The Book of Mormon
~2200 BC

Ether 1

Moroni has finished Mormon's record and addressed unbelievers about God's unchanging miraculous nature. He begins the Jaredite record from twenty-four gold plates. Moroni provides Ether's genealogy through thirty generations to Jared. When God confused languages at Babel, Jared's brother prayed their language would remain unchanged. God agreed and directed them to a promised land choice above all others.

Moroni’s Introduction

I, Moroni, am going to tell you about the ancient people who once lived in the northern lands—the ones God destroyed. My story comes from the twenty-four gold plates that Limhi’s people discovered. They called it the Book of Ether.

The first part of this record talks about the creation of the world, about Adam, and everything that happened among people from Adam’s time up until the great tower. I figure the Jews already have all that, so I won’t write about those earlier times. But it’s all there on the plates. Anyone who finds them can read the full story. I’m only giving you part of the account—from the tower down to when they were wiped out.

Ether’s Family Line

Here’s how the story goes. A man named Ether wrote this record. He was descended from Coriantor. Coriantor was the son of Moron. Moron was the son of Ethem. Ethem was the son of Ahah. Ahah was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Shiblon. Shiblon was the son of Com. Com was the son of Coriantum. Coriantum was the son of Amnigaddah. Amnigaddah was the son of Aaron. Aaron was descended from Heth, who was the son of Hearthom. Hearthom was the son of Lib. Lib was the son of Kish. Kish was the son of Corom. Corom was the son of Levi. Levi was the son of Kim. Kim was the son of Morianton. Morianton was descended from Riplakish. Riplakish was the son of Shez. Shez was the son of Heth. Heth was the son of Com. Com was the son of Coriantum. Coriantum was the son of Emer. Emer was the son of Omer. Omer was the son of Shule. Shule was the son of Kib. Kib was the son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared.

The Tower and the Scattering

This Jared came from the great tower with his brother, their families, and several other families. They left at the time when the Lord confused everyone’s languages and swore in his anger that people would be scattered across the whole earth. And just as the Lord said, the scattering happened.

Jared’s brother was a big, powerful man—and someone the Lord really cared about. Jared said to him, 'Pray to the Lord. Ask him not to confuse our language so we can still understand each other.'

So Jared’s brother prayed, and the Lord had compassion on Jared. He didn’t confuse the language of Jared or his brother.

Then Jared said to his brother, 'Pray again. Maybe the Lord will turn away his anger from our friends too, so their language won’t be confused either.' So Jared’s brother prayed again, and the Lord had compassion on their friends and their families. Their languages weren’t confounded.

A Promise of a New Land

Then Jared spoke to his brother again: 'Go ask the Lord if he’s going to drive us out of this land. And if he is, ask him where we should go. Who knows? Maybe the Lord will take us to a land that’s better than any other place on earth. And if that’s the case, let’s be faithful to him so we can receive it as our inheritance.' So Jared’s brother prayed just as Jared had asked.

The Lord heard him and had compassion on him. He said: 'Go and gather your flocks—male and female of every kind. Bring seeds of every kind too. Bring your families, and Jared your brother and his family, and your friends and their families, and Jared’s friends and their families.' 'When you’ve done this, lead everyone down into the northern valley. I’ll meet you there, and I’ll lead you to a land that’s better than any other land on earth.' 'There I’ll bless you and your children. From your family line and your brother’s—and from those traveling with you—I’ll raise up a great nation. No nation on earth will be greater than the one I’ll raise from your family. I’m doing this for you because you’ve prayed to me for so long.'

Influences

  • 1:1 — Luke 16:2 (KJV)
    And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
  • 1:3 — Romans 1:20 (KJV)
    For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
  • 1:6 — John 21:1 (KJV)
    After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

Notes

  • 1:1

    "According to the Book of Mormon, the first settlers of America after the Flood were the Jaredites, a group of colonists from the tower of Babel who came at the time of the confusion of languages (Eth. 1:33)... The Book of Mormon Jaredites were commanded to depart for 'that quarter where they never had man been' (Eth. 2:5). In their preparations for this long journey, the Jaredites in Noah-like fashion gathered their flocks together, 'male and female, of every kind' (2:100. Their preparations also included gathering fowl in snares, placing fish in specially prepared vessels, and gathering 'seeds of every kind' (2:2-3). According to the Book of Mormon, they also had 'deseret, which by interpretation, is a honey bee' (2:3) and 'all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats,' which are said to be 'useful for the food of man' (9:18). They also had 'horses,' 'asses,' 'elephants,' and the unidentified 'cureloms' and 'cumoms,' which are said to be 'useful unto man, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms' (9:19). The Book of Mormon thus reflects a pre-1830 interest in elephants and includes those animals which few in that period would have known were imported animals. The progenitors of these animals were transported to American in eight sea vessels, 'tight like unto the ark of Noah' (6:7), which the Lord told them to build. After the vessels were constructed and loaded with the animals, seeds, and other supplies, they set out into the great ocean, riding its current 344 days (6:4-11). Soon after their arrival in 'the land northward' or north of 'the narrow neck of land' (presumably the Isthmus of Panama), they 'began to spread upon the face of the land, and to multiply and to till the earth; and they did wax strong in the land' (6:18; Al. 22:30; Mos. 8:8). Life was thus transplanted to the New World which had been swept clean by the Flood." -Dan Vogel, Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1986), pp. 49-50.

Mormon 9Ether 2