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MAKING THE JOURNEY
ICEBREAKER
For an icebreaker in this section I might begin by talking about road trips or journeys. I might ask:
What is the best road trip or vacation you’ve ever taken? And then let them share with the class or with a partner.
Then another question. The scriptures have a number of “journey stories” where you have a group of people traveling from one place to another. Can you name some of the major ones?
Noah
The children of Israel
Paul’s missionary journeys in the Book of Acts.
Zion’s Camp
Pioneers crossing of the American West
Lehi and family
And, here in the Book of Ether, the journey of the Jaredites to the promised land.
TRANSITION
Now whenever we encounter a journey in the scriptures, we are invited to draw comparisons between their journey and our own personal journey of mortality. With the Jaredites, we can compare their crossing of the ocean to the promised land to our crossing of the ocean of life to hopefully, exaltation in God’s presence. Our promised land is the Celestial Kingdom.
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
Now, I want you to read the description of their journey with that in mind. What does it teach you about life? Study Ether 6:1-12 with that comparison in mind. What verses and phrases teach you principles about making the journey of life? As a teacher I would either have my students read those verses silently to themselves, or have them listen to an audio recording of it, take turns reading it as a class, or just read it to them as a teacher. And then, give them an opportunity to share their comparisons and what they learned. Now here, I’m not going to read the entire text, I invite you to do that, but I would like to share some of the phrases that stand out to me and provide you with some insights that could prepare you to add to a discussion of the principles your students might share.
STONES TO SHINE IN DARKNESS
Verse 3.
3 And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give
light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross
the great waters in darkness.
And related to this idea, Verse 10 which says
Verse 10
10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea
could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did
have light continually, whether it was above the water or under
the water.
God did not let the Jaredites travel in darkness. He provided LIGHT for them. What are some of God’s sources of light for our journey? The prophets provide light. Remember Nephi and Lehi in prison, and the 12 Nephite apostles, how their faces shined and cut through the darkness. The scriptures provide light. David compares the scriptures to a lamp unto his feet, in Psalm 119:105. Alma taught that our souls can be “illuminated by the light of the everlasting word” (Alma 5:7) The Holy Ghost provides light. In the scriptures the Holy Ghost is frequently symbolized by fire (3 Nephi 12:1). We sing, The Spirit of God, like a fire is burning. Following the righteous example of others provides us with light. Christ taught that we should. “Let our light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (3 Nephi 12:16). Local church leaders provide us with light. Our patriarchal blessings provide us with light. And perhaps most importantly. Jesus is our light. He said, “I am the light and the life of the world” (3 Nephi 9:18) as the Nephites sat in the darkness following the great destruction. Later he says, “Behold I am the light; I have set an example for you” (3 Nephi 18:16) So many example of light provided us for our journey. We need not cross the "great deep" of life in darkness if we are willing to turn to these sources of light.
COMMENDING THEMSELVES UNTO THE LORD THEIR GOD
At the end of verse 4. They go aboard the barges and set forth into the sea, "commending themselves unto the Lord their God". Can you imagine setting off into the unknown like that? No sails, no steering mechanism. Just jumping aboard these floating barges and putting it into God’s hands. That’s faith right there. Sometimes that’s how we have to travel through life. I don’t know about you, but I like to know the end from the beginning. When I plan a vacation or a backpacking trip, I map it out, download coordinates, decide how many miles I’m going to go each day, calculate the time needed and the supplies to pack. I don’t like to leave things up to chance. But with life, that’s not really how God always works. He often gives us direction and knowledge as we go. Line upon line, precept upon precept. And sometimes we have to shove off from the shore, not knowing exactly what is going to happen. Maybe you’re familiar with the story of Elder Boyd K. Packer who was facing a dilemma after being called as a general authority. He shares the following and I can just hear his deep, gravelly voice sharing this:
“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.
“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.’
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Edge of the Light,” BYU Magazine, Mar. 1991, magazine.byu.edu.
Sometimes, like Elder Packer, and the Jaredites, we’ve got to take those difficult steps into the darkness. But that’s faith. That’s commending ourselves unto the Lord.
A FURIOUS WIND
Verse 5.
5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should
be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the
promised land;
Two key words there for me. The wind was furious. Maybe you’ve felt that furious wind of adversity in your life. And I’m not always so sure that we assign that wind as coming directly from God. Sometimes adversity comes because of our own decisions, or because of the decisions and agency of others, or just the natural conditions of a fallen world. Perhaps that’s what could be symbolized by the furious wind. It’s the furious wind of mortality. Not all challenges that come to us are a direct result of God’s will, other than indirectly that He desired that we experience opposition in mortality. I’ll give you a quick example. When my mother died of cancer, my Father shared the following thought with me. He said that well intentioned people had said things to him along the lines of that “God needed her in the Spirit World” suggesting that God was responsible for her cancer. I found my father’s thoughts on this eye opening. He said “I don’t believe that God gave your mother cancer. I believe that life gave her cancer, mortality gave her cancer." And God, allows mortality to happen to us with his eternal perspective in mind. However, I think we have to keep in mind that God knows and promises us that all pains and challenges and losses will be made up to us in the end. Eventually, all these things will be overcome. The winds of mortality are furious, but they don’t blow forever. And couple that thought with the word “towards”. It is often our adversities and trials that move us forward. They help us down the path to becoming like our Heavenly Father. The wind is at our back, not in our faces, although we may wonder at times. A quick qualification here though. I know that the idea that all trials and tragedies of life are sent purposefully just to make us stronger and move us forward could be an offensive idea to some depending on what it is they’ve experienced. You know, people might tell them, "God allowed that to happen to you so you can be stronger”. Sometimes, I admit, that certain calamities, usually those that come at the hands of individuals using their agency for evil, are just that, tragic and devastating experiences. Unfair. Not intended by God. In those cases, I believe He mourns with us, weeps with us, is there to comfort us, and in the end promises justice and healing.
TIGHT LIKE UNTO A DISH
Verse 7
7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep
there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being
tight like unto a dish, and also, they were tight like unto the
ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many
waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth
again upon the top of the waters.
We spoke in detail about this one last week. Remember that we are built tight like unto a dish. God has prepared us for these things. And when we feel encompassed about by the many waters, if we will cry unto the Lord, he will help bring us out on top again.
THANK AND PRAISE THE LORD ALL THE DAY LONG
Verse 9
9 And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of
Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise
the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not
cease to praise the Lord.
On our difficult journey, let’s not forget to praise our Heavenly Father and thank Him for the opportunity to experience life, even with all its ugly and uncomfortable parts. Gratitude is a key element to making our journey more than just a endure to the bitter end, slog through difficulty. We’ve got to learn to be grateful for the journey. I love this quote from Jenkin Lloyd Jones and shared by President Gordon B. Hinckley. He said:
"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . .
"Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” (Jenkin Lloyd Jones, Quoted by Gordon B. Hinckley, BYU Speeches, September 25, 1973)
Don’t you love that. It’s a comforting thought in an unusual way. Even though it sounds strange, sometimes the best thing we can do is to lower our expectations while at the same time increasing our level of gratitude. “Love what is” has become a guiding principle in my life and has helped me travel through it less discouraged, and much happier. One of my favorite conference talks of all time which illustrates this realistic yet grateful way of traveling through life was Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin’s final talk that he ever gave in General Conference in October of 2008. It’s entitled “Come what may, and Love It”. I highly recommend it and will provide a link to it above and in the video description below.
Verse 10
10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea
could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did
have light continually, whether it was above the water or under
the water.
I don’t think that verse really needs much commentary. That’s a fairly good description of the life of a disciple of Christ that covers a lot of the principles that we’ve already talked about. The monsters and the whales of life are real, and they do their darnedest to break and mar us. The mountain waves and floods are real, and they do their darnedest to sink us. But, those that trust in God will continue to be driven forth, in continual light to their promised destination. And for the Jaredites, that’s exactly what happened. Eventually, they felt the bottom of their barges bump into terra firma. The hatches came open, and with wide open and wondering eyes, they beheld the beautiful, lush, bountiful promised land. They made it!
Verse 12
12 And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And
when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land
they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did
humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy
before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies
over them.
And I’m sure, that as we look back at our journey over the “great deep” of mortality, that we will see the hand of the Lord in all our circumstances. Good and bad, difficult and easy, discouraging and joyful. And we will recognize the multitude of his tender mercies over us. You see, it’s not all about the furious winds of challenge and difficulty and testing. Life is not just meant to be doom and gloom. He also offers tender mercies. The beautiful moments in life. The joys, the forgiveness, the beauty, the love, the light. I hope that you can relate to those things as well. Life is full of both. Hopefully, we can put our trust in the all-knowing, all wise hands of the Lord, who DOES know the end from the beginning. Even when we do not. There will come a day for all of us when the hardships of our journey will come to a glorious end. It’s nice to know that there is an end to all suffering, and adversity, and pain. One of my favorite verses of all scripture, Revelation 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Even the man who suffered the most in this life, because his suffering encompassed all of ours, even that individual, Jesus Christ came to the moment where he uttered these three hopeful words: “It is finished”. One day, we will get to say the same. Whatever trial, whatever hardship, whatever lifelong test we've faced, will come to an end. One day, your “tight like unto a dish” boat will also bump into the seashores of God’s kingdom, and you will open the hatch to the beautiful light and lushness of his reward to the faithful. Until that day, stay afloat, travel in the light, find joy in the journey, trusting in the winds of God’s wisdom moving you ever closer to that glorious day.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Before moving on, here are a few questions you could ask that I’ve found to be effective while teaching these verses.
What sources of God’s light have blessed you the most on your life’s journey?
When have you “commended yourself unto the Lord” in faith? What happened as a result?
What helps you to “thank and praise God” on your journey?
What blessings of the promised land do you look forward to most?
ICEBREAKER
Another important principle I see in Ether 6 comes from the final few verses. I believe they set the stage for what is recorded in the rest of the entire book of Ether. As an icebreaker, a little story. I don’t know about you, but I love the outdoors and visiting our National Parks. We’re spoiled in Utah and have 5 different National Parks we can visit. I remember visiting Bryce Canyon one time and my little son noticed a sign that said, “Don’t feed the squirrels”. And he asked why. What would you say to him? Because it’s a good question, right? It seems like such a nice thing to do. They’re hungry. They’re really cute and all that cuteness deserves some kind of reward, right? They obviously want it and enjoy it. It makes it easier on them. Running around trying to gather up enough acorns to last through the long cold winter has got to be hard on those little guys. So why not do it? What would you say?
Well the conventional wisdom is that if squirrels become dependent on people food, they will eventually lose their natural instinct to gather and forage for themselves. When winter comes, they may die. Also, they may lose their ability to digest the natural foods they should be eating because they have become accustomed to surviving on human food. Another common phrase you will hear in bear country is that “A fed bear, is a dead bear”. When you feed bears, they begin to associate people with easy sources of food. They may begin to approach campgrounds and communities more often. The more contact that bears have with people, the more potential for problems, attacks, and the necessity to dispatch of the bear for public safety.
So we have two examples here of situations where giving something what they want in the short-term may later end up hurting them badly in the long run.
TRANSITION
Well, after the Jaredites landed on the shores of the promised land, they began to multiply and build up their society. And they were righteous and good people. Then, picking up the story in verse 19:
19 And the brother of Jared began to be old, and saw that he must soon go down to the grave; wherefore he said unto Jared: Let us gather together our people that we may number them, that we may know of them what they will desire of us before we go down to our graves.
A GRIEVOUS REQUEST
So, basically, they say, let’s have a family council and ask if there is anything we can do for our people before we die. And perhaps they expected a request for a parting blessing or some fatherly counsel. They certainly weren’t prepared for the response. Two questions here. What did the people ask for? And, How did Jared and his brother feel about their request? Find the answers in Ether 6:22-23
What did they ask for? The people request that they appoint a king for them.
How did Jared and his brother feel about that request? This was grievous unto them. They were greatly concerned by this desire. The brother of Jared says, “Surely this thing leaders into captivity”.
With his prophetic insight, the brother of Jared knew the dangers of monarchy. We studied this idea back in Mosiah 29 if you can recall. Mosiah observed there that righteous kings are an excellent form of government, but that the system has one fatal flaw. There is no guarantee that your kings will remain righteous, or that a new king will always follow in the righteous footsteps of his predecessor. He observed:
Mosiah 29:16-17
16 Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.
17 For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!
The brother of Jared understands this dynamic and warns the people of it. However, Jared then acquiesces to the demands of the people and says, “Suffer them that they may have a king”. Now maybe there’s more to the story than is recorded here. It looks like he gives in pretty quickly. But, to give him the benefit of the doubt, I imagine that the pressure and the insistence of the people became intense and demeaning. Why else would Jared set aside the wisdom of his inspired brother.
TRUE LEADERSHIP
These kinds of situations are among the most difficult for those in positions of leadership. When the desires of your people run contrary to what you know, with your experience and wisdom, is best for them in the long run. With that introduction, let’s see if we can’t apply the scriptures to ourselves here. Four discussion questions to consider.
As a leader/parent, have you ever felt the pressure to give in to an unwise desire?
Why are those decisions hard?
Why is giving in a problem?
What should we do in those situations?
1.Do you understand this conflict? Have you ever felt that pressure before as a parent, or in a church calling, or in any position of leadership in your workplace or community? How can mature wisdom direct unwise desires when it is really difficult to confront their dissenting voices? Perhaps a child requests unfiltered internet access on their phone, or permission to go to a questionable party or movie. Maybe a ward member asks if they can do something contrary to church policy. Perhaps somebody pleads with their bishop to overlook their unworthiness and still allow them to enter the temple. An employee might put pressure on a manager to disregard a practice of theirs that is of doubtful legality.
2.Why are those decisions hard?
Those decisions are hard because we want to make people happy. Right? It feels good to please people and hear them speak positively about us. Most leaders don’t like to be viewed as authoritarian or strict. Or at the very least it’s simpler and less contentious to just give in, isn’t it? It’s easier to give our children what they want than to fight with them or make them upset with us. It’s easier to overlook policies and give those you lead their way than to hold them accountable to established standards. In those cases, the adversary can even turn our compassion for others into a detriment. A parent may choose the immediate simplicity of children’s approval rather than bring stress to the relationship in the interest of long-term happiness.
3.In those situations, why is giving in a problem? Why not give them what they want?
Well let’s take a look at what happened with the Jaredites. Most of Jared’s sons refuse to take the kingship. But eventually one, Orihah accepts and becomes king. And, how does that go? Ether 6:30
30 And it came to pass that Orihah did walk humbly before the Lord, and did remember how great things the Lord had done for his father, and also taught his people how great things the Lord had done for their fathers.
And 7:1
1 And it came to pass that Orihah did execute judgment upon the land in righteousness all his days, whose days were exceedingly many.
Then the kingship passes on to his son Kib who also seems to rule in righteousness. And what do you think the people might have said. See! What was the brother of Jared so worried about? Things are fine. And oftentimes, in the short term, they are. However, when do things start to go south? It starts with Kib’s son, Corihor. Ether 7:4-5
4 And when Corihor was thirty and two years old he rebelled against his father, and went over and dwelt in the land of Nehor; and he begat sons and daughters, and they became exceedingly fair; wherefore Corihor drew away many people after him.
5 And when he had gathered together an army he came up unto the land of Moron where the king dwelt, and took him captive, which brought to pass the saying of the brother of Jared that they would be brought into captivity.
And from there on, almost the rest of the entire book of Ether, we see the brother of Jared’s prophecy and concern tragically confirmed. I usually don’t spend a lot of time on the history of these chapters, but I do like to read the chapter headings to show the long-term results of this decision.
I used to wonder why Moroni spent so much time recounting the rise and fall of all the kings of the Jaredite nation. I’ll admit that some of the historical chapters in Ether are a little tedious without a ton of spiritual application. But maybe it was to emphasize this principle. To illustrate the disastrous results of giving in. Just take a look at some of the phrases in the chapter headings.
Ether 8
There is strife and contention over the kingdom—Akish forms an oath-bound secret combination to slay the king.
Ether 9
The kingdom passes from one to another by descent and intrigue and murder.
Ether 10
One king succeeds another—some of the kings are righteous; others are wicked
Ether 11
Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate Jaredite life
And then we’ll see by the end of the book of Ether that the rival kingdoms and political intrigue and contention will result in the complete obliteration of the entire society. The Jaredite nation implodes and destroys itself.
The brother of Jared was right. Surely this thing doth lead to captivity. Captivity to rival kings, captivity to Satan, captivity to death. In the short-term, things looked great, in the long, that one decision could be considered the catalyst to complete chaos and captivity. That one small decision had generational consequences.
I’ll give you a personal example of this dynamic. The first year I started teaching seminary, I wanted the kids to like me. That was a major concern. And things started out fine, but slowly they began to unravel. So, when they started to put pressure on me to disregard having a seating chart so they could sit by their friends, I gave in. When they started putting pressure on me to play more games and watch more movies. I gave in. When they started pushing back on my standards for reverence and speaking in turn, I didn’t confront them. What was the result? About halfway through the year, my classes were a mess. Not much learning was taking place, there was little respect, and the purposes of seminary that I had been hired to uphold were not being fulfilled. Now, at that point, I was almost forced to become confrontational and rigid and demanding in order to try to put my classroom back in order. Which kind of worked, but many of the students resented me for it and the positive and purposeful atmosphere that I wanted to have, was gone. I learned quickly that that approach just doesn’t work. Giving them what they wanted in the short term, led to major problems in the long run. So, the next year, I changed. I learned to say no with a smile on my face. I learned to teach my students why I had the standards I did. I learned to tactfully, but unapologetically enforce my expectations for the class. What was the result? Maybe I made a few students unhappy in the short term, but overall, the majority of my students ended up respecting me and the seminary program and walked away from my classes with a more meaningful experience.
4.So, considering what happened to the Jaredites, what should a leader do in these kinds of instances?
They need to have courage. They need to have resolve. True leadership knows when to say no. They need to learn HOW to say no, sweetly, tactfully, and persuasively. In Doctrine and Covenants 121 where the Lord teaches Joseph Smith the principles of righteousness, or the principles of effective and appropriate priesthood leadership. Guess what the very first principle is? It’s persuasion.
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
A leader or parent needs to have the courage to say no, but to do their utmost to persuade those they lead to understand why. It’s not a “my way or the highway” kind of approach. They explain, they convince, they use all their powers of rhetoric and conviction to help those they lead understand their decision. Also seen in that verse, the resolve of true leadership is tempered by gentleness, and meekness, and love. If we’re only leading by courage and strength, we run the risk of engendering bitterness and rebellion in those we lead. I believe that the qualities of strength and love, coupled, makes the best leaders.
I love this quote from President Joseph F. Smith.
"God forbid that there should be any of us so unwisely indulgent, so thoughtless and so shallow in our affection for our children that we dare not check them in a wayward course, in wrong-doing and in their foolish love for the things of the world more than for the things of righteousness, for fear of offending them.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 286)
A story from the Old Testament, similar to this one, illustrates, I think, another important principle to consider. What if those you lead insist on having it their way. When you holding your ground may actually make things worse. When they are determined to rebel against you. And it is possible that this was the situation that Jared was in. We may not have all the details. I hate to call his leadership into question or fault him too much without knowing the full story. The prophet Samuel was in this same situation in 1 Samuel 8. The children of Israel make the same request. They say, “now make us a king to judge us like all the nations”. The Lord’s response to this rebellion?
1 Samuel 8:9. He says, hearken unto their voice; howbeit, protest solemnly unto them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. I see a few steps here we can follow if we ever find ourselves in this situation.
Respect their agency
Protest solemnly against their desire. Make it clear to them how opposed you are to their intentions.
Carefully explain the likely consequences of their decision. Samuel later does this and warns them that kings tax, and take, and exploit.
But then there is a fourth step. Samuel and the Lord don’t abandon the people. Rather, they do their utmost to carry on helping and guiding them. Samuel sticks with the people, he tries to call a humble and righteous king for them, and he continues to act as their prophet.
But, as predicted, like the Jaredites, the kings of Israel become a major problem for the people throughout the rest of their history, all the way until the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.
So if those you lead insist on having their way, at least here, we have an inspired pattern we can follow to help in those situations as well. But hopefully, they won’t take it to that point, and they will honor and respect your leadership.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
As, usual, let me suggest a few questions you could consider asking during this lesson.
Have you ever seen an example of "giving in” causing long-term problems?
Who is somebody you admire that you feel has the courage of true leadership? How did they demonstrate it?
How is Jesus an example of true leadership?
CONCLUSION
Leadership is never easy. Parenting is never easy. We are certain to find ourselves, at some point, in an Ether 6 type scenario. When that happens, those we lead need us to be courageous. We don’t have to be tyrants, and we don’t have to rule with an iron fist. But we do need to be strong. We’ve got to consider the long-term as they clamor for the pleasures of the short. But here’s the flip side of that principle. For the leader, your decision may make you unpopular in the short term, it may cause some conflict and even anger, but it will most likely produce respect and gratitude in the long run. Remember not to feed the squirrels, don’t feed the bears. We must keep the greater good in mind if we wish to demonstrate true leadership. May the Lord bless you with that wisdom and courage when those situations arise. And when we are the ones being led. Don’t crown a king! Trust in the courage and wisdom of your leaders or at least be respectful of their decisions. Suppress the desire to rebel because they won’t give you what you want right now. In the long run, you will most likely thank them for their fortitude in not giving in to the rashness of your own delusions.
ETHER 7-11
Well, for this particular block of scripture, that is where I would decide to spend the bulk of my time and I know, that’s mainly just chapter 6. Not that there aren’t valuable principles and truths in chapters 7-11, but to me, chapter 6 contains the most applicable and unique truths in this section. Chapters 7-11 are mainly historical in nature and, as I said earlier, serve as the exclamation point to the message at the end of chapter 6. But I would like to provide you with a brief activity that could help you as a teacher briefly summarize some of the principles in these chapters. It’s a simple principle matching activity. On one side I have the verses and on the other, possible truths taught by those verses. Have your students work in small groups or as individuals to find them.
HANDOUT ANSWER KEY
Ether 7:25-26/9:20-22 When we heed the words of the prophets, we will prosper. E
Ether 8:8-9 We should use our gifts and talents for good, not selfishness and power. B
Ether 8:22-23 Don’t allow secret combinations to flourish in your society or they will prove your destruction. A
Ether 8:26 Putting away evil and seeking to do good continually will ultimately lead to salvation. D
Ether 9:28-30/11:1-2/11:12-13/11:20-22 The Lord always sends prophets to warn people of the consequences of wickedness. C
1.Ether 7:25 And he did execute a law throughout all the land, which gave power unto the prophets that they should go whithersoever the would; and by this cause the people were brought unto repentance.
26 And because the people did repent of their iniquities and idolatries the Lord did spare them, and they began to prosper again in the land. And it came to pass that Shule begat sons and daughters in his old age.
And Ether 9:20-22
20 And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.
21 And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead.
22 And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.
The answer here is E. When we heed the words of the prophets, we will prosper. We can see from these two examples that when the people listen to the prophets, and repent, their society flourishes. The Lord blesses them. The same is true with us individually. When we heed the words of the prophets, our lives will be better.
2.Ether 8:8-9
8 Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father.
9 Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk with her father, and said unto him: Whereby hath my father so much sorrow? Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?
This is how secret combinations are introduced into Jaredite society. You have this young woman, the daughter of Jared who has been blessed. She is exceedingly expert, which means she was very intelligent. And exceedingly fair, she was very beautiful. What did she use these gifts for? If you read the rest of the chapter, you’ll see that she seduces and plots and devises a secret murder and inspires the creation of a secret combination among the people. The answer here is B. We should use our gifts and talents for good, not selfishness and power. All of us have been blessed with special talents, skills, and gifts from our Heavenly Father. Hopefully we will use them for good—to bless others and inspire righteousness, and not in the way the daughter of Jared does.
3.Ether 8:22-23
22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
The answer here is A. Don’t allow secret combinations to flourish in your society or they will prove your destruction. We’ve already seen the destructive power of secret combinations in the Book of Mormon. Do we have secret combinations in our society? I’m afraid so. Organized crime, terrorism, gangs, false news sources, drug trafficking, industries that promote addictive behaviors such as pornography and tobacco use. Unfortunately, secret combinations are alive and well in our world. What does that say about the direction our society is heading?
4.Ether 8:26
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.
The answer is D. Putting away evil and seeking to do good continually will ultimately lead to salvation. So, a hopeful verse here. Even though we can’t control the evils of society around us, we can control ourselves. And if we are righteous, we will be saved.
5.Ether 9:28-30/11:1-2/11:12-13/11:20-22. This is major theme of these chapters. That’s why there are so many references to point to. The answer is C. The Lord always sends prophets to warn people of the consequences of wickedness. God will never allow for the destruction of a people without first giving them ample warning. He sends prophets over and over again to the Jaredites to try and turn them from their wickedness. This is a demonstration of his great mercy and concern for his children. It also shows the importance of having living prophets on the earth.
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