Ether 11

Chapter 11

Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate Jaredite life—Prophets predict the utter destruction of the Jaredites unless they repent—The people reject the words of the prophets.

During the rule of Com, the Jaredites became a wicked people once again. As He had done in the past, the Lord sent prophets to call the people to repentance and warn them of the consequences of their sin. “And also in the reign of Shule there came prophets among the people, who were sent from the Lord, prophesying that the wickedness and idolatry of the people was bringing a curse upon the land, and they should be destroyed if they did not repent” (Ether 7:23).

“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” (Ether 9:28).

The people rejected the words of the prophet and tried to kill them for their message. They went to Com and asked for and received his protection. The prophets told Com many things.

Com was righteous and blessed throughout the rest of his life. His son, Shiblom began king upon his death.

Shiblom’s brother desired the kingdom. He rebelled and caused a massive civil war. He gathered the prophets and executed them.

Many died during the water. Moroni recorded, “their bones should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land except they should repent of their wickedness” (Ether 11:6). We read about this in Omni. “[T]he severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their bones lay scattered in the land northward” (Omni 1:22).

Once again, secret combinations rear their ugly heads. Things became worse. They experience famines and pestilences so great they had never before seen such destructions. This all occurred during the days of Shiblom.

Facing imminent destruction, the people began to repent of their sins. The Lord heard their prayers and extended His mercy upon the Jaredites.

Shiblom died during battles. Moroni mentions someone named Seth being brought into captivity. There is no other mention of him in the record.

Shiblom’s son, Aha, obtained the kingdom. He was a wicked man and caused much contentions. He had a short reign.

A descendant of Aha, Ethem became king. He was also a wicked man. Prophets once again appeared in the land, calling on the people to repent or be destroyed.

Like the Jews at the time of Lehi, the refused to listen to the words of the prophets. “As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee” (Jeremiah 44:16).

Preaching to King Noah and his priests, he told them, “And then shall the wicked be cast out, and they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth; and this because they would not hearken unto the voice of the Lord; therefore the Lord redeemeth them not” (Mosiah 16:2).

Ethem ignored the words of the prophets. After his death, his son, Moron, followed the example of his father, He, too, was a wicked king.

The day came with the people rose in rebellion against Moron. A powerful man, who was a part of a secret combination, rose up and gained control over half the Jaredite kingdom. He ruled for many years. Eventually, Moron overthrew him and, once again, ruled over the entire kingdom.

Another arose. All we know about him was he was a descendent of the brother of Jared. He overthrew Moron and obtained the kingdom. Coriantor, Moron’s son, was born in captivity.

Once again, prophets were called to preach to the people. They “prophesied of great and marvelous things, and cried repentance unto the people” (Ether 11:20). Failing to repent would lead to their destructions.

Here we have a reference to Lehi’s party as well as the Mulekites. If the Jaredites did not repent and obey God’s commandments, another people would be brought to this land. This information may give us some insight to the dates these events occurred.

“The end of the Jaredite account cannot be dated without question either. Ether 11:20-21 implies that the later immigrant peoples (of Zarahemla and of Lehi) had not yet reached the promised land in America at a time just before Ether … Coriantumr, the final Jaredite king, ‘was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons.’ (Omni 1:20-21) We know that the arrival of the people of Zarahemla was some time after 556 B.C., the date of the fall of Jerusalem from which that group of people fled. The encounter with Coriantumr could have taken place at any time in the first decades, or somewhat later, of the Mulekites' inhabiting the new land. (However, if Ether 11:20—21 indeed precedes the arrival of the Israelite group Coriantumr could not have lived as late as, say, 400 B.C.)”[1]

The Jaredites rejected the warnings of the prophets and continued their secret combinations and committed abominations.

While in captivity, Ether was born to Corianton.

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[1] The Years of the Jaredites, John L. Sorenson, Reprinted by permission from BYU Today, September 1968.