King Mosiah interpreting the Jaredite stone
Click here to listen to Jared Anderson’s podcast that reviews this lesson.
I apologize for getting this out so late. It was eight chapters long. You will also note that none of Grant Hardy’s notes from his, Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Guide, are included. I just had not time to go through that. You will most likely find many grammatical errors as I did not proof-read this post.
“By Faith All Things Are Fulfilled”
The Chronicle of Jaredite Kings: Ether 6:28-11:23
This chronicle closely follows Ether’s genealogy at Ether 1:26-33, but in reverse order.
The Reign of Orihah: Ether 6:28-7:3a
7:2 “…begat thirty and one…” Seriously? That’s a lot of kids.
The Reign of Kib (Corihor1 Rebels/Shule Restores): Ether 7:3b-9
7:4, 5 “…Land of Nehor…Land of Moron” Have we heard of these places before? At least the Land of Moron has some description along with it.
7:5 “…that they would be brought into captivity…” See Ether 6:23
7:9 “…made swords out of steel…” Can you say, “anachronism”?
The Reign of Shule (Noah2 and Cohor1 Rebel/Nimrod2 Restores: Ether 7:10-27
7:19 “…Noah did build up his kingdom in his stead…” What kingdom? Who’s stead?
7:23 “…a curse upon the land…” What evidence do we have within the text that there was indeed a curse? Are we expected to just believe Moroni?
7:26 “…and they began to prosper again in the land.” What evidence do we have of the Jaredites not prospering? It is interesting to note that just after mentioning the Jaredites prospering, wealth is not mentioned, but the King Shule’s ability to create offspring is. Do the Jaredites and or Moroni have a different definition of what it means to “prosper”? Meaning, it is not wealth, but offspring.
The Reign of Omer (Jared2 Rebels/Esrom and Coriantumr1 Restore): Ether 8:1-6
8:4 “…he was in captivity…he begat sons and daughters…” I guess he wasn’t in prison, or if he was, he was allowed conjugal visits.
The Rediscovery of Secret Combinations: Ether 8:7-19
8:9 “…the record which our fathers brought acros the great deep?” Nothing further is known about this record, but see Ether 1:3-4
8:15 “..and Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given them of old….” How did Akish learn of these oaths? Were they taught by Jared or perhaps by Jared’s daughter? Did Akish have access to the old records that contained the oaths? See: Genesis 4 Cf. Moses 5:29-31, 49-55.
8:17 “…and Jared put it into the heart of Akish…” This partially answers the question asked above.
8:18 “…secret combinations…”
The following list of meanings, though not exhaustive, illustrates some of the ways in which the term secret combination(s) appeared in American discourse during the early to mid-ninteenth century:
1. A covert alliance of princes or states. English historian John Strype states in Annals of the Reformation, published in 1709, that “the chiefest Popish potentates entered into a secret combination to destroy the reformed religion utterly.” This meaning of the term continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1846 a writer spoke of “a secret combination of Catholic princes” arrayed against Luther, and another historian employed the term to describe a secret alliance between Austria and Russia in the 18th century.
2. A conspiracy against a monarch by members of the nobility. David Hume, in his monumental History of England, published in the middle of the 18th century, twice refers to a conspiracy among the barons of King John as a “secret combination.” In an American short story published in 1837, the term describes a court conspiracy against the Emperor Constantine. In another case it points to the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar.
3. A criminal conspiracy to get gain. Writers frequently referred to predatory criminal organizations as secret combinations. For example, in 1788, during the trial of Warren Hastings for conspiring with native rulers to plunder the provinces of India, English writer and statesman Richard Brinsley Sheridan described the scheme as a “secret combination.” Frank Soul, an early historian of the state of California, describes the criminal syndicates that sprang up there during the gold rush:
While this constant immigration favored the freedom of criminals from arrest, it also helped to extend their acquaintance among kindred rogues. Wherever they went, they knew there were one, two, or half a dozen noted haunts for fellows like themselves, upon whose aid they could always rely, to execute new outrages, to swear an alibi, or give any kind of false testimony that might be wished; to fee counsel or offer straw-bail, or to plan an escape from pursuit or prison of themselves, or some hotly pressed associate in crime. Thus there was gradually formed a secret combination among the chief thieves, burglars and murderers of the country, minute ramifications of which extended down to the pettiest pilferers. (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=12&num=1&id=310)
Moroni2 On Secret Combinations: Ether 8:20-26
8:21 “…have casued the destruction of this people…” This is referring to the Jaredites, not the Nephites. See Ether 14:8-10
8:21 “…also the destruction of the people of Nephi.” See 4 Nephi 1:42-46
8:23 “…shall get above you, which are built up…shall fall upon you…” I love how Moroni uses the metaphor of “building up” Changing the order of the metaphor, he says, “Don’t build up the secret combinations or they will get above you so high that they will fall upon you…” Genius.
8:26 “…I, Moroni, am commanded….” Interesting that Moroni was actually commanded by God to write what he has written. Not only that, Moroni gives us the reasons for which he wrote about the secret combinations.
Akish and His Sons (Omer Overthrown, Then Restored) Ether 9:1-13
9:7, 8 “…shut him up in prison…” The narrative sounds different than what we have heard in the past with “put in captivity”. It appears that Jacob’s son didn’t have conjugal visits as there is no mention of him having sons or daughters. This makes me think that “put in captivity” is different than being “shut up in prison”.
The Reign of Emer: Ether 9:14-22
9:16 “…began again to take the curse from off the land…” See Ether 7:23
Possibly and curelom or cumom?
9:19 “…cureloms and cumoms…”
The Reigns of Coriantum1 and Com1 : Ether 9:23-25
9:20 “…I will pour out the fullness of my wrath…” See Ether 2:8-9
9:25 “…in his old age…” And to think Viagra did not exist.
The Reign of Heth1 (Famine and Poisonous Snakes): Ether 9:26-35
The Reign of Shez1: Ether 10: 1-4
The Reign of Riplakish: Ether 10:5-8
10:5 “…did have many wives and concubines…” I never realized that there is an injunction agains polygamy other than what we find in the Book of Jacob.
The Reign of Morianton1: Ether 10:9-13a
10:9 Why doesn’t Moroni say who was king between Riplakish and Morianton? Was there no interim king? The record states there were “many years” between the reign of Riblakish and Morianton.
The Reigns of Kim, Levi2, Corom, and Kish: Ether 10:13b-18
The Reign of Lib1: Ether 10:19-29
10:28 “…choice above all other lands…” See Ether 1:42; 2:15
The Reign of Hearthom to the Reign of Com2: Ether 10:30-11:4a
10:32 “…Com…King Amgid” King Amgid is not noted as being a king in the genealogy listed at the beginning of the Book of Ether. Instead it goes from Hearthom to Heth to Aaron to Amnigaddah to Coriantum to Com. See Ether 1:13-17. Hmmm…..
The Reign of Shiblom1: Ether 11:4b-8
Shiblom is called Shiblon in Ether’s genealogy. See Ether 1:11
11:6 “…great curse…their bones as heaps…” This prophecy is fulfilled in Omni 1:22 and Mosiah 8:8
The Reigns of Ahah and Ethem: Ether 11:9-14a
11:9 Seth is Shiblom’s son. See Ether 1:11
11:12 “…utterly destroy them…” This is fulfilled in Ether 15
The Reign of Moron: Ether 11:14b-18
11:17 “…and he was a descendant of the brother of Jared…” What is Moroni’s purpose in mentioning this?
Coriantor’s Life in Captivity: Ether 11:19-23
11:21“…bring forth another people to possess the land…” This is referring to the Nephites and Lamanites.
[End of the Chronicle of the Jaredite Kings: Ether 6:28-11:23]
The Reign of Coriantumer2: Ether 12:1-15:23
The Prophet Ether: Ether 12:1-5
12:1 Is Coriantumer the “mighty man[that] was a descendant of the brother of Jared”? See Ether 11:17
Moroni2 on Faith: Ether 12:6-21
12:19, 20 “…whose faith was so exceeding strong….who could not be kept from within the veil…when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared….” This is an interesting idea. In Ether 3:7, 9 one almost gets the sense that the pre-mortal Jesus was as surprised as the brother of Jared. In a recent interview with Don Bradley ( a LDS historian that resigned his membership and then was re-baptized this year), Don pointed out something quite interesting: The brother of Jared comes to the veil (Ether 3:8); the Lord asks the brother of Jared a question (Ether 3:11); the brother of Jared answers the question (Ether 3:12) the brother of Jared is redeemed from the fall and sees is admitted into the Lord’s presence (Ether 3:13, 16). This idea seems to turn on its head the prevalent idea that the more exotic Nauvoo theology, which included temple worship, had no seeds in earlier Mormonism. Click here to listen to a four-part interview of Don Bradley. You can also download the interview from Itunes.
Moroni2 and the Lord Discuss the Gentiles and the Book of Mormon: Ether 12:22-41
12:27 “…show unto them their weakness. I give unto men their weakness...” It always bothers me how weakness gets pluralized when people read this scripture. It’s weakness not weaknesses! Get it right!!
12:30 “…mountain Zerin, Remove…” Nothing more is known of this incident.
12:31 “…didst show thyself unto them in great power…” Perhaps this is referring to 3 Nephi 26:17-18
12:32 “…mansions of thy Father…” See Enos 1:7. Cf. John 14:2
12:33 “…prepare a place for the childeren of men…” See John 10:17-18; 2 Nephi 2:8
12:41 “…I would commend you to seek this Jesus…Amen.” Doesn’t this sound like Moroni intended to end the record here?
The New Jerusalem: Ether 13:1-12
13:8, 9 “…and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away….and then cometh the New Jerusalem…” OK, I’ll be honest here. The chronology of this is confusing. So, does the new Jerusalem come before, during, or after the Millenium?
13:12 See 1 Nephi 13:42; Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30
Ether in Hiding: Ether 13:13-22
18:15 “….secret plans of wickedness, of which hath been spoken.” See Ether 8:20-26
18:17 “…Cohor…Corihor…” These may be contemporary figures, or they may be ancient kings of a rival royal lineage. See Ether 7
18:21 “…another people…” See Ether 11:21
18:21 “…burial by them…save it were Coriantumr.” The prophecy is fulfilled in Omni 1:20-22
Shared Fights with Coriantumr2: Ether 13:23-31
18:23, 24 “…third year…fourth year…” What is the starting point? Is it when Ether began hiding in a rock?
The Brother of Shared Fights with Coriantumr2: Ether 14:1-10
14:9 “…high priest…” This seems to me to be the first time that any type of hierarchical religious institution is mentioned. Am I wrong?
Lib2 Fights with Coriantumr2: Ether 14:11-16
Shiz Fights with Coriantumr2: Ether 14:17-31
14:21 “…covered with the bodies of the dead.” This is in fullfilment of Ether 11:6
14:24 “…should not fall by the sword.” See Ether 13:20-21
14:25 “…in the fulness of his wrath…” See Ether 2:8
Preparations for the Last Battle: Ether 15:1-12
15:1 “…spoken unto him.” See Ether 13:20-21
15:3 “…every whit.” See Ether 7:23-26; 9:28-30; 11:1-7, 12-13, 20-21
15:11 “Ramah” See Mormon 6:6 But Mormon calls the hill Cumorah
It is clear that the plates that were hid in the hill Cumorah were all the plates except for the record that Mormon is writing, that he would pass on to Moroni, and later become what we now have as the Book of Mormon. If one holds to a limited-geography view of the Book of Mormon and to the idea that it mostly occured in Meso-America, this can prove to be a problem. Why? Because the hill in which Joseph Smith found the Golden Plates is called the Hill Cumorah and is in up-state New York.
So, this then begs the question, why is the hill in upstate New York called the Hill Cumorah, if that is where only the Book of Mormon was hid, and (if you hold to a limited-geography view of the Book of Mormon occurring in Southern Mexico and Guatemala) not necessarily where ”all the records” were hid?
The hill outside of Manchester, New York “of considerable size” (Joseph Smith – History 1:51) was first called the Hill Cumorah by Oliver Cowdery in the Church periodical, “The Messenger and Advocate”, in 1835; it was not Joseph Smith that gave this mount the name that we now use. We see Joseph Smith, Jr. adopting the common, accepted LDS parlance in 1842 – Doctrine and Covenants section 128:20 reads “…what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah!”
For these reasons, I do not believe that the Hill Cumorah in up-state New York is the same hill Cumorah spoken of in the Book of Mormon.
The Destruction of the Jaredites: Ether 15:15-32
15:31 “…raised upon his hands…struggled for breath…” I remember on my mission, one of the Elders in my district had this scripture pointed out to him as if it were an impossible thing medically to occur after losing one’s head. It seems like such a dumb argument now. Reflexes of the extremities are controlled by the spinal cord, not the brain. Now what does it mean to “struggle for breath”? I don’t know exactly. Breathing merrily means the exchange of gases that occurs in the lungs. Can this happen without out a head? Sure. The phrenic nerve, which is what causes the diaphragm to expand and contract, arises from the neck (C3-5). Sorry, too much anatomy there.
15:32 “…as if he had no life.” The final fate of Coriantumr is recorded in Omni 1:20-22
[End of the Reign of Coriantumr2: Ether 12:1-15:32]
The End of Ether: Ether 15:33-34
15:33 “…people of Limhi…” See Mosiah 8:7-11
Miguel Barker-Valdez
Miguel is a Guatemalan-American Mormon living in the Northwest with his family. He is one of the proprietors of the Rational Faiths blog.
All posts by Miguel Barker-Valdez
It is clear that the plates that were hid in the hill Cumorah were all the plates except for the record that Mormon is writing, that he would pass on to Moroni, and later become what we now have as the Book of Mormon. If one holds to a limited-geography view of the Book of Mormon and to the idea that it mostly occured in Meso-America, this can prove to be a problem. Why? Because the hill in which Joseph Smith found the Golden Plates is called the Hill Cumorah and is in up-state New York.
So, this then begs the question, why is the hill in upstate New York called the Hill Cumorah, if that is where only the Book of Mormon was hid, and (if you hold to a limited-geography view of the Book of Mormon occurring in Southern Mexico and Guatemala) not necessarily where ”all the records” were hid?
The hill outside of Manchester, New York “of considerable size” (Joseph Smith – History 1:51) was first called the Hill Cumorah by Oliver Cowdery in the Church periodical, “The Messenger and Advocate”, in 1835; it was not Joseph Smith that gave this mount the name that we now use. We see Joseph Smith, Jr. adopting the common, accepted LDS parlance in 1842 – Doctrine and Covenants section 128:20 reads “…what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah!”
For these reasons, I do not believe that the Hill Cumorah in up-state New York is the same hill Cumorah spoken of in the Book of Mormon
As an aside, I’m sure you’re aware of the claim made by some in the early church –largely by Oliver Cowdery, but also asserted by Carlos Smith, Samuel Smith, and Hyrum Smith, as related in the Journal of Discourses that, allegedly, Cowdery and Joseph Smith Jr. visited a secret chamber within the hill (Cumorah) that contained shelves full and stacks waist-high of records (presumably metal plates.) While this may be pure fantasy and proves nothing concrete, the fact that such a rumor existed suggests that some believed the hill contained more than just the gold plates used in the translation.
As for the location of the hill, it makes no sense to me to assert belief that New York Cumorah isn’t really Cumorah when past declarations affirm that it is, Following are some of the statements:
“The great and last battle, in which several hundred thousand Nephites perished was on the hill Cumorah, the same hill from which the plates were taken by Joseph Smith, the boy about whom I spoke to you the other evening.” (Talk given by Apostle Orson Pratt, Feb. 11, 1872 Journal of Discourses Vol. 14, pg. 331)
“Thirty-six years prior to this time his nation was destroyed in what we term the State of New York, around about a hill, called by that people the Hill of Cumorah, when many hundreds of thousands of the Nephites-men, women and children, fell, during the greatest battle that they had had with the Lamanites.” (Talk given by Apostle Orson Pratt, Aug. 25, 1878 Journal of Discourses Vol. 20, pg. 62)
“Finally, they became so utterly wicked, so fully ripened for destruction, that one branch of the nation, called the Nephites, gathered their entire people around the hill Cumorah, in the State of New York , in Ontario County; and the Lamanites, the opposite army, gathered by millions in the same region. The two nations were four years in gathering their forces, during which no fighting took place; but at the end of that time, having marshalled all their hosts, the fighting commenced, the Lamanites coming upon the Nephites, and destroying all of them, except a very few, who had previously deserted over to the Lamanites.” (Talk given by Apostle Orson Pratt, April 6, 1874 Journal of Discourses Vol. 17, pg. 24)
“The hill, which was known by one division of the ancient peoples as Cumorah, by another as Ramah, is situated near Palmyra in the State of New York .” (Apostle James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith , chapter 14)
“It is known that the Hill Cumorah where the Nephites were destroyed is the hill where the Jaredites were also destroyed. This hill was known to the Jaredites as Rama. It was approximately near to the waters of Ripliancum, which the Book of Ether says, “by interpretation, is large, or to exceed all.” Mormon adds: “And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents round about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.”
“It must be conceded that this description fits perfectly the land of Cumorah in New York, as it has been known since the visitation of Moronito the Prophet Joseph Smith, for the hill is in the proximity of the Great Lakes and also in the land of many rivers and fountains. Moreover, the Prophet Joseph Smith himself is on record, definitely declaring the present hill called Cumorah to be the exact hill spoken of in the Book of Mormon.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation , Vol.3, Bookcraft, 1956, p.232-43.) Note: This quote was also given in the old Book of Mormon Institue Manual on page 461 (48-17).
“In the western part of the state of New York near Palmyra is a prominent hill known as the “hill Cumorah.” On July twenty-fifth of this year, as I stood on the crest of that hill admiring with awe the breathtaking panorama which stretched out before me on every hand, my mind reverted to the events which occurred in that vicinity some twenty-five centuries ago-events which brought to an end the great Jaredite nation…
[Note: About 20 paragraphs later this speaker says the following]
“This second civilization to which I refer, the Nephites , flourished in America between 600 B.C. and A.D. 400. Their civilization came to an end for the same reason, at the same place, and in the same manner as did the Jaredites'” (Talk given by President Marion G. Romney in General Conference, October 4, 1975, Ensign Nov. 1975 pg. 35)
“Both the Nephite and Jaredite civilizations fought their final great wars of extinction at and near the Hill Cumorah (or Ramah as the Jaredites termed it), which hill is located between Palmyra and Manchester in the western part of the State of New York.
“Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery and many of the early brethren, who were familiar with all the circumstances attending the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in this dispensation, have left us a pointed testimony as to the identity and location of Cumorah or Ramah.”(Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 174-175, Bookcraft 1966)
“This time it will have to do with so important a matter as a war of extinction of two peoples, the Nephites and the Jaredites, on the self same battle site, with the same ‘hill’ marking the axis of military movements. By the Nephites this ‘hill’ was called the ‘Hill Cumorah,’ by the Jaredites the ‘Hill Ramah’; it was that same ‘hill,’ in which the Nephite records were deposited by Mormon and Moroni, and from which Joseph Smith obtained the Book of Mormon, therefore the ‘Mormon Hill,’ of today-since the coming forth of the Book of Mormon-near Palmyra, New York. (B.H. Roberts, Studies of the Book of Mormon, p.277)
I do not believe that we should give credence to the highly speculative theories about Book of Mormon geography.
I do not believe that there were two Hill Cumorahs, one in Central America and the other one up in New York, for the convenience of the Prophet Joseph Smith, so that the poor boy would not have to walk clear to Central America to get the gold plates. (Apostle Mark E. Petersen, “A Work of Conversion,” General Conference address, in Messages of Inspiration – SLC: Deseret Book Co., 1957), pp. 98-106.)
He had lived in America some fifteen hundred years ago and was the sole survivor of his people in a series of tragic battles which took many lives. … Moroni’s father was commander of the armies of this ancient people, known as Nephites. His name was Mormon. The war of which we speak took place here in America some four hundred years after Christ.
As the fighting neared its end, Mormon gathered the remnant of his forces about a hill which they called Cumorah, located in what is now the western part of the state of New York.
Their enemies, known as Lamanites, came against them on this hill. …
Then he spoke of other leaders serving with him in the Nephite army, all of whom had fallen with the forces under their command. He accounted for about a quarter of a million Nephite soldiers killed in that final encounter at Cumorah. … When finished with the record, Moroni was to hide it up in that same Hill Cumorah which was their battlefield. (Apostle Mark E. Peterson, The Last Words of Moroni, Ensign, Nov., 1978, pg 57)
And finally, as recently as October 16,1990 the first Presidency issued a letter signed by F.Michael Watson, Secretary to the First Presidency, stating unequivocally where Cumorah is located.