seen them, for they have been shown unto me by the power of God and not of man” (D&C 5:25).

 “But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good” (Ether 4:11).

Moroni also makes this promise to the readers of the Book of Mormon among his last words. His words are among the most widely known among Church members.

“Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.

“And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

“And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (Moroni 10:1-4).

Moroni gives us the law of witnesses. “[I]n the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established; and the testimony of three, and this work, in the which shall be shown forth the power of God and also his word” (Ether 5:4). “And it shall come to pass, that if you shall ask the Father in my name, in faith believing, you shall receive the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance, that you may stand as a witness of the things of which you shall both hear and see, and also that you may declare repentance unto this generation” (D&C 14:3).

“Wherefore, he shall bring forth his words unto them, which words shall judge them at the last day, for they shall be given them for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and unto the convincing of them that they need not look forward any more for a Messiah to come, for there should not any come, save it should be a false Messiah which should deceive the people; for there is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he who should be rejected of the Jews” (2 Nephi 25:18).

“For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written” (2 Nephi 29:11).

The words and testimony of the three witnesses will stand as a testimony against the world.

“A dictionary defines the noun witness as an ‘attestation of a fact or event: [a] testimony.’ The term witness bears special significance when applied to the word of God. In the Bible we read this important declaration: ‘In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.’ This assures God’s children that divine doctrines are confirmed by more than one scriptural witness.”[2]

“And if it so be that they repent and come unto the Father in the name of Jesus, they shall be received into the kingdom of God” (Ether 5:5).

“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” (Mormon 9:27).

“And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.

“And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God” (Moroni 10:30-32).

We are to judge Moroni and determine if he truly has the authority to write what he has written. He knows he has authority, given him of Christ. We will know he has the authority when we see him as we stand before God.

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[1] A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates, Valentin Arts, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002): 53.

[2] Scriptural Witnesses, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2007 General Conference.

Ether 4:31-19

Christ calls upon the Gentiles to come to Him.

“And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.

“Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (3 Nephi 12:2-3).

“Although the Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel in the scriptural sense of that phrase, it does not contain nor purport to contain all revealed knowledge. In addition to teaching the gospel message and the associated ‘great plan of happiness’ (Alma 42:8) in plainness and clarity, Book of Mormon prophets invite us to look forward to additional precepts, teaching, truths, and even scriptures to be revealed in the Lord's due time, ‘line upon line,’ through God's prophets by means of the Holy Ghost.”[1]

When they do, they will see greater things. This will be knowledge withheld because of their unbelief. If you reference back to Moroni’s words, some of this knowledge is to be had in the Book of Mormon (for example, see Mormon 8:16, 28).

“Today, surrounded by so much information, we might think that navigating millions of web pages will give us all that we need to know. We can find good and bad information on the web, but information alone is not enough. God has given us another source for greater knowledge,6 even knowledge sent from heaven. Our Heavenly Father can give us such knowledge when we navigate the celestial web in our hearts and minds.”[2]

“Although Latter-day Saints frequently use the term gospel to refer generally to all truths to be learned through the restoration, there is a much narrower meaning found in the scriptures. The gospel is the good news of Christ’s atonement, and its first principles and ordinances include faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. This is the gospel as it is set forth in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 10:14; 15:13–14; 3 Nephi 27:13–21; Ether 4:18)…”[3]

When Israel comes to the Lord, He will manifest the great things the Father has in store for them.

“God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;

“Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;

“A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest.

“All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ” (D&C 121:26-29).

All of this would have come to them had they believed. Their unbelief prevented them from receiving this knowledge.

When Israel rips their veil of unbelief, great and marvelous which have been hid from the foundation of the world from them will be made clear. “But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof” (2 Nephi 27:10).

They must call upon the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit. “And he called [the Nephite twelve] by name, saying: Ye shall call on the Father in my name, in mighty prayer; and after ye have done this ye shall have power that to him upon whom ye shall lay your hands, ye shall give the Holy Ghost; and in my name shall ye give it, for thus do mine apostles” (Moroni 2:2).

When that day comes, the Father will remember the covenant made with Israel.

Then, he will unfold the words of John in Revelation. “Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.” (1 Nephi 14:23).

When they see these things, Israel will know “the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed” (Ether 4:16).

“As Moroni abridged the records of the Jaredites, the Lord told him that the revelations written by John would be understood when the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon plates comes forth.”[4]

At the time the Book of Mormon goes forth, “the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land” (Ether 4:17). “And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign—for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them” (3 Nephi 21:2).

“Following his abridgment of the Savior’s teachings in America, Mormon advised his readers ‘that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings [in the Book of Mormon] shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled’ (3 Nephi 29:1; compare 21:1-7). His son Moroni added, after discussing the great vision of the Brother of Jared: ‘When ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land’ (Ether 4:17).”[5]

All ends of the Earth are called to repent. “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day” (3 Nephi 27:20).

“And he hath said: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and have faith in me, that ye may be saved” (Moroni 7:34).

We are to come to Him, believe His gospel and be baptized in His name.

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [GR from above, anew], he cannot see the kingdom of God.

“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5).

Those who do not believe will be damned. Signs will follow those who believe in His name.

Those who were faithful to His teachings at the last day, will be lifted up and dwell in His kingdom for ever.

“O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer” (Psalms 31:23).

“And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it” (Mosiah 2:41).

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[1] The Book of Mormon Contains the “Fulness of the Gospel,” a Research Report prepared by the FARMS Research Department.

[2] Learning with Our Hearts, By Elder Walter F. González, October 2012 General Conference.

[3] One Small Step, John A. Tvedtnes and Matthew Roper, FARMS Review 15/1 (2003): 148.

[4] Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth, Monte S. Nyman, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10/1 (2001): 54.

[5] The Gathering of Israel in the Book of Mormon: A Consistent Pattern, Robert L. Millet, Maxwell Institute website. 

Ether 4:10-12

Moroni tells us if we believe the word of the Lord will be visited by the Spirit. “And behold, whosoever believeth on my words, them will I visit with the manifestation of my Spirit; and they shall be born of me, even of water and of the Spirit” (D&C 5:16)

Through the Spirit, we will know truth and bear record of what we know. “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5).

“And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father” (3 Nephi 16:6).

Through the Spirit, we will gain a testimony of truth. “And blessed are the Gentiles, because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witnesses unto them of me and of the Father” (Psalms 19:6).

When Peter testified of Christ, Jesus answered, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

“And Alma went and began to declare the word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon, according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers, and according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should come to redeem his people from their sins, and the holy order by which he was called.” (Alma 6:8).

The Spirit will testify to truth because He persuades us to do good. Whatever persuades us to do good comes from Christ. Amaleki wrote, “[F]or there is nothing which is good save it comes from the Lord: and that which is evil cometh from the devil” (Omni 1:25).

Preaching to the people of Zarahemla, Alma₂ told them, “For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil” (Alma 5:40).

Moroni is sharing words Mormon wrote to him in an epistle.

“For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

“But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him” Moroni 7:16-17).

He leads us to good. If we don’t believe His words, we will not believe Him. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 11:35).

“And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day” (3 Nephi 28:34).

I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

We will also reject the Father as He sent Christ. He is the father and the light, life, and truth of the world. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14).

“Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3 Nephi 15:9).

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not” (D&C 6:21).

Ether 4:7-9

Moroni continues sharing the word of the Lord. The Gentiles must exercise faith in the Lord, like the brother of Jared’s. “And now, except he humble himself and acknowledge unto me the things that he has done which are wrong, and covenant with me that he will keep my commandments, and exercise faith in me, behold, I say unto him, he shall have no such views, for I will grant unto him no views of the things of which I have spoken” (D&C 5:28).

In the day they exercise this faith, they will become sanctified in the Lord. Sanctification is “[t]he process of becoming free from sin, pure, clean, and holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ” (Guide to the Scriptures).

Being sanctified is a process emphasized in the scriptures. “But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel [OR stand in awe of the God of Israel]” (Isaiah 29:3).

“But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel” (John 17:17).

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

“And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me” (D&C 43:9).

“That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness” (D&C 76:41).

“For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified” (D&C 101:5).

At that time, all nations will know the things which the brother of Jared knew. “Wherefore, the things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men” (2 Nephi 30:16).

“And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him” (Alma 12:9).

Those who contend again the Lord’s word will be cursed. “Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works” (3 Nephi 29:5).

“And if there be faults they be the faults of a man. But behold, we know no fault; nevertheless God knoweth all things; therefore, he that condemneth, let him be aware lest he shall be in danger of hell fire” (Mormon 8:17).

Those who deny the word of the Lord will be cured as well. “Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God” (2 Nephi 25:14).

“Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

“For behold, thus 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; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost” (2 Nephi 28:29-31).

“And wo be unto him that will not hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day”

(3 Nephi 28:34).

By rejecting Christ’s words, He will withhold greater things.

“And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.

“And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell” (Alma 12:10-11).

“And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

“And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation” (3 Nephi 29:9-10).

At His command, the heavens are open and shut. “When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them” (1 Kings 8:35).

At His word, the Earth will shake; at His word, the inhabitants will pass away.

“Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?[1]

“A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness” (D&C 77:8)

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[1] “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree” (Revelation 7:1).

Ether 4:1-6

Chapter 4

Moroni is commanded to seal up the writings of the brother of Jared—They will not be revealed until men have faith even as the brother of Jared—Christ commands men to believe His words and those of His disciples—Men are commanded to repent, believe the gospel, and be saved.

The brother of Jared had been commanded to seal his record and that it would not be available to us until after Christ’s ministry had ended. King Mosiah, after translating the Jaredite record, also sealed it up and commanded it not be used until after Christ’s ministry.

Now, Moroni reminds us, only the Lamanites were alive.

“And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.

“And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not” (Mormon 8:2-3).

They rejected Christ’s gospel and were a wicked people. The record would not be made available to them. Instead, he was commanded to once again hide and bury the record. “And I am the same who hideth up this record unto the Lord; the plates thereof are of no worth, because of the commandment of the Lord. For he truly saith that no one shall have them to get gain; but the record thereof is of great worth; and whoso shall bring it to light, him will the Lord bless” (Mormon 8:14).

Moroni tells us he was commanded to write these words. “And now I, Moroni, have written the words which were commanded me, according to my memory; and I have told you the things which I have sealed up; therefore touch them not in order that ye may translate; for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God” (Ether 5:1).

Nephi₁ had prophesied about the sealed portion of the plates.

“And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.

“Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore the book shall be kept from them…

“But the words which are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.

“And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth” (2 Nephi 27:7-8, 10-11).

“Moroni possessed both records and added a third copy by writing or copying the words of the vision upon ‘these plates’ (Ether 4:4), that is, the gold plates. He most likely used Nephi’s translation as his master copy because he was familiar with that language and not with the language of the brother of Jared. For the same reason, Moroni probably also turned to Mosiah’s translation of the book of Ether to make his abridgment.”[1]

“Moroni described the sealed portion more specifically, saying it contained the vision shown unto the brother of Jared of ‘all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be … unto the ends of the earth.’ The Lord commanded the brother of Jared to write the things he had seen and to seal them up until the Lord’s own time, ‘until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross . . . that they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people’ (Ether 3:25–27; 4:1). After the Lord’s people had all dwindled in unbelief and there were none left but Lamanites who had rejected the gospel, Moroni was to seal up the plates again (see Ether 4:3–5).”[2]

Moroni’s records, he was told by the Lord, will not go to the Gentiles until they repent and become clean before the Lord.

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[1] A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates, Valentin Arts, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002): 53.

[2] Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth, Monte S. Nyman, Maxwell Institute website.

Ether 3:15-28

The Lord told the brother of Jared He never showed Himself to any man before; however, no one has ever had the faith he had. Seeing the Lord, he told the brother of Jared he saw men were created in His image.

The Lord told him the body he sees is a spirit. He was appearing as He would appear in the flesh.

Moroni again breaks into his abridgment. He reminds us he “could not make a full account of these things which are written” (Ether 3:17). He wanted us to understand Christ appeared to the brother of Jared while a spirit. His likeness was the same when he appeared to the Nephites.

The Lord ministered to the brother of Jared as He did to the Nephites. This was done so he would know he was God.

“Moroni informs us that the Lord ministered to the brother of Jared as he ministered to the Nephites (see Ether 3:18). The verb to minister means ‘to serve or to supply with’ and seems to connote more than just conversing or preaching. Moroni does not spell out the exact manner in which the Lord ministered to the brother of Jared, but he does provide us with some clues. Moroni draws a parallel with the ministering of the Lord among the Nephites. We know from the book of 3 Nephi that Jesus taught the people, healed them, and administered ordinances to them such as the sacrament and ordination. Thus we may infer that the Lord also administered ordinances to the brother of Jared, some of which were sacred and not to be revealed.”[1]

Because of his knowledge, the brother of Jared saw the finger of the Lord. “[H]e fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord’ (Ether 3:19). He no longer had faith; he know had knowledge. “And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand” (Alma 32:34).

With his perfect knowledge, he could not be prevented from seeing the Lord.

“And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.

“And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.

“And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil” (Ether 12:19-21).

The brother of Jared was commanded not to share this with anyone. The records could not be available until after He completed His earthly mission. “And the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen; and they were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after that he should be lifted up upon the cross; and for this cause did king Mosiah keep them, that they should not come unto the world until after Christ should show himself unto his people” (Ether 4:1).

The brother of Jared was told to write and seal up the record of his vision. He was also commanded to write “them in a language that they cannot be read” (Ether 3:22).

We read about this when Ammon met with King Limhi.

“And again, they have brought swords, the hilts thereof have perished, and the blades thereof were cankered with rust; and there is no one in the land that is able to interpret the language or the engravings that are on the plates. Therefore I said unto thee: Canst thou translate?

“And I say unto thee again: Knowest thou of any one that can translate? For I am desirous that these records should be translated into our language; for, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of a remnant of the people who have been destroyed, from whence these records came; or, perhaps, they will give us a knowledge of this very people who have been destroyed; and I am desirous to know the cause of their destruction” (Mosiah 8:11-12).

“From the time of Nephi (ca. a.d. 35), there were two copies of the record of the great vision of the brother of Jared: the original, ‘in a language that . . . cannot be read’ (Ether 3:22), and ‘the interpretation thereof’ by Nephi in the Nephite language (Ether 4:5; see vv. 1–2). Moroni possessed both records and added a third copy by writing or copying the words of the vision upon ‘these plates’ (Ether 4:4), that is, the gold plates. He most likely used Nephi’s translation as his master copy because he was familiar with that language and not with the language of the brother of Jared. For the same reason, Moroni probably also turned to Mosiah’s translation of the book of Ether to make his abridgment.”[2]

And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write.

So that the record could eventually be translated, the brother of Jared was given two stones to place where he hid his sealed record. We know these two stones as the Urim and Thumim.

In 1829, the Lord told Joseph Smith, “Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face” (D&C 17:1).

After commanding him to seal the record, the brother of Jared received a vision of “all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be” (Ether 3:25). He saw everything from his time to the end of the earth.

“Moroni described the sealed portion more specifically, saying it contained the vision shown unto the brother of Jared … The Lord commanded the brother of Jared to write the things he had seen and to seal them up until the Lord’s own time … After the Lord’s people had all dwindled in unbelief and there were none left but Lamanites who had rejected the gospel, Moroni was to seal up the plates again (see Ether 4:3–5).

“Moroni told us that the sealed part should not go forth unto the Gentiles until they had repented ‘of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord.’ He wrote further that when ‘they shall exercise faith in me [the Lord], 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’ (Ether 4:6–7).”[3]

The Lord told the brother of Jared, “I will show [the sealed record] in mine own due time unto the children of men” (Ether 3:27).

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[1] A Third Jaredite Record: The Sealed Portion of the Gold Plates, Valentin Arts, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 11/1 (2002): 51 (emphasis in original).

[2] Ibid, 58.

[3] Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth, Monte S. Nyman, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10/1 (2001): 57.

Ether 3:14

After showing Himself to the brother of Jared, he told him He was prepared from the foundation of the world. “Who verily was foreordained [GR having been foreknown] before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20).

“But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2).

“He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people [OR reproach of His people] shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25:8-9).

“The very important work that had to be done was to save us from sin and spiritual death and to show us how we could return to him. Unlike Satan, who wants to destroy you, Heavenly Father wants you because he loves you. He has provided ways to protect you from Satan. And whom did He choose to show us the way? His Son Jesus Christ.”[1]

His mission is to redeem His people. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3).

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).

“And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him” (2 Nephi 11:2).

He told him He was Jesus Christ, the Father and the Son. “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7).

“Moroni’s work on the abridgment of the record of the Jaredites—which appears in the Book of Mormon today as the book of Ether—offers up a surprise that most readers will not have suspected. ‘In a startling act of literary appropriation,’ writes [Grant] Hardy,

‘he Christianizes the Jaredite record … The idea that the Jaredites did not know about Jesus will come as a surprise to most Latter-­day Saints. At first glance, the Jaredite story does not seem that different from what we have seen elsewhere in the Book of Mormon; Christ is mentioned regularly and reverently. Yet if one were to go through the book of Ether with a red pencil and differentiate Moroni’s direct narrator’s comments from his paraphrase of the twenty-four plates, it would soon become obvious that, with a single exception, specific references to Jesus Christ appear only in Moroni’s editorial remarks.’ Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Guide (p. 235)

“The single exception, of course, is the appearance of the premortal Savior to the brother of Jared, as recorded in Ether 2–3. But that prophet is told to write an account of his experience, seal it up, and never speak of it thereafter (see Ether 3:14, 21–22). And, says Hardy, ‘The remainder of the book of Ether reads as if that is precisely what happened’ (p. 236).”[2]

Through Him, all who believe in Him will have eternal life. “He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death” (Mosiah 16:9).

We will all become His sons and daughters. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters” (Mosiah 27:25).

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[1] Follow Him, Sister Michaelene P. Grassli, October 1989 General Conference.

[2] An Apologetically Important Nonapologetic Book, Daniel C. Peterson, Maxwell Institute website.

Ether 3:5-13

After the brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones, the Lord touched each stone with His finger. The veil was removed from his eyes and he saw the finger of the Lord. The Lord would explain this happened through his great faith. Later in the book of Ether, Moroni would comment about those who had “exceedingly strong” faith (Ether 12:19).

“And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.

“And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.

“And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil” (Ether 12:19-21).

The veil was lifted from the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.

Seeing the finger of the Lord, he saw it was like the finger of a man. Struck with fear, he fell before the Lord.

Paul responded the same way when he received his vision of Christ.

“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

“And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:3-5).

Seeing the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth, the Lord told him to stand up. He asked, “[W]hy hast thou fallen?” (Ether 3:7).

He told Him he saw the Lord’s finger. He feared he would be struck by the Lord. He didn’t know the Lord was flesh and blood. Moses was also amazed when he saw God. “But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes, for my natural eyes could not have beheld; for I should have withered and died in his presence; but his glory was upon me; and I beheld his face, for I was transfigured before him” (Moses 1:11).

The Lord responded no one had such a strong faith like his. This was the only reason he saw the finger of the Lord. He then asked if he saw more than just His finger.

He responded no. Then he asked the Lord to “show thyself unto me” (Ether 3:10). The Lord asked him, “Believest thou the words which I shall speak” (Ether 3:11). He responded he knew He was a God of truth and could not lie.

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good” (Numbers 23:19).

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18).

“[C]ome what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God’s promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie.”[1]

The Lord then appeared to Him. “And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:12).

“For no man has seen God at any time in the flesh, except quickened by the Spirit of God.

“Neither can any natural man abide the presence of God, neither after the carnal mind” (D&C 67:11-12).

By seeing the Lord, he was redeemed from the fall. It is only through Christ, His atonement, and our faith in Him, we are redeemed from the fall. “For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord” (Helaman 14:15).

Being saved from the fall, he was allowed back into the presence of the Lord. King Benjamin explained about why the righteous are allowed into the presence of the Lord. “Therefore if that man repenteth not, and remaineth and dieth an enemy to God, the demands of divine justice do awaken his immortal soul to a lively sense of his own guilt, which doth cause him to shrink from the presence of the Lord, and doth fill his breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish, which is like an unquenchable fire, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever” (Mosiah 2:38).

The brother of Jared became one of the few who saw the antemortal Christ. “And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (IE the face of God): for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).

“For as sure as thou livest, behold, I [King Lamoni] have seen my Redeemer; and he shall come forth, and be born of a woman, and he shall redeem all mankind who believe on his name. Now, when he had said these words, his heart was swollen within him, and he sunk again with joy; and the queen also sunk down, being overpowered by the Spirit.

(Alma 19:13).

“In the book of Ether, the God of the Old Testament appears to the brother of Jared … The identity of Jesus Christ as the Jehovah of the Old Testament is familiar to Latter-day Saints, but it is foreign to creedal Christianity. [Margaret] Barker discusses the understanding of early Christians (building on the pre-Deuteronomists) that Jehovah and Jesus Christ were one and the same being. ‘Jesus was Yahweh’ …”[2]

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[1] The Power of Covenants, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2009 General Conference.

[2] Antecedents of the Restoration in the Ancient Temple, Frederick M. Huchel, Maxwell Institute website.