There’s so much in the Book of Ether. It is inexhaustibly rich. For example, I too quickly passed over this simple verse that is charged with meaning:
And they were taught to walk humbly before the Lord; and they were also taught from on high. (Ether 6:17)
This is one of the many short, pithy sentences in the Book of Mormon that merits deeper study and pondering, like Nephi’s simple and profound comment:
And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness. (2 Nephi 5:27)
Or Jacob’s concise admonition:
O be wise; what can I say more? (Jacob 6:12)
Who taught the Jaredites to walk humbly before the Lord? Jared and his brother, Mahonri Moriancumr, the patriarchs of the family, certainly taught their people, by example and by word, to walk humbly before the Lord. Their wives must have also taught their children to walk humbly before the Lord. But what do you think that it means that the Jaredites were also taught from on high?
The also is significant. As I read this verse, the work of teaching their posterity to walk humbly before the Lord was a work that Jared and his brother, and their wives could accomplish by example and by word. Furthermore, efforts to walk humbly before the Lord are a prerequisite for and preparatory to being taught from on high. The brother of Jared certainly understood what it meant to be taught from on high. But one thing that I glean from this verse is that only the meek and lowly can be taught from on high because only the meek and lowly acknowledge and are grateful for that which is above them. In other words, there is a direct connection between walking humbly before the Lord and receiving teachings from on high.
The Jaredite kingdom passed from Shule to his son Omer. Omer begat a son whom he named Jared. One would hope that with a name like Jared he would remember the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers. Sadly, Jared rebelled against his father, moved to the land of Heth, flattered many people with cunning words, and gained half the kingdom. This seems strange because Jared may have already been an heir to his father’s kingdom. But Jared rebelled and sought for power and other things that tyrants seek.
Jared was such a tyrant that he not only rebelled against his father, but he battled against him and brought him into captivity, forcing him to serve in captivity. Apparently King Omer continued to reign and to beget children, including Esrom and Coriantumr, even in captivity. We’ve already seen, and we will see more about why the name Coriantumr is important in Jaredite and Nephite history. Jared’s new brothers were angry with Jared for bringing his father, and them into captivity, and they raised an army against Jared. The army of Esrom and Coriantumr defeated Jared’s army by night, and they would have slain Jared as well. But Jared pled for his life (like King Noah earlier in the Book of Mormon), and he gave the kingdom back to his father. Therefore, Esrom and Coriantumr granted Jared his life. This merciful act may have been a mistake because Jared planned more evil:
And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world. (Ether 8:7)
Are there people among us now who are like Jared, people who have set their hearts upon the kingdom and the glory of the world? Are there people who are sorrowful when they do not obtain political power and the glory of the world?
When Jared’s beautiful but cunning daughter noticed her father’s ungodly sorrow, she devised an evil plan by which her father could obtain the kingdom and the glory of the world again. Pay attention to why this evil plan was concocted and how it was executed. It is no accident that a beautiful but evil woman was instrumental in reviving the secret combinations or conspiracies that originated with the devil and Cain. Beauty and deception are often combined to execute evil for the purpose of power and gain:
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? (Ether 8:9)
As evil as Jared’s Jezebel of a daughter was, at least we learn from her that the Jaredites brought a record of their predecessors across the ocean with them. Hopefully this record is among the many records that Mormon and Moroni stockpiled and revealed to Joseph Smith. But this record also contained an account of secret combinations, perhaps the same that originated with the devil and Cain. Moroni’s abridgment of Ether’s record of this wicked but beautiful descendent of Jared reminds us of several modern femmes fatales:
Remember that like his father Mormon, Moroni wrote for a future audience. Moroni knew that there would be women like the daughter of Jared among the modern Gentiles. Moroni knew that Hollywood, the music industry, and other organizations would operate in the same way and for the same reasons that Jared and his daughter operated. Moroni foresaw the Beyoncés, the Cardi Bs, the Kim Kardashians, the Taylor Swifts, the Britney Spears, the Katy Perrys, the Rihannas, and the Lady Gagas of modern times, and he knew their tactics for obtaining kingdoms and great glory. Moroni knew what goes on in the great and spacious building that his forefathers Nephi and Lehi saw:
And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit. (1 Nephi 8:26-27)
And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (1 Nephi 11:35-36)
By studying the plan that Jared’s daughter concocted, Moroni gives us a clue about how conspiracies are carried out in our own time:
And now, therefore, let my father send for Akish, the son of Kimnor; and behold, I am fair, and I will dance before him, and I will please him, that he will desire me to wife; wherefore if he shall desire of thee that ye shall give unto him me to wife, then shall ye say: I will give her if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king. (Ether 8:10)
Akish, son of Kimnor… I defy the world to come up with such a name. Even Tolkien in all his brilliance would be impressed by such a name.
Jared’s daughter knew that she was beautiful, and she employed her beauty in a wicked cause, for murder, gain, and power. She reminds us of the later wickedness of the woman who cost the life of the great John the Baptist:
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.
And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.
And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.
And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.
And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,
And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:22-28)
Like the daughter of Herodias, the daughter of Jared initiated her evil work with a seductive dance, the results of which were devastating for the Jaredite civilization.