One thing that is conspicuously absent thus far from Moroni’s abridgment of the twenty-four gold plates of Ether is the measurement of time. Moroni shares the ages of some of the kings, but unlike the Nephites who measured time from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem, the time of the reign of the judges, and the time of Christ’s birth, the Jaredite timetable is mysterious. Perhaps the Jaredites measured time from the time when Jared and his brother left the Tower of Babel, or the time when they crossed the ocean. I don’t know.
Moroni’s abridgment of Jaredite history is concise, and it has a purpose. The purpose of Moroni’s abridgment of the Book of Ether reminds me to review Moroni’s Title Page of the Book of Mormon:
An abridgment taken from the Book of Ether also, which is a record of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, when they were building a tower to get to heaven
Moroni inserts his abridgment and records his commentary as a part of his father’s work. Moroni integrates his own work of abridgment of the Jaredite record into the larger whole of his father’s work, and his own work, on the abridgment of Nephite history. Thus the records of two civilizations provide two testimonies for the overarching and unifying purpose of the Book of Mormon:
Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations
How does the Book of Ether show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord has done for their fathers? How does it reveal the covenants of the Lord? How does it help to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God? These are some questions to keep in mind as we continue our study of the great Book of Ether.
The wicked king Heth and all his household perished in the famine, except for Shez. Shez was a survivor, and he learned the lessons that the famine taught. Shez began to build up a broken people, and he wisely learned from Jaredite history. He remembered the destruction of his fathers, and the cause thereof. His memory spanned back to the beginning of the Jaredite civilization:
And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers, and he did build up a righteous kingdom; for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord; and he begat sons and daughters.
In essence, Shez learned the lessons that Moroni shares with us about how the Lord blesses and prospers the penitent and obedient while chastening and destroying the wicked and rebellious. Certainly Shez’s memory of the destruction of his fathers and of what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep was informed and aided by a study of the records that the Jaredites kept. Instead of using ancient records to dig up the diabolical plans of Cain and his successors, Shez built up a righteous kingdom and walked in the ways of the Lord that he learned from Jared, the brother of Jared, and their righteous descendants. Plus, he had a great name. Shez.
Nevertheless, like many of his forebears, Shez had trouble passing on his righteous attitude and habits to his posterity. Sadly, Shez’s eldest son who was also named Shez rebelled against him. But Shez the elder found peace again when Shez, jr. was smitten by the hand of a robber, because of his exceeding great riches. Shez the elder continued to build up many cities, building up again a broken people and building up a righteous kingdom. Shez’s righteous kingdom was the kind of kingdom that the Lord had in mind for the Jaredites. Shez lived a very long time, and he begat Riplakish who reigned in his stead. Shez is a great name, but Riplakish? That’s an even greater name. Who could have ever come up with such a name. I’m not a pet person, but if I ever had a pet dog or bird or cockatiel, I would name it Riplakish.
Sadly, Riplakish, like his brother Shez, had problems and caused problems. In fact, Riplakish did the opposite of what his father, by example and precept, had taught him to do. Riplakish’s reign reminds us of the reign of wicked king Noah, and the reign of many of the wicked modern politicians in the United States of America. He was a womanizer who taxed his people severely, and used taxation to construct many spacious buildings, an exceedingly beautiful throne, and many prisons. Riplakish used the prisons that he built by taxation to incarcerate those who were not able to pay the taxes. He also forced his people to labor continually to support his wickedness.
Does this remind you of anything? Do you know where our tax dollars go? Look at the lavish lifestyles of most American politicians and presidents over several decades, and consider how they are like Riplakish. Riplakish, like king Noah among the Nephites, was a classic tyrant. He did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and his rule aimed at fulfilling his own selfish desires rather than benefiting his people. He was such a wicked tyrant that he even forced his prisoners to refine gold and work for him in prison. Moroni informs us that Riplakish afflicted his people “with his whoredoms and abominations.”
Anyone who has tried to untangle the wicked web of Jeffrey Epstein can clearly see that our modern American government is filled with Riplakishes. Although to many American citizens behave like a flock of timid and hardworking animals with the government as its shepherd, the system is not sustainable. Sooner or later Americans will wake up and do what our Founding Fathers did in the face of British despotism, or what the Jaredites did in the face of Riplakish’s despotism:
And when he had reigned for the space of forty and two years the people did rise up in rebellion against him; and there began to be war again in the land, insomuch that Riplakish was killed, and his descendants were driven out of the land. (Ether 10:8)
I’m not necessarily advocating for violent revolution, but our current awful state is unsustainable. The wicked elites who rule are destroying the great United States of America. The blood of the Saints and the innocent constantly cries from the ground for vengeance. Secret combinations have spread throughout the land. God has revealed these things to us in the Book of Mormon in order to persuade us to repent and not allow these murderous combinations, which are built up to get power and gain, to get above us. The sword of the Lord’s justice hangs over us, and destruction is immanent, unless we repent and eliminate evil from our midst.
Strangely enough, even among seasoned members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have read the Book of Mormon, I find much complacency and an unwillingness to awaken to a sense of our awful situation. Of course we mustn’t panic or become fanatical. The Lord’s commandment is that when we see these things come among us, that we awake to a sense of our awful situation, because of this secret combination which is among us. In other words, the first step is to actually see and acknowledge the reality of these things. In my estimation and in my experience, there are too few members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have been or are willing to even acknowledge the reality of secret combinations among us.
Of the few who are awake and alert enough to sense our awful situation, there are even fewer who have a sound understanding of what this awful situation entails. Who is building up these secret combinations? Why are they building them up? Where? Who is at the root of the problem? What are the lies that the devil is spreading? Why does this main secret combination seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries? Why does it bring to pass the destruction of all people?
One reason why so many refuse to awaken to the reality of our awful situation is because it is unpleasant work. I agree that we must focus on Jesus Christ and cleave unto everything that is good. The Lord and His battalions are much stronger and will prevail over the devil and his legions. But just as we know and testify of Christ, we must also understand that there is a devil, that evil exists, and that it must be done away. We must remember Nephi’s prophecy:
For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.
Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!
Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!
Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!
Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! (2 Nephi 28:19-27)
Like Nephi, Moroni was commanded to write and to warn us so 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. Like Nephi, Moroni wrote so that we may be persuaded to do good continually. Like Nephi, Moroni’s goal was to persuade each one of us to repent and come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved. This is my goal too.
Many years after Riplakish was killed and his descendants driven out of the land, a descendant of Riplakish named Morianton gathered an army of outcasts and battled against the rest of the Jaredites, gaining power over many cities. We recall that there was a land called Morianton and a people called the people of Morianton who were lead by a wicked man named Morianton among the Nephites. Teancum slew this Morianton. Evidently the Nephite Morianton did not learn from Jaredite history about his namesake.
The Jaredite Morianton, like his Nephite counterpart after him, provoked a terrible war that lasted for many years, and he established himself as king over all the land. The Jaredite Morianton was a great conquerer who established some order and unity among the Jaredites, but in the way of a demagogue and a tyrant:
And after that he had established himself king he did ease the burden of the people, by which he did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint him to be their king.
And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord.
And it came to pass that Morianton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored unto them. (Ether 10:10-12)
In other words, the Jaredite Morianton learned from some of the mistakes of his tyrant ancestor Riplakish. The Jaredite Morianton learned how to appease the people rather than oppress them. But he was not a righteous king. Nevertheless he lived a long life and begat Kim who reigned in his stead. Kim was also a wicked king, and his brother rebelled against him and brought him into captivity. In captivity, Kim begat sons and daughters, including a son named Levi who reigned in captivity in his stead. From captivity, Levi made war agains the king of the land and prevailed and obtained the kingdom unto himself.
There is something peculiar about Jaredite kingship. I’m not an expert in monarchy, but it seems strange that Jaredite kings often ruled from captivity and that they often conferred the kingdom upon a son many years before dying.
Levi turned things around for the Jaredites again because he was a righteous king, as was his son and successor Corom. Corom was succeeded by Kish, and then Lib who also reigned in righteousness and caused his people to prosper. In fact, during Lib’s righteous reign, the Lord blessed and prospered the Jaredites in miraculous ways:
And it came to pass that Lib also did that which was good in the sight of the Lord. And in the days of Lib the poisonous serpents were destroyed. Wherefore they did go into the land southward, to hunt food for the people of the land, for the land was covered with animals of the forest. And Lib also himself became a great hunter.
And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.
And they did preserve the land southward for a wilderness, to get game. And the whole face of the land northward was covered with inhabitants.
And they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain.
And they did work in all manner of ore, and they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work.
And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness.
And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash.
And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts.
And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship. (Ether 10:19-27)
I admit that when I read Moroni’s list of examples of Jaredite prosperity under the reign of the righteous King Lib, I can’t help but remember the Monte Python scene in which King Arthur and his knights consult the Book of Armaments in order to launch the holy hand grenade. There are many places in the Book of Mormon in which long lists like these are further evidence of the antiquity and authenticity of the Book of Mormon.
Even Moroni was impressed by their blessings and prosperity:
And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it. (Ether 10:28)
Lib was succeeded by his son Hearthom who reigned for twenty-four years until the kingdom was taken away from him and he served for the rest of his life in captivity, as did his son Heth, as did Heth’s son Aaron, as did Aaron’s son Amnigaddah, as did Amnigaddah’s son Coriantum. However, Coriantum’s son Com drew away half the kingdom over which he reigned for forty-two years until giving battle to the king Amgid. The battles between Com and Amgid lasted for many years until Com finally prevailed and gained power over the rest of the kingdom. The Jaredites began to degenerate in wickedness again during the reign of Com because there began to be robbers in the land who adopted the old plans, administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom. Com tried to resist them, but he was unsuccessful.
Like his father Mormon, Moroni uses his abridgment of Jaredite history to set the stage for the great lessons that he draws from that history. The Jaredite pride cycle turned until it was time for the Lord to intervene by sending prophets among them once again.