Set Forth commending themselves unto God Ether 1

Set Forth… commending themselves unto God Ether 1 -6 "A New Light in The Barge" - 2002, Trent Gudmundsen

Ether 1 -6 Overview The founding of the Jaredite nation • Chap 1 Escape from Babel • Chap 2 journey to the seashore • Chap 3 the appearance of Jesus Christ and a vision of earth’s history • Chap 4 Moroni’s editorial comments on faith • Chap 5 Instructions to Joseph Smith concerning the sealed portion of the records • Chap 6 The ocean voyage to the New World

Ether, the last prophet and record keeper of the Jaredites, wrote this record on 24 gold plates, which were later found by the people of Limhi (Mosiah 8: 7– 11).

Ether 2: 8 2600 years 1000 years 1 Nephi. Mormon Ether The book of Ether provides a powerful second witness to the Nephite record that if 2500 BC the inhabitants of the 600 BC Tower or promised land do not Lehi’s Babel serve Jesus Christ, they family leaves will be destroyed Jerusalem 420 AD Destruction of Nephites

Great Faith

How to make the journey to our Promised Land Jaredite’s Journey Our Life’s Journey

It starts at the Tower of Babel

Ether Chap 2 Problem Action language Cried unto confounded the Lord of Jared’s family What is the difference How have you felt Language Cried unto 36 -37 between “crying unto the Lord’s confounded the Lord” and merely compassion in saying prayers? of friends response to your and their prayers? families Driven from Cried unto 38 -43 the land the Lord 33 -35 Response The Lord had compassion, did not confound their language The Lord had compassion, did not confound the language of friends and their families The Lord had compassion, sent to a choice land

What do we learn about prayer? • Many times when we pray, we merely restate our problems; and this was the case with the brother of Jared.

Elder Wirthlin Our beloved prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, has observed: “The trouble with most of our prayers is that we give them as if we were picking up the telephone and ordering groceries—we place our order and hang up. We need to meditate, contemplate, think of what we are praying about and for and then speak to the Lord as one man speaketh to another. ” Do your prayers at times sound and feel the same? Have you ever said a prayer mechanically, the words pouring forth as though cut from a machine? Do you sometimes bore yourself as you pray? Will prayers that do not demand much of your thought merit much attention from our Heavenly Father? When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don’t have to be grand or glorious. Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice.

Elder Joseph B Wirthlin Thinking of things we are grateful for is a healing balm. It helps us get outside ourselves. It changes our focus from our pains and our trials to the abundance of this beautiful world we live in. Think of those things you truly need. Bring your goals and your hopes and your dreams to the Lord and set them before Him. Heavenly Father wants us to approach Him and ask for His divine aid. Explain to Him the trials you are facing. Set before Him your righteous desires. Our prayers can and should be focused on the practical, everyday struggles of life. If we should pray over our crops (see Alma 34: 24), then why not over other important challenges we face? Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Improving Our Prayers, ” Ensign, Mar 2004, 24– 31

Ether 1: 42 -43 “I will go before thee…”

Ether 1: 43 Why did the Lord guide the Jaredites to the promised land? • “This long time ye have cried unto me. ” • What can we learn from this example about the power of prayer?

Ether 2: 7 -9 The promise and the warning

Ether 2: 7 -12 God’s Promises to the People • He will give them the land as a land of promise • They will be free from the bondage and captivity of all other nations God’s Expectations for the People • They must repent of their iniquity • They must serve Jesus Christ, “the God of the land”

Ether 2: 13 -16 Thus we see…?

Ether 2: 13 -14 What do you think? • Can’t you almost hear the sighs of relief as the burdens are set down, the flocks are let to feed in the coastal plain, the tents are pitched, and the place is named for the great leader who brought them safely through? The scriptures don’t tell us why the people “remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord” (Ether 2: 14) during those years, but our own experience may give us a clue. • Henry B. Eyring, “The Brother of Jared: An Expert at Learning, ” Liahona, Sept. 1996, 17

Why did he (we) forget to call upon God? • When we face an unknown wilderness or a strange sea, which may for us be a move to a new place or mortal sickness in a loved one, our hearts soften and we beg for blessings and weep when they’re

Prayeven when the tents are pitched • But when it’s harder to see the needs or the blessings—when our tents are pitched—it’s easy to forget the Master and think more of the part our own courage and exertions may have contributed. Sometimes those around us make that forgetfulness more likely by praising us and attributing the victory to us. Most of us spend a good part of our lives in perils so nearly invisible that self-reliance comes easily, and accepting counsel from brothers, or from God, comes hard. • Henry B. Eyring, “The Brother of Jared: An Expert at Learning, ” Liahona, Sept. 1996, 17

Ether 2: 14 So, why did they (we) sit on the seashore? • Comfort zone – don’t see a need for God • Barriers – the task ahead seems too hard • Avoid Inaction • Seek the Lord in good times and bad times

The scolding Ether 2: 14 • Everyone carries painful memories of being scolded by a parent or a teacher for not trying to learn. I can still hear in my mind a German teacher, short enough to look me in the eye as she stood at my desk, saying, “Du bist ein ————— , ” which translated means that she thought I was a donkey for not learning and that some day I would be sorry. Indeed, I am sorry. And I’m sorry for a hundred other times and places I was slow or unable to learn. But more than the regret I feel for choosing not to learn from a German teacher and a piano teacher and so many others, my heart aches for the days—even months and years—when the Master would have taught me how to use faith and repentance and the Holy Ghost and charity, but could not get my attention.

A scolding • To me, the importance of the four years stems from the fact that the Jaredites were in a time of inaction during a journey that began with the chaos of the Tower of Babel, then swept across the uncharted wastes of Asia and would, following the Lord’s rebuke, take them through the depths of hurricane-tossed oceans to a land choice above all others—all under the Lord’s direction. • Henry B. Eyring, “The Brother of Jared: An Expert at Learning, ” Liahona, Sept. 1996, 17

Ether 2: 15 -17, 25 • Tight like unto a dish • I will prepare you against these things • Sometimes He stills the storm, sometimes He calms the child

How did they (we) solve problems on the journey? Problems Ether 2: 18 -19 Solution Ether 2: 20 -25 No steering The Lord says He will guide the barges (vs 24) No air The Lord instructs him to make holes with removable plugs in the top and bottom of the barges (vs 20) No light The Lord asks the brother of Jared what he would like Him to do (vs 23, 25)

Solutions

How can it help us when the Lord requires us to find solutions to our own problems with His guidance? • “Clearly the brother of Jared was being tested. God had done his part. Unique, resolutely seaworthy ships for crossing the ocean had been provided. The brilliant engineering had been done. The hard part of the construction project was over. Now the Lord wanted to know what the brother of Jared would do about incidentals” • Jeffrey R Holland, (Christ and the New Covenant, 16).

• Elder Russell M. Nelson said that he has often heard President Gordon B. Hinckley say, “I don’t know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work” • Ensign, Nov. 1997, 16

Elder Harold B. Lee “Notice how the Lord dealt with this question. He said to the brother of Jared, ‘What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? ’ (Eth. 2: 23. )— as much as to say, ‘Well, have you any good ideas? What would you suggest that we should do in order to have light? ’. . “Then the Lord went away and left him alone. It was as though the Lord were saying to him, ‘Look, I gave you a mind to think with, and I gave you agency to use it. Now you do all you can to help yourself with this problem; and then, after you’ve done all you can, I’ll step in to help you. ’ “How to Receive a Blessing from God, ” Improvement Era, Oct. 1966, pp. 862– 63, 896.

The Lesson • By Carol Lyn Pearson • Yes, my fretting, frowning child. I could cross The room to you More easily But I’ve already Learned to walk So I make you Come to me. • Let go now— There! You see? • O remember This simple lesson, child, And when In later years You cry out With tight fists And tears— “O help me, God, Please”— Just listen And you will hear A silent voice: • “I would, child, I would, But it’s you, not I Who needs to try Godhood

The Lesson • O remember This simple lesson, child, And when In later years You cry out With tight fists And tears— “O help me, God, Please”— Just listen And you will hear A silent voice: • “I would, child, I would, But it’s you, not I Who needs to try Godhood

Ether 3: 2 -3 How did he/we solve his problem? “Now, what is he doing? He is confessing his sins before he asks again. He has come to the conclusion that before he is worthy to seek a blessing he must keep the basic laws upon which the blessings he seeks are predicated. . “This is the principle in action. If you want the blessing, don’t just kneel down and pray about it. Prepare yourselves in every conceivable way you can in order to make yourselves worthy to receive the blessing you seek” Harold B. Lee, “How to Receive a Blessing from God, ” Improvement Era, Oct. 1966, pp. 862– 63, 896.

Lord shows himself to the Brother of Ether 3: 4 -6 Jared What strikes you about this experience of the brother of Jared?

“Never have I shown myself” • After you die, what character trait do you want people to associate with you when they think of your life? The brother of Jared was known for his faith. In fact, because of his faith he saw the premortal Jesus Christ. • Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained that when Christ said, “Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created” (Ether 3: 15), He “was saying to the brother of Jared, ‘Never have I showed myself unto man in this manner, without my volition, driven solely by the faith of the beholder. ’ As a rule, prophets are invited into the presence of the Lord. . Obviously the Lord himself was linking What can we learn about the power of faith unprecedented faith with this unprecedented vision” from the brother of Jared? (Christ and the New Covenant, 23).

Ether 4: 3, 5 • Records sealed When will we be able to receive these records? (Ether 4: 6– 7)

Ether 4 When will we receive the sealed portion? 6 Repent of iniquity, become clean 7 Exercise faith in the Lord 8 Don’t contend against the word 11 Believe the word that we have 15 Rend the veil of unbelief, broken hearts and contrite spirits

Ether 5: Note to Joseph Smith from Moroni Witnesses

Parallels to life’s Journey Ether 6: 3 • The Lord caused the stones in the barges “to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children” – Ether 6: 3 • What “lights” has the Lord provided for us as we journey through life?

• The journey to freedom and the promised land may take many forms. Years ago, a friend in England sent me a card with a quote from King George V’s Christmas message to the British people. Shortly before I received this card, my mother, old and very ill, had come from New York City to live the last years of her life with me. She had loved this card and kept it in her purse. Throughout her final illness it stood on her bedside table. It was there on the day that she died. I have framed it now and keep it in my kitchen. It reads as follows:

• I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, • Give me a light that I might go safely out into the darkness. • And he replied, Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God • That shall be more to you than a light and safer than a known way • Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom, 373 -374

The Journey • What did the Jaredites do after they had prepared all they could for their journey? – Ether 6: 4 • How can we show this same kind of trust in the Lord?

The Journey • The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land • Ether 6: 5, 8 • How does this knowledge help you?

The Journey • As the winds blew and the Jaredites were driven forth, what did the Jaredites do throughout the day and night? – Ether 6: 8– 9 • What are some ways we can give praise to the Lord?

The Journey • What did the Jaredites do when they had arrived in the promised land? – Ether 6: 12. • In what ways might this be similar to our return to our Father in Heaven?

The Journey • “I meet so many people who constantly complain about the burden of their responsibilities. Of course the pressures are great. There is much, too much, to do. . Turn your thinking around. The gospel is good news. Man is that he might have joy. Be happy! Let that happiness shine through your faces and speak through your testimonies. .

• “I enjoy these words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones. . • “‘Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. • “‘Most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just 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’ • Gordon B Hinckley, (Deseret News, June 12, 1973)” (Four Imperatives for Religious Educators [address to religious educators, Sept. 15, 1978], 4).

Next Week: “By Faith All Things Are Fulfilled” Ether 7 -15

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland • “The brother of Jared may not have had great belief in himself, but his belief in God was unprecedented. In that there is hope for us all. His faith was without doubt or limit. … Once and for all it was declared that ordinary people with ordinary challenges could rend the veil of unbelief and

Ether 3 • Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained that when Christ said, “Never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created” (Ether 3: 15), He “was saying to the brother of Jared, ‘Never have I showed myself unto man in this manner, without my volition, driven solely by the faith of the beholder. ’ As a rule, prophets are invited into the presence of the Lord. . Obviously the Lord himself was linking unprecedented faith with this unprecedented vision” (Christ and the New Covenant, 23).

• • Elder Spencer W. Kimball captured that drama in a general conference talk: “This unparalleled book should intrigue navigators: unprecedented land treks near-unbelievable in length, scope, and hazard are chronicled and ocean crossings, and the circling of the world centuries before the Vikings— crossings fraught with all the dangers imaginable, including storms, hidden reefs, hurricanes, and even mutiny. This first recorded ocean crossing was about forty centuries ago, of seaworthy, ocean-going vessels without known sails, engines, oars, or rudders—eight barges like and near contemporary with Noah’s ark, long as a tree, tight as a dish, peaked at the end like a gravy boat (see Ether 2: 17), corked at top and bottom, illuminated by molten stones (see Ether 2: 20; Ether 3: 1 ff. ), perhaps with radium or some other substance not yet rediscovered by our scientists. Light and like a [fowl] upon the water, this fleet of barges was driven by winds and ocean currents, landing at a common point in North America probably on the west shores” (in Conference Report, April 1963, pages 63– 64).

How did he ask for help? • The brother of Jared heated rock to make 16 transparent stones, and then on Mount Shelem he asked the Lord for the part of the solution he could not provide: to make the stones emit light. But he didn’t simply ask as a child might ask a hurried parent or a student might ask a teacher flitting from pupil to pupil. He took time to plead forgiveness. He acknowledged blessings. He proclaimed faith in God’s power.

Panoramic Vision: Sealed • The Lord not only granted that request but also showed him a vision of the full panorama of the world’s history. So marvelous were things shown to the brother of Jared that the record of it is hidden from us until we are prepared to receive it.

How do we prepare to receive the sealed portion? • President Joseph Fielding Smith, in a conference address, told us how to qualify as a people for that blessing: • “Now the Lord has placed us on probation as members of the Church. He has given us the Book of Mormon, which is the lesser part, to build up our faith through our obedience to the counsels which it contains, and when we ourselves, members of the Church, are willing to keep the commandments as they have been given to us and show our faith as the Nephites did for a short period of time, then the Lord is ready to bring forth the other record and give it to us, but we are not ready now to receive it. Why? Because we have not lived up to the requirements in this probationary state in the reading of the record which had been given to us and in following its counsels” (in Conference Report, October 1961, page 20).

Ether 2: 12 • “While residing in Kirtland Elder Reynolds Cahoon had a son born to him. One day when President Joseph Smith was passing his door he called the Prophet in and asked him to bless and name the baby. Joseph did so and gave the boy the name of Mahonri Moriancumer. When he had finished the blessing he laid the child on the bed, and turning to Elder Cahoon he said, the name I have given your son is the name of the brother of Jared; the Lord has just shown (or revealed) it to me” (“Questions and Answers, ” Improvement Era, July 1905, 705).