- 1Now I Moroni will next give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the Lord’s hand in this northern land. 2I’m taking my account from the 24 plates found by Limhi’s people — and this is called the book of Ether. 3Because I believe the first part of this record is also part of the record of the Jews (which has to do with the creation of the world and Adam, and contains an account from that time up until the great tower, and everything that happened among mankind up to that time), 4I’m not including anything that happened from Adam’s time until then. But they’re included on the plates, and whoever finds them will be able to read the full account. 5Therefore I’m not giving the full account, only a partial account, from the time of the tower until they were destroyed.
- 6This is how I summarize their record: The one who wrote this record was Ether, and he was a descendant of Coriantor. 7Coriantor was the son of Moron; 8Moron was the son of Ethem; 9Ethem was the son of Ahah; 10Ahah was the son of Seth; 11Seth was the son of Shiblon; 12Shiblon was the son of Com; 13Com was the son of Coriantum; 14Coriantum was the son of Amnigaddah; 15and Amnigaddah was the son of Aaron. 16Aaron was a descendant of Heth, who was the son of Hearthom. 17Hearthom was the son of Lib; 18Lib was the son of Kish; 19Kish was the son of Corom; 20Corom was the son of Levi; 21Levi was the son of Kim, 22and Kim was the son of Morianton. 23Morianton was a descendant of Riplakish; 24Riplakish was the son of Shez; 25Shez was the son of Heth; 26Heth was the son of Com; 27Com was the son of Coriantum; 28Coriantum was the son of Emer; 29Emer was the son of Omer; 30Omer was the son of Shule; 31Shule was the son of Kib; 32Kib was the son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared, 33and this Jared came out from the great tower with his brother and their families, along with some others and their families, when the Lord confused the people’s language and made an oath, in His wrath, to scatter them throughout the world; and so the people were scattered.
- 34Jared’s brother was a large and powerful man, and because he was very blessed by the Lord, Jared said to him: Cry to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to not let us become confused and unable to keep a clear understanding of our language. 35Jared’s brother cried to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord had compassion on Jared. As a result, He didn’t confuse Jared’s language, and Jared and his brother weren’t disconnected. 36Then Jared told his brother: Cry to the Lord again in prayer — perhaps He’ll turn His anger away from those who are our friends and not confuse their language. 37Jared’s brother cried to the Lord in prayer, and the Lord had compassion on their friends and families as well so that they weren’t divided and disconnected. 38Jared again said to his brother: Go and ask the Lord whether He intends to lead us out of the land. If He does intend to lead us out of the land, ask Him: Where are we to go? And who knows, it’s possible the Lord will lead us to a land that’s specially chosen and better than all other places on earth. If so, let’s be faithful to the Lord, so we can receive it from Him. 39And Jared’s brother cried to the Lord in prayer, in accordance with what Jared asked. 40The Lord heard Jared’s brother and had sympathy on him and told him: 41Get to work and gather your flocks of every kind, both male and female; and seeds of every kind; and your family, and your brother Jared and his family, and your friends and their families, and Jared’s friends and their families.
- 42When you’ve done this, you must lead them down into the valley to the north. I’ll meet you there and lead you to a land that’s specially chosen and better than all other places on earth. 43I’ll bless you and your descendants there and raise up a great nation to Me from your descendants, your brother’s descendants, and from those who go with you. No other nation on earth will be greater than the one I’ll raise up to Me from your descendants. I’ll do this for you because of your persistent prayers.
- 2Then Jared and his brother and their families, as well as the friends of Jared and his brother and their families, went down into the valley to the north. The name of the valley was Nimrod, being named for the powerful hunter. They traveled with their flocks of every kind they had gathered, male and female. 2They also laid snares and caught birds. They also prepared a vessel, in which they carried fish. 3They also took with them deseret — a word that means honey bee. So they took with them swarms of bees and a variety of seeds they gathered from the land.
- 4When they had come down into the valley of Nimrod, the Lord came down and talked with Jared’s brother. He was in a cloud and Jared’s brother didn’t see Him. 5The Lord commanded them to travel into the wilderness, to a region where no one had ever been. The Lord led them, talking with them as He stood in a cloud, giving them directions on where to travel. 6They traveled in the wilderness and built small ships, crossing many bodies of water in these ships while being continually guided by the Lord. 7The Lord wouldn’t allow them to remain in the wilderness beyond the sea, but His desire was for them to proceed all the way to the land of promise, which was specially chosen and better than all other places on earth, which the Lord God had saved for a righteous people. 8He had sworn in His wrath to Jared’s brother that whoever occupied this land of promise, from that time forward and forever, must serve Him, the true and only God, or they would be swept away when they provoked His full wrath upon them.
- 9Now we’ll witness God’s decrees concerning this land, and whoever occupies this land of promise must serve God, or they’ll be swept away when they provoke His full wrath upon them. The full extent of God’s wrath will be provoked when they’ve ripened in iniquity. 10This is a land that’s specially chosen and better than all other places on earth. That being the case, those who inhabit it must serve God or they’ll be swept away because of God’s everlasting decree. But they aren’t swept away until there’s a fullness of iniquity among the occupants of the land. 11This is coming to you, Gentiles, so you can know God’s decrees, so you can repent and not continue in your iniquities until the fullness has come, so you don’t provoke the full extent of God’s wrath upon you as the inhabitants of the land have all done before. 12This is a choice land; and any nation that inhabits it will be free from enslavement and captivity and from all other nations under heaven if they will only serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who’s been revealed to you through the things we’ve written.
- 13Now I’ll continue with my record. The Lord brought Jared and his companions all the way to the great sea separating land masses. When they arrived at the sea, they pitched their tents and named the place Moriancumer. They lived in tents at the seashore for four years. 14Then at the end of the four years, the Lord again came to Jared’s brother and stood in a cloud and talked with him. The Lord talked with Jared’s brother for three hours and chastised him because he didn’t remember to call on the Lord’s name. 15Jared’s brother repented of that evil and called on the Lord’s name on behalf of his companions who were with him. The Lord said to him: I’ll forgive you and your companions of their sins, but you must not sin anymore. You must remember that My Spirit won’t always influence mankind. Therefore if you persist in doing evil until you’re fully ripe, you’ll be cut off from the Lord’s presence. These are My conditions for the land I’ll give you as an inheritance, since it will be a specially chosen land better than all other places on earth.
- 16Then the Lord said: Go to work and build small ships like you’ve built before. And Jared’s brother began to work along with his companions and built ships patterned after those built previously, following the Lord’s instructions. They were small and light on the water, just like the buoyancy of waterfowl. 17They were built watertight, so they would hold water like a bowl. The bottom part of each ship was watertight like a bowl, and the sides were also watertight like a bowl, and the ends were peaked, and the top was watertight like a bowl, and the length of each ship was the length of a tree, and the doors — when shut — were watertight, like a bowl. 18Then Jared’s brother cried out to the Lord, saying: O Lord, I’ve finished the work You’ve commanded me to do, and I’ve made the ships as You’ve directed me. 19But, O Lord, there’s no light in them. How will we steer? We’ll suffocate, because we only have the limited air inside them to breathe; therefore we’ll die. 20The Lord said to Jared’s brother: Make a hole in the front and back of each ship. Whenever you need more air, unplug the holes to let in air. If water rushes in on you, plug the hole so you don’t sink from the water that comes pouring in.
- 21Jared’s brother did as the Lord commanded. 22Then he cried out again to the Lord, saying: O Lord, I’ve done just as You’ve commanded and prepared the ships for my people. But there’s no light in them. O Lord, are You going to let us cross the sea in darkness? 23The Lord asked Jared’s brother: What do you want Me to do to provide light in your ships? You can’t have windows, since they would be dashed into pieces. You aren’t to use fire, since you can’t light a fire. 24You’ll be like a whale in the sea, with mountainous waves crashing over you. However, I’ll protect you as you cross the deep sea; because the winds blow at My word, and I also control the rains and floods. 25I’ll prepare you; and unless I prepare you for the ocean waves, the blowing winds, and the floods that are coming, you won’t be able to cross. Therefore what other preparation do you want from Me in order to light the vessels to cross the depths of the sea?
- 3Now there were eight ships prepared. Jared’s brother went to the mountain, which they called Mount Shelem because of its great height, and smelted from a rock 16 small stones; they were white and clear, like transparent glass. He carried them in his hands up to the top of the mountain and cried out again to the Lord, saying: 2O Lord, You’ve said the sea will surround us. Now, O Lord, don’t be angry with Your weak servant, because we recognize You are holy and live in the heavens and we are unworthy, and because of the Fall, our natures have become evil continually. Nevertheless, O Lord, You’ve given us a commandment to call on You, so we can receive from You what we ask. 3O Lord, because of our iniquity You’ve led us out through difficulties and afflictions, and for many years we’ve lived in the wilderness, but You’ve continually been merciful to us. O Lord, take pity on me and take away Your anger toward us, Your people. Don’t let us cross the sea in darkness, but use these stones I’ve smelted from the rock. 4I know, O Lord, that You have all power and can use anything You want as a blessing for mankind. Therefore touch these stones with Your finger, O Lord, and prepare them so they can shine in the dark; and they’ll give light for us in the ships we’ve prepared, so we can have light as we cross the sea. 5O Lord, You’re able to do this. We know that You’re able to display great power that looks ordinary to people’s understanding.
- 6When Jared’s brother had said these words, the Lord stretched out His hand and touched the stones one by one with His finger. And the veil was taken from the eyes of Jared’s brother, and he saw the Lord’s finger. It was like a man’s finger, like flesh and blood; and Jared’s brother fell down before the Lord because he was afraid. 7The Lord saw the brother of Jared had fallen to the ground and He said to him: Get up. Why have you fallen down? 8He answered the Lord: I saw the Lord’s finger and I was afraid He would strike me, because I didn’t know the Lord had flesh and blood. 9The Lord said to him: Because of your faith you’ve seen that I’ll take upon Myself flesh and blood. None of those now living have approached Me with such great faith as you have; otherwise, you couldn’t have seen My finger. Did you see more than this? 10He answered: No, Lord. Show Yourself to me. 11And the Lord asked him: Do you believe the words I will speak? 12He replied: Yes, Lord, I know that You speak the truth, since You’re a God of truth and can’t lie.
- 13When he had said these words, the Lord showed Himself to him and said: Because you know these things, you are redeemed from the Fall. Therefore you’re brought back into My presence, so I show Myself to you. 14I Am the one who was prepared from the foundation of creation to redeem My people. I Am Jesus Christ, I Am the Father and the Son. In Me all mankind, who believe in My name, will have life, and they’ll have it eternally; they’ll become My sons and daughters. 15I have never shown Myself to those I created who are now living, because none of them have believed in Me as you have. Do you see you’re created according to My own image? Indeed, all mankind were created in the beginning in My own image. 16This body you see right now is the body of My Spirit. I formed mankind in the image of My Spirit body. As I appear to you in the Spirit, so will I appear to My people in the flesh.
- 17Now as I Moroni told you I couldn’t make a full account of this record, therefore it’s enough for me to say Jesus showed Himself to this man in the Spirit, in the same way and in the same bodily form as He showed Himself to the Nephites. 18He ministered to him just as He ministered to the Nephites — and He did this to let this man understand He was God because of the many great things the Lord revealed to him. 19Because of this man’s knowledge, he couldn’t be kept from seeing inside the veil. And he saw Jesus’ finger, and when he saw it, fear came over him and he fell down, because he knew it was the Lord’s finger. His faith was replaced by knowledge, since he knew without any doubt. 20So because he had this perfect knowledge of God, he couldn’t be kept outside the veil. Therefore he saw Jesus, and Jesus ministered to him.
- 21The Lord said to Jared’s brother: You must not allow these things that you’ve seen and heard to be revealed to the world until the time comes when I glorify My name in the flesh. Therefore you must carefully preserve what you’ve seen and heard, and show it to no one. 22At the end of your life, you must write these things down and seal them up, so no one can translate them; and you’ll write them in a language that can’t be understood. 23And I provide you with these two stones to also seal up with the things you write. 24I made the language you write in impossible for others to understand. Therefore I’ll use these stones, at the right time, to let people understand what you write. 25When the Lord said this, He showed Jared’s brother everyone who had lived and would live on earth. The Lord didn’t keep them from his sight, not even those living in the farthest parts of the earth. 26The Lord had previously told him that if he would believe in Him, if he would believe He could show him all things, then they would be shown to him. Therefore the Lord couldn’t keep anything from him since he knew the Lord could show him all things.
- 27The Lord told him: Write these things down and seal them up under My care; I’ll reveal them at the right time to mankind. 28And the Lord commanded him to seal up the two stones he had received and hide them until the Lord provides them to mankind. 4Then the Lord commanded Jared’s brother to descend the mountain from the Lord’s presence and write everything he had seen. And they were forbidden to come to mankind until after He had been lifted up on the cross. This is the reason king Benjamin kept them secure, so they wouldn’t be known to the world until after Christ showed Himself to His people. 2After Christ had truly shown Himself to His people, He commanded them to be revealed.
- 3Now after they’ve all dwindled in unbelief and only Lamanites remain, who have rejected Christ’s gospel — I’ve been commanded to hide them away again in the ground. 4I’ve written on these plates the very things Jared’s brother saw. Greater things were never revealed than those things revealed to Jared’s brother. 5Therefore the Lord has commanded me to write them down and I’ve written them. He also commanded me to seal them up under His care. He has also commanded me to protect the ability to translate them, so I’ve sealed the Interpreters according to the Lord’s commandment. 6The Lord told me: They must not go to the Gentiles until they repent of their iniquity and become clean before the Lord. 7The Lord said: When they exercise faith in Me, just as Jared’s brother did, so that they become sanctified in Me, then I’ll show them the things Jared’s brother saw, even providing all My revelations to them. This is what Jesus Christ said, who’s the Son of God the Father of the heavens and the earth, and everything in them.
- 8Let any who fight against the Lord’s word be cursed. And any who deny these things, let them be cursed, as Jesus Christ has said: I won’t show any greater things to them for I Am the one who speaks. 9At My command, the heavens open and shut, and at My word the earth will shake. At My command, those living on earth will die by fire. 10Those who don’t believe My words don’t believe My disciples. If you think I don’t speak, decide for yourself; but you’ll know on the last day that I Am the one who speaks. 11And I’ll visit those who believe the things I’ve spoken by the manifestations of My Spirit. They’ll know and testify; because of My Spirit, they’ll know these things are true, since they persuade mankind to do good. 12Anything that persuades people to do good comes from Me, because good comes from no one other than Me. I Am the same one who leads people to everything good.
- Those who refuse to believe My words won’t believe in Me, that I Am. And those who refuse to believe in Me won’t believe in the Father, who sent Me. For I Am the Father. I Am the light, the life, and the truth of the world. 13Come to Me, Gentiles, and I’ll show you the greater things, knowledge that’s hidden away because of unbelief. 14Come to Me, O house of Israel, and it will be revealed to you how the Father has great things in store for you from the foundation of creation that you haven’t received because of unbelief. 15When you move aside the veil of unbelief that causes you to remain in your awful state of wickedness and hardness of heart and blindness of mind, then the great and miraculous things that have been hidden away from you from the foundation of creation will come to you. When you call on the Father in My name with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then you’ll know, O house of Israel, that the Father remembers the covenant He made to your fathers. 16Then the revelations I had My servant John write will be understood by everyone. Remember, when you see these things, you’ll know that the time is near when they will be revealed. 17Therefore when you receive this record, you can know the Father’s work has begun throughout the land. 18So repent, everyone, throughout the world. Come to Me, believe in My gospel, and be baptized in My name. Because anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved, but anyone who doesn’t believe will be condemned. Signs will follow those who believe in My name. 19Those who are found faithful to My name on the last day will be blessed, for they’ll be lifted up to live in the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of creation. I Am the one who has spoken it. Amen.
The Book of Ether
Chapter 1