Ether 3
People in this chapter
The brother of Jared took the Lord's question seriously. What will ye that I should prepare for you? (Ether 2:25). His answer is sixteen small stones, white and clear, even as transparent glass, carried to the top of a mountain (v. 1). His prayer is humble about himself and bold about the Lord: touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger ... Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this (vv. 4-5).
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Ether 3:1-5Touch These Stones, O Lord
1And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord, saying:
The brother of Jared makes sixteen clear stones from rock and carries them to the top of a high mountain to pray.
2O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires. 3Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock. 4And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea. 5Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.
In his prayer the brother of Jared admits his weakness and unworthiness, but he is completely sure of the Lord's power. He asks the Lord to touch the stones so they will shine.
Ether 3:6-13He Saw the Finger of the Lord
6And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear. 7And the Lord saw that the brother of Jared had fallen to the earth; and the Lord said unto him: Arise, why hast thou fallen? 8And he saith unto the Lord: I saw the finger of the Lord, and I feared lest he should smite me; for I knew not that the Lord had flesh and blood.
The Lord touches the stones one at a time. The brother of Jared sees the Lord's finger, which looks like a man's finger, and falls down in fear.
9And the Lord said unto him: Because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood; and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast; for were it not so ye could not have seen my finger. Sawest thou more than this?
10And he answered: Nay; Lord, show thyself unto me. 11And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak? 12And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. 13And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
The brother of Jared asks to see the Lord. The Lord asks if he will believe whatever He says, and the brother of Jared answers that God cannot lie. Because he knows this, he is brought back into the Lord's presence.
Ether 3:14-16Behold, I Am Jesus Christ
14Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
Jesus calls Himself the Father and the Son. Other Book of Mormon prophets explain why: He is the Son because He took a body of flesh, and He becomes a Father to all who are born again through Him. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings.
15And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image. 16Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh.
The Lord tells the brother of Jared that all people were created in His image. The body he is seeing is the Lord's spirit body, and it looks the way the Lord will look when He comes in the flesh.
Ether 3:17-20He Could Not Be Kept from Within the Veil
17And now, as I, Moroni, said I could not make a full account of these things which are written, therefore it sufficeth me to say that Jesus showed himself unto this man in the spirit, even after the manner and in the likeness of the same body even as he showed himself unto the Nephites. 18And he ministered unto him even as he ministered unto the Nephites; and all this, that this man might know that he was God, because of the many great works which the Lord had showed unto him.
Moroni explains that Jesus showed Himself to the brother of Jared as a spirit, in the same form He had when He visited the Nephites after His Resurrection.
19And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting. 20Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him.
The brother of Jared's faith became knowledge. Because he knew, nothing doubting, he could not be kept from seeing within the veil.
Ether 3:21-28Write These Things and Seal Them Up
21And it came to pass that the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt not suffer these things which ye have seen and heard to go forth unto the world, until the time cometh that I shall glorify my name in the flesh; wherefore, ye shall treasure up the things which ye have seen and heard, and show it to no man. 22And behold, when ye shall come unto me, ye shall write them and shall seal them up, that no one can interpret them; for ye shall write them in a language that they cannot be read. 23And behold, these two stones will I give unto thee, and ye shall seal them up also with the things which ye shall write. 24For behold, the language which ye shall write I have confounded; wherefore I will cause in my own due time that these stones shall magnify to the eyes of men these things which ye shall write.
The Lord tells the brother of Jared not to share what he has seen until after Jesus comes in the flesh. He is to write it in a language no one can read and seal it up.
The Lord gives the brother of Jared two stones to seal up with his record. In the latter days these stones help translate it.
25And when the Lord had said these words, he showed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and he withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth. 26For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things. 27And the Lord said unto him: Write these things and seal them up; and I will show them in mine own due time unto the children of men. 28And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that he should seal up the two stones which he had received, and show them not, until the Lord should show them unto the children of men.
The Lord shows the brother of Jared everyone who had ever lived and everyone who would live. He tells him to write it down and seal it, along with the two stones.
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.
- Jared, Brother ofScriptures on the prophet whose faith brought him into the Lord's presence.
- Jesus ChristScriptures on the premortal Christ, the Creator, and the Redeemer prepared from the foundation of the world (v. 14).
- Spirit CreationBackground for verses 15-16: man created after the body of the Lord's spirit.
- Urim and ThummimThe two stones the Lord gave the brother of Jared to seal up with his record (vv. 23-24, 28).
- VeilScriptures on the veil that was taken from the brother of Jared's eyes (vv. 6, 19-20).
Where this echoes in Scripture
Touch These Stones, O Lord
- Ether 6:2-3Thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children.
- Luke 1:37For with God nothing shall be impossible.
- Mosiah 4:5Awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state.
- Isaiah 6:5Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.Another prophet's humility before the Lord.
He Saw the Finger of the Lord
- John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
- Mosiah 3:5The Lord Omnipotent ... shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay.
- Enos 1:6I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
- Ether 12:20So great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared.
- D&C 130:22The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also.
Behold, I Am Jesus Christ
- 1 Peter 1:19-20Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.
- Mosiah 15:2-3The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh.
- Mosiah 5:7Ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters.
- Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
- D&C 77:2That which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal ... the spirit of man in the likeness of his person.
He Could Not Be Kept from Within the Veil
- 3 Nephi 11:14-15Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side ... and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands.
- Alma 32:34Your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant.
- Ether 12:19-21Many whose faith was so exceedingly strong ... could not be kept from within the veil.
- D&C 93:1Every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me ... shall see my face and know that I am.
Write These Things and Seal Them Up
- D&C 17:1The Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face.
- Mosiah 28:13-16Those two stones which were fastened into the two rims of a bow ... and whosoever has these things is called seer.
- Moses 1:27-28He beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not.
- 1 Nephi 14:26To them hath he shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up to come forth in their purity.
- 2 Nephi 27:10The revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord.