# Ether 2

*Paraphrase*

### Journey to the Valley

Jared and his brother gathered their families and their friends’ families. They headed north into the valley of Nimrod—named after the mighty hunter. They brought their flocks with them: every kind of animal, male and female.

They set traps for birds. They prepared containers to carry fish. And they brought deseret—which means honey bee—carrying whole swarms of bees with them. They also brought seeds of every kind that grew in that land.

### The Lord Leads Them

When they reached the valley of Nimrod, the Lord came down and spoke with the brother of Jared. He appeared in a cloud, so the brother of Jared couldn’t see him.

The Lord told them to go into the wilderness, into territory where no one had ever been. The Lord went ahead of them, speaking from a cloud and giving them directions.

They traveled through the wilderness and built barges to cross many waters. The Lord guided them every step of the way.

### The Promised Land

The Lord wouldn’t let them settle in the wilderness beyond the sea. He wanted them to reach the promised land—a land better than any other, a land he had kept for righteous people. And he made this vow to the brother of Jared: whoever possesses this promised land from now on must serve him, the one true God. If they don’t, they’ll be swept away when his anger reaches its peak.

Now we can see God’s decree about this land: it’s a promised land. Whatever nation lives here must serve God, or they’ll be swept away when his anger overflows. And his anger overflows when they’re fully ripe in wickedness. This is a land better than any other. Whoever possesses it must serve God or be swept away. That’s God’s everlasting decree. But people aren’t swept off until wickedness has completely taken over.

I’m telling you this so you can understand God’s decree. Turn back from your sins now. Don’t keep going until wickedness is complete, or you’ll bring God’s full anger down on you—just like those who lived here before.

This is a special land. Whatever nation possesses it will be free from slavery, free from captivity, free from all other nations—if they’ll serve the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ. We know this from what’s been written.

### By the Great Sea

Now back to my story: The Lord brought Jared and his brother all the way to the great sea that divides the lands. When they reached the shore, they set up their tents and called the place Moriancumer. They camped there by the sea for four years.

After four years, the Lord came again to the brother of Jared. He stood in a cloud and spoke with him. For three hours the Lord talked with him, correcting him because he had forgotten to pray.

The brother of Jared was sorry for what he’d done wrong. He prayed for his brothers who were with him. The Lord said to him, “I’ll forgive you and your brothers for your sins. But don’t sin anymore. Remember, my Spirit won’t keep working with people forever. If you keep sinning until you’re fully ripe in it, you’ll be cut off from me. That’s how I feel about the land I’m giving you as your inheritance. It’s a land better than any other.”

### Building the Barges

The Lord said, “Get to work and build barges like the ones you’ve built before.” So the brother of Jared and his brothers got to work. They built barges following the Lord’s instructions. The boats were small and floated lightly on the water, like birds.

They were built to be completely watertight, like a bowl. The bottom was sealed like a bowl. The sides were sealed like a bowl. The ends came to points. The top was sealed like a bowl. They were as long as a tree. And the door, when shut, was sealed like a bowl.

The brother of Jared called out to the Lord: “Lord, I’ve done the work you commanded me. I’ve made the barges just as you directed. But Lord, there’s no light in them. How will we steer? And we’ll die because we can’t breathe except for the air that’s already trapped inside. We’ll suffocate.”

The Lord said to the brother of Jared, “Make a hole in the top and another in the bottom. When you need air, open the hole and let air in. If water comes in, plug the hole so you won’t drown in the flood.”

The brother of Jared did exactly as the Lord commanded.

### The Problem of Light

Then he called out to the Lord again: “Lord, I’ve done everything you commanded. I’ve prepared the boats for my people. But there’s no light in them. Lord, do you really want us to cross this huge ocean in darkness?”

The Lord said to the brother of Jared, “What do you want me to do so you can have light in your boats? You can’t have windows—they’ll shatter. And you can’t take fire with you. You won’t be traveling by firelight. You’ll be like a whale in the middle of the sea. Mountain-high waves will crash down on you. But I’ll bring you up from the depths of the sea. I’m the one who sends the winds and the rains and the floods. I’m preparing you for these things. You can’t cross this great deep unless I prepare you to face the waves and the winds and the floods. So what do you want me to prepare for you, so you’ll have light when you’re swallowed up in the depths of the sea?”

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*Source: [The Book of Mormon](https://bookofmormon.com/paraphrase/ether/2)*
