# Ether 13

*Paraphrase*

I’m Moroni, and I’m going to finish this account about the destruction of these people.

### Ether’s Vision of the New Jerusalem

They rejected everything Ether told them. He had explained history from the very beginning—how after the flood waters receded from this land, it became the finest place on earth, a land the Lord had chosen. The Lord wanted everyone living here to serve him. This was to be the place where the New Jerusalem would come down from heaven—the holy dwelling place of the Lord.

Ether saw ahead to the time of Christ, and he prophesied about a New Jerusalem that would be built on this land. He also talked about the people of Israel and their old city of Jerusalem—the one Lehi had left behind. After it was destroyed, it would be rebuilt as a holy city to the Lord. It wouldn’t be the New Jerusalem, because it had existed before. But it would be built up again as a holy city for Israel. And the New Jerusalem would be built here on this land for the descendants of Joseph. There’s a pattern to all this. Joseph once brought his father down into Egypt, where he eventually died. In the same way, the Lord brought descendants of Joseph from Jerusalem to this land to be merciful to them—to save them from destruction, just as he had been merciful to Joseph’s father and saved him. The descendants of Joseph will be established on this land. It will be their inheritance. They’ll build a holy city to the Lord, like the ancient Jerusalem. They won’t be scattered again until the end comes and the earth passes away.

Then there will be a new heaven and a new earth. They’ll be like the old ones, except the old will have passed away and everything will be made new. That’s when the New Jerusalem will come. Blessed are those who live there—their clothes have been made white through the blood of the Lamb. They are numbered among the descendants of Joseph, who came from the house of Israel. And then the old Jerusalem will come too. Its people are blessed, because they’ve been washed in the blood of the Lamb. They’re the ones who were scattered across the earth and gathered back from every corner—from the four directions and from the northern lands. They’ll receive the fulfillment of the covenant God made with their ancestor Abraham. When all this happens, it will fulfill the scripture that says: Those who were first will be last, and those who were last will be first.

### Ether Hides in the Cave

I wanted to write more, but I’m not allowed to. Ether’s prophecies were incredible and wonderful, but the people thought he was nothing and threw him out. He hid in a cave during the day, and at night he came out to watch what was happening to his people. Living in that cave, he wrote the rest of his record, watching the destruction that came upon the people at night.

### The Great War Begins

The same year they drove him out, a massive war broke out. Powerful men rose up with secret plots to destroy Coriantumr. Coriantumr had mastered every art of war and every strategy the world had to offer, so he fought back against those trying to kill him.

But he didn’t repent. Neither did his sons and daughters, nor the sons and daughters of Cohor, nor the sons and daughters of Corihor. In fact, not a single person in that whole generation repented of their sins. During the first year Ether lived in the cave, thousands of people were killed by the swords of those secret groups fighting against Coriantumr, trying to take his kingdom. Coriantumr’s sons fought hard and bled much.

### A Final Warning

In the second year, the Lord spoke to Ether and told him to go prophesy to Coriantumr: If he and his household would repent, the Lord would let him keep his kingdom and save his people. But if not, they would all be destroyed except for Coriantumr himself. He would live just long enough to see another people inherit the land—and those people would bury him. Every soul would be wiped out except him. Coriantumr didn’t repent. Neither did his family or the people. The wars continued. They tried to kill Ether, but he ran from them and hid in the cave again.

### Shared Rises Against Coriantumr

Then a man named Shared rose up and fought Coriantumr. He defeated him so badly that by the third year, he had taken him prisoner. But in the fourth year, Coriantumr’s sons beat Shared and won back the kingdom for their father.

War spread across the whole land. Every man fought with his own group, battling for whatever he wanted. Robbers roamed everywhere. Every kind of wickedness covered the land.

Coriantumr was furious with Shared and marched his armies against him. They met in fierce anger in the valley of Gilgal, and the battle was brutal. Shared fought him for three days straight. Then Coriantumr defeated him and chased him all the way to the plains of Heshlon. Shared attacked again on the plains. This time he beat Coriantumr and drove him back to the valley of Gilgal. Coriantumr fought Shared again in the valley of Gilgal. He defeated him and killed him. But Shared had wounded Coriantumr in the thigh, so badly that he couldn’t fight for two years. During that time, people all across the land were killing each other, and there was no one to stop them.

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/ether/13)*
