Book of Ether
Encyclopedia
The Book of Ether is one of the books that make up the Book of Mormon
. The Book of Ether tells of an ancient people (the Jaredite
s), descendants of Jared
and his companions who were led by God to the Americas
shortly after the confusion of tongues
and the destruction of the Tower of Babel
.http://scriptures.lds.org/en/ether/1/33#33 The title refers to Ether
, a Jaredite prophet
who lived at the end of the time period covered by the book. The time frame for the events in the book have been estimated as starting anywhere from 2600 B.C. to 2100 B.C. and extending to some time beyond 600 B.C., giving a date range of at least 1500 years, but possible as long as 2500 years.
and his people from the tumultuous wickedness of the Tower of Babel
to "the promised land." The brother of Jared
is described as "a large and mighty man … highly favored of the Lord" (Ether 1:34), and seems to have been the spiritual leader of the group. Through his faith, he is given a prophetic vision of the history of the world, and inscribes prophetic writings that are to be "sealed up" until the Lord sees fit that they be revealed. The brother of Jared is directed by the Lord to build unpowered submarines, termed barges, to cross the ocean to the promised land. They are capable of maintaining an air supply underwater.
The brother of Jared goes to a mountain and brings several molten stones; then God touches the stones and makes them light. Because of the great faith of the brother of Jared, he could not be kept from beholding within the veil, and saw finger of the Lord. "For he knew nothing doubting." He saw and was ministered unto by Jesus. He leads the people to successfully establish a righteous nation, but as Jared and his brother grow old their people desire that they appoint a king to govern in their stead. They anoint Orihah, the youngest son of Jared, to be king, but only after all the sons of the brother of Jared and all of Jared's older sons refuse to be king.
Orihah reigns in righteousness, but strife and dissension arise among the children of Orihah. From this time forward there is a nearly constant contention for the government of the Jaredites that continues for many generations, and ultimately the book ends with an enormous final war in which millions of Jaredites are killed and the Jaredite nation is destroyed. The prophet Ether had warned Coriantumr
, the last king of the Jaredite nation, that if he did not obey the Lord he would live to see the end of the Jaredites. The prophecy is fulfilled, and, on the last day of the war, only Coriantumr and Shiz
, the commander of the opposing army, remain. Coriantumr slays Shiz and he wanders alone, the last Jaredite, for many years. Coriantumr is finally discovered by the Mulekites, another Book of Mormon people who come to the Americas sometime after the fall of Jerusalem in 600 B.C. Later, the people of Zarahemla
also discover a large stone containing a history of the Jaredites that Mosiah
was able to translate (Omni 1:20-22).
In addition to the historical events outlined above, the Book of Ether contains several interpolations by Moroni
(Ether 4-5, Ether 12), regarding points of doctrine or lessons illuminated by the actions of the Jaredites, such as how faith works and the importance of following Jesus Christ to be blessed as a nation.
These parallels are often emphasized in Mormonism
as applicable to the present day. The Americas are still considered "the promised land" and the continued prosperity of the present nations are believed to be contingent on the righteousness of their people.
during the time of King Mosiah
(son of King Benjamin
) (Mosiah 8:9 and Ether 1:2). The book was abridged by Moroni
onto the plates from which the Book of Mormon was later translated into English by Joseph Smith, Jr.
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. The Book of Ether tells of an ancient people (the Jaredite
Jaredite
The Jaredites are a people written of in the Book of Mormon, principally in the Book of Ether. In the Book of Ether, the Jaredites are described as the descendants of Jared and his brother, at the time of the Tower of Babel. According to the Book of Mormon, the people fled across the Ocean via...
s), descendants of Jared
Jared
Jared is a proper name of Biblical derivation that is a common first name, mostly in North American English-speaking countries.In the Bible, Jared was the sixth link in the ten pre-flood generations between Adam and Noah; he was the son of Mahalaleel and the father of Enoch, and lived 962 years...
and his companions who were led by God to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
shortly after the confusion of tongues
Confusion of tongues
The confusion of tongues is the initial fragmentation of human languages described in the Book of Genesis 11:1–9, as a result of the construction of the Tower of Babel....
and the destruction of the Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
.http://scriptures.lds.org/en/ether/1/33#33 The title refers to Ether
Ether (prophet)
According to the Book of Mormon, Ether is a Jaredite prophet, one of the last surviving Jaredites, and primary author of the Book of Ether.- Lineage :-Life:...
, a Jaredite prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
who lived at the end of the time period covered by the book. The time frame for the events in the book have been estimated as starting anywhere from 2600 B.C. to 2100 B.C. and extending to some time beyond 600 B.C., giving a date range of at least 1500 years, but possible as long as 2500 years.
Contents
The book begins with the journey of JaredJared (Book of Mormon)
In the book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, Jared was the name of the primary ancestor of the Jaredites. He, his brother, their families and their friends came to the "promised land" shortly after the Tower of Babel...
and his people from the tumultuous wickedness of the Tower of Babel
Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
to "the promised land." The brother of Jared
Brother of Jared
According to the Book of Mormon, the brother of Jared is the most prominent person in the account given in the beginning of the Book of Ether. Moriancumer is the name of the place where Jared and the people he was traveling with settled for a time. Some years after the publication of the Book...
is described as "a large and mighty man … highly favored of the Lord" (Ether 1:34), and seems to have been the spiritual leader of the group. Through his faith, he is given a prophetic vision of the history of the world, and inscribes prophetic writings that are to be "sealed up" until the Lord sees fit that they be revealed. The brother of Jared is directed by the Lord to build unpowered submarines, termed barges, to cross the ocean to the promised land. They are capable of maintaining an air supply underwater.
The brother of Jared goes to a mountain and brings several molten stones; then God touches the stones and makes them light. Because of the great faith of the brother of Jared, he could not be kept from beholding within the veil, and saw finger of the Lord. "For he knew nothing doubting." He saw and was ministered unto by Jesus. He leads the people to successfully establish a righteous nation, but as Jared and his brother grow old their people desire that they appoint a king to govern in their stead. They anoint Orihah, the youngest son of Jared, to be king, but only after all the sons of the brother of Jared and all of Jared's older sons refuse to be king.
Orihah reigns in righteousness, but strife and dissension arise among the children of Orihah. From this time forward there is a nearly constant contention for the government of the Jaredites that continues for many generations, and ultimately the book ends with an enormous final war in which millions of Jaredites are killed and the Jaredite nation is destroyed. The prophet Ether had warned Coriantumr
Coriantumr
In the Book of Mormon, Coriantumr is the name of three figures that appear throughout the book's narrative. Chronologically, these three are: one of the sons of Omer, a deposed Jaredite king later restored to his throne by his sons Esrom and Coriantumr; the last of the Jaredite kings, who lived to...
, the last king of the Jaredite nation, that if he did not obey the Lord he would live to see the end of the Jaredites. The prophecy is fulfilled, and, on the last day of the war, only Coriantumr and Shiz
Shiz
In the Book of Mormon, Shiz is a Jaredite military leader who was beheaded by Coriantumr. Since the nineteenth century, the account of Shiz's death in the Book of Ether has been claimed by critics to be an error in the Book of Mormon...
, the commander of the opposing army, remain. Coriantumr slays Shiz and he wanders alone, the last Jaredite, for many years. Coriantumr is finally discovered by the Mulekites, another Book of Mormon people who come to the Americas sometime after the fall of Jerusalem in 600 B.C. Later, the people of Zarahemla
Zarahemla
Zarahemla is the name of a prominent land, a capital city, and a leader in the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture....
also discover a large stone containing a history of the Jaredites that Mosiah
Mosiah
There are two individuals named Mosiah in The Book of Mormon. They were grandfather and grandson, respectively, and both served as king of the Nephites at Zarahemla.*Mosiah I*Mosiah IIMosiah may also refer to:*Book of Mosiah...
was able to translate (Omni 1:20-22).
In addition to the historical events outlined above, the Book of Ether contains several interpolations by Moroni
Moroni
-Places:*Moroni, Comoros, capital of the Comoros on the Grande Comore island.*Moroni, Utah-In the Latter-day Saint movement:*Moroni , a figure portrayed in the Book of Mormon as the son of Mormon and the book's last writer....
(Ether 4-5, Ether 12), regarding points of doctrine or lessons illuminated by the actions of the Jaredites, such as how faith works and the importance of following Jesus Christ to be blessed as a nation.
Parallels
The Book of Ether parallels in many ways the story of the Book of Mormon as a whole. A small group (Jared and his companions; Lehi and his family) separate themselves from a wicked society (the Tower of Babel; Jerusalem just prior to its destruction) and establish a new nation (the Jaredites; the Nephites) in "the promised land." In each case the group is divided following the death of the original leaders and the divisions contend for many generations. The fortunes of the nations are dependent upon their obedience to God—righteousness brings prosperity and wickedness brings destruction (sometimes delayed). Ultimately, the wicked prevail and the nation is destroyed.These parallels are often emphasized in Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
as applicable to the present day. The Americas are still considered "the promised land" and the continued prosperity of the present nations are believed to be contingent on the righteousness of their people.
Provenance
According to the Book of Mormon, the Book of Ether was taken from a set of twenty-four plates written by Ether and discovered by the people of LimhiLimhi
In The Book of Mormon, Limhi was the third and final king of the second Nephite habitation of the land of Lehi-Nephi. He succeeded his father, Noah. Led by Ammon, he escaped from the Lamanites with his people to Zarahemla.-See also:* King Noah...
during the time of King Mosiah
King Mosiah II
According to the Book of Mormon, Mosiah II, King Benjamin's son and Mosiah I's grandson, was king of the Nephite nation from about 124 BC to 91 BC. The Book of Mosiah is named after Mosiah II.-Accounts:...
(son of King Benjamin
King Benjamin
According to the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin, son of King Mosiah the first, was the second Nephite king to rule over Zarahemla. An account of his life and teachings are recorded in both the Words of Mormon and the Book of Mosiah...
) (Mosiah 8:9 and Ether 1:2). The book was abridged by Moroni
Moroni (prophet)
The Angel Moroni is an angel that Joseph Smith, Jr. said visited him on numerous occasions, beginning on September 21, 1823. According to Smith, the angel was the guardian of the golden plates, which Latter Day Saints believe were the source material for the Book of Mormon, buried in a hill near...
onto the plates from which the Book of Mormon was later translated into English by Joseph Smith, Jr.
External links
- Event Diagram of the Book of Ether at Wikimedia Commons. This is a PDF Document summarizing the events within the Book of Ether. It may be used when studying or teaching the contents of the book to provide a visual time line of the events which occur. It may be freely downloaded and distributed.
- Book of Ether chronology
- Book of Ether trivia