Ether 2
People in this chapter
The Jaredites set out carrying everything they need to begin again: flocks, birds, fish in a vessel, seeds of every kind, and swarms of honey bees (vv. 1-3). The Lord meets them in the valley, speaking from a cloud, and leads them into a wilderness where there never had man been (vv. 4-6).
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Ether 2:1-6Where There Never Had Man Been
1And it came to pass that Jared and his brother, and their families, and also the friends of Jared and his brother and their families, went down into the valley which was northward, (and the name of the valley was Nimrod, being called after the mighty hunter) with their flocks which they had gathered together, male and female, of every kind. 2And they did also lay snares and catch fowls of the air; and they did also prepare a vessel, in which they did carry with them the fish of the waters. 3And they did also carry with them deseret, which, by interpretation, is a honey bee; and thus they did carry with them swarms of bees, and all manner of that which was upon the face of the land, seeds of every kind.
The Jaredites gather their families, animals, birds, fish, and seeds and go down into a valley called Nimrod. They are getting ready to start a new life.
4And it came to pass that when they had come down into the valley of Nimrod the Lord came down and talked with the brother of Jared; and he was in a cloud, and the brother of Jared saw him not. 5And it came to pass that the Lord commanded them that they should go forth into the wilderness, yea, into that quarter where there never had man been. And it came to pass that the Lord did go before them, and did talk with them as he stood in a cloud, and gave directions whither they should travel. 6And it came to pass that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges, in which they did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord.
The Lord talks with the brother of Jared from a cloud and leads the people through the wilderness. They build barges to cross many waters, guided by Him the whole way.
Ether 2:7-12The God of the Land, Who Is Jesus Christ
7And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people. 8And 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 serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them. 9And 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 swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. 10For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
The Lord promises the Jaredites a choice land, with a condition: those who live there must serve God, or they will be swept off when they become fully wicked.
11And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, 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 wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. 12Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.
Moroni speaks directly to the Gentiles of the latter days. He records this warning so that we can repent before it is too late.
Ether 2:13-15For the Space of Three Hours
13And now I proceed with my record; for behold, it came to pass that the Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth even to that great sea which divideth the lands. And as they came to the sea they pitched their tents; and they called the name of the place Moriancumer; and they dwelt in tents, and dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years. 14And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. 15And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. 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 Spirit will not always strive 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 thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands.
After four years by the sea, the Lord talks with the brother of Jared for three hours and corrects him because he had stopped calling on the Lord in prayer.
The brother of Jared repents and prays for his people. The Lord forgives them and warns that His Spirit will not always strive with people who keep sinning.
Ether 2:16-25What Will Ye That I Should Do?
16And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water. 17And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish. 18And it came to pass that the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me, and I have made the barges according as thou hast directed me. 19And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish. 20And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood. 21And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did so, according as the Lord had commanded.
The Lord tells them to build barges like the ones they built before. The barges are small, light, and sealed tight like a dish.
The brother of Jared tells the Lord the barges have no light and no air. The Lord tells him how to get air by making holes he can open and close.
22And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness? 23And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire. 24For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth. 25And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?
The brother of Jared asks again about light. The Lord explains that windows would break and fire is not allowed, because the waves will bury the barges like a whale under the sea.
Research trail
Sources & further study
These references support the historical, linguistic, manuscript, and contextual notes in this chapter. Scripture remains the primary text; external sources are provided so readers can inspect the research directly.
- Promised LandScriptures on the lands the Lord gives His people and the covenants attached to them (vv. 7-12).
- Chasten, ChasteningWhy the Lord corrects those He loves, as He corrects the brother of Jared in verse 14.
- PrayerScriptures on calling upon the name of the Lord, the thing the brother of Jared forgot (v. 14).
- JareditesOverview of the Jaredite people and their journey.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Where There Never Had Man Been
- Genesis 10:8-10He was a mighty hunter before the LORD ... And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel.
- Exodus 13:21The LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way.
- Ether 1:41-42Go to and gather together thy flocks ... and there will I meet thee.
- Alma 37:37Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.
The God of the Land, Who Is Jesus Christ
- 2 Nephi 1:7If it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them.
- John 8:36If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
- Alma 37:31Except they repent before they are fully ripe.
- Leviticus 18:28That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.The same principle given to Israel.
For the Space of Three Hours
What Will Ye That I Should Do?
- Mark 10:51What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
- 1 Nephi 18:2I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me.
- Ether 6:5-8The wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters.
- D&C 9:7-8You have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But ... you must study it out in your mind.
- Mark 4:39He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.