Noah, the Jaredites, and America's Higher Purpose
Book of Mormon Notes - Thursday, April 25, 2024, Ether 2, Part 2
I haven’t even remarked yet about the parallels between the story of Noah and the story of the brother of Jared. There are a lot of similarities, and they are not accidental. Many of these parallels pertain to the story of Lehi and his family as well. These patterns and types are even more significant because they point us to Jesus Christ. They are types of Christ. Moreover, they are types of the last days:
Now learn a parable of the afig tree—When its branches are yet tender, and it begins to put forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh at hand;
So likewise, mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors;
But of that day, and hour, no one aknoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only.
But as it was in the days of aNoah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;
For it shall be with them, as it was in the days which were before the aflood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;
And aknew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. (Joseph Smith - Matthew 1:38-43)
As it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of the brother of Jared, and as it was in the days of Lehi… we need to prepare our arks, barges, and ships. Before we address the topic of the Promised Land, let’s take note of a few parallels between the story of Noah and that of the brother of Jared:
Both Noah and the brother of Jared were righteous prophets who lived in the midst of a wicked society on the verge of punishment or destruction
The Lord spoke with both Noah and the brother of Jared
The Lord covenanted with both Noah and the brother of Jared
Both Noah and the brother of Jared prepared vessels (an ark and barges)
Both Noah and the brother of Jared gathered creatures, male and female
It is likely that both Noah and the brother of Jared used shining stones to light their vessels
We can notice more parallels along the way.
What was the travel path of the Jaredites? Much ink has been spilt on this topic. (See, e.g. here, here, here, here, here, and here). Did they travel east or west? Where did they land? The simple answer is that we don’t know yet. My current guess is that they travelled east, crossing through Asia and traversing the Pacific, and landing on the west coast of North America. I don’t know why we have to assume that the Jaredites landed in Meso-America. But if the Jaredites ended up in the northeastern region of North America, how did that happen? Again, I don’t know. We don’t know. But it is an interesting question to consider. Perhaps we’ll gain more insights on this topic as we study together. Whatever their travel path, the Lord directed them through the wilderness, and with barges across many waters. They were directed continually by the hand of the Lord.
Eventually, the Jaredites reached a spot that was beyond the sea in the wilderness, to the great sea which divides the lands, where they camped for four years. But the Lord did not want them to stop there, just as he did not want Lehi and his family to stop in Bountiful. His plan was to direct them to the aland of promise. This brings us back to my previous questions: What is the promised land of which the brother of Jared and Moroni wrote? Why is this promised land so special?
We often speak of the promised land, but the phrase “land of promise” is significant. It wasn’t merely a territory that the Lord promised to give to the brother of Jared and his people for an inheritance, it was a land in which the Lord promised to bless, multiply, and prosper them. It was a land of promise because the Lord promised to make the Jaredites the greatest nation on earth in that land. It was choice above all other lands. It was set apart, consecrated, and bpreserved by the Lord for a righteous people. It is symbolic of the Heavenly City, and the place of the future New Jerusalem that will receive Enoch’s Heavenly City of Zion:
And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should aserve him, the true and only God, or they should be bswept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.
And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be aswept off when the fulness of his bwrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are cripened in iniquity.
For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be aswept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the bfulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are cswept off. (Ether 2:8-10)
Much ink has been spilt and there is much contention over the meaning of “this land.” In my opinion, it is ridiculous and futile to argue over the meaning of “this land” because it is not a primary, or even a secondary question. It’s an interesting tertiary question. Sadly, many people continually pound the note of Book of Mormon geography until it drowns out the symphony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Or, to use another metaphor, many people use Book of Mormon geography as the lens through which they see everything. Jesus Christ and His Gospel are the symphony and the lens through which we can most clearly see the truth about all things.
To be clear, the question of Book of Mormon geography is interesting and important. It is something worth researching and studying. My personal opinion, and what makes most sense to me at this point, is that when Moroni wrote of “this land” he referred specifically to North America, especially the place that is now the territory of the United States of America. As wonderful as South and Central America are, it makes sense to me that the Book of Mormon prophets foresaw and prophesied particularly about “this land” that is now the United States of America.
This is my personal opinion. Regardless of where Lehi, the Mulekites, the Jaredites, or others first landed and colonized “this land” - whether in Chile or Guatemala, or Florida or Alaska or wherever else they may have been - the important thing is that the Lord brought them to this land of promise and revealed His dealings with His people through the Book of Mormon. But let’s listen again to Moroni’s direct address to the latter-day Gentiles:
And this cometh unto you, O ye aGentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the bwrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.
Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be afree from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but bserve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:11-12)
I admit that I am enthralled by the story of Simon Bolivar and the liberation of five nations in South America. It is a great story about which we in North America ought to learn more. But I don’t think that Moroni focused primarily on South America, or even Central America (Meso-America). Moroni knew the decrees of God concerning this land of promise, and his purpose was to reveal these decrees of God concerning this promised land to the future inhabitants of this land in order for them to avoid the fate of two prior civilizations that were destroyed. Moroni’s purpose was to persuade us, latter-day inhabitants of the land of promise, to repent.
When Moroni write that “this is a choice land,” does he refer to the entire western hemisphere, all of North, Central, and South America? Perhaps. Again, it is an interesting tertiary question. In my personal opinion, it is difficult for me to read these passages without thinking immediately of the establishment of the United States of America and how the Lord delivered us from the bondage and captivity of all other nations, particularly Great Britain. Nephi wrote extensively about the discovery, colonization, and prosperity of the United States of America. But the principle that Moroni teaches is that the freedom and blessings of the choice land will only be assured if we bserve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the whole primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is to reveal the God of this land, Jesus Christ.
Elder Holland describes the origins of America from an eternal perspective:
America is such a place, but of course it wasn’t always called America nor has it always been identified by a distinctive continental shape. Originally it was simply a portion of that large, single land mass which God in his creative process called “Earth” and which, when completed, was pronounced “good.” (Gen. 1:10.) Whatever its name and geographical configuration, however, it was from the beginning a land of divinity as well as a land of destiny.
Elder Holland describes the history of this promised land from the days of Adam and Eve, through the flood, to the Jaredites, and then the Lehites. Then he describes the discovery, colonization, and establishment of the United States of America. It is a great article. I love Elder Holland’s descriptions of Columbus, George Washington, and the Prophet Joseph Smith. Elder Holland explains the higher, eternal purpose of the United States of America. This is also the purpose of which Moroni wrote. These are some things to remember as we proceed with our study of Moroni’s abridgment of the Jaredite record.
The Lord brought the brother of Jared and his people to the great sea that divides the lands. Was it the Pacific or the Atlantic? I don’t know. My guess is that it was on the shores of Pacific Ocean that the brother of Jared and his people camped for four years, and named the place, after the brother of Jared, Moriancumer. (Ether 2:13) After four years, the Lord came again to the brother of Jared in a cloud and spoke with him. This wasn’t a brief, casual visit. The Lord spoke with the brother of Jared for three hours and chastened him because he forgot to pray. (Ether 2:14) The brother of Jared promptly repented, and he prayed on behalf of his people. The Lord’s response to the brother of Jared’s penitent plea is a response that Moroni surely wanted his latter-day audience (us) to take to heart:
And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my aSpirit will not always bstrive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my cthoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land dchoice above all other lands. (Ether 2:15)
Throughout the Book of Mormon we learn that the Lord has a special plan and purpose for this choice land, and that He will accomplish His plan by blessing His penitent covenant people and sweeping away the wicked. The Lord revealed some of His purposes for this promised land to Nephi’s brother Jacob:
Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a arighteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. (Jacob 2:25-26)
In preparation for their journey to the promised land, the Lord commanded the brother of Jared to go to work and build more barges like the barges that they had already built. The Lord instructed them - as He also instructed Noah and Nephi - specifically regarding the manner in which the barges should be built. The construction and preparation of the barges, and the brother of Jared’s communication with the Lord regarding these this process merits deeper study and exploration in a new post.