Ether 9
People in this chapter
Ether 9 shows Moroni's warning from chapter 8 coming true within a single generation. Akish's oath succeeds. Omer, warned in a dream, flees with his family, and Jared becomes king by the hand of wickedness (v. 4). But the combination does not stop with Omer. Akish has Jared murdered on his throne, starves his own son to death, and loses most of the people to his other sons. The war that follows destroys nearly all the people of the kingdom, until only thirty souls are left besides Omer's household (v. 12).
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Ether 9:1-6The Lord Was Merciful unto Omer
1And now I, Moroni, proceed with my record. Therefore, behold, it came to pass that because of the secret combinations of Akish and his friends, behold, they did overthrow the kingdom of Omer. 2Nevertheless, the Lord was merciful unto Omer, and also to his sons and to his daughters who did not seek his destruction. 3And the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and from thence eastward, and came to a place which was called Ablom, by the seashore, and there he pitched his tent, and also his sons and his daughters, and all his household, save it were Jared and his family.
Akish's secret group took over Omer's kingdom. But the Lord was kind to Omer and warned him in a dream to leave. Omer escaped with his family, except for Jared's family.
4And it came to pass that Jared was anointed king over the people, by the hand of wickedness; and he gave unto Akish his daughter to wife. 5And it came to pass that Akish sought the life of his father-in-law; and he applied unto those whom he had sworn by the oath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of his father-in-law, as he sat upon his throne, giving audience to his people. 6For so great had been the spreading of this wicked and secret society that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people; therefore Jared was murdered upon his throne, and Akish reigned in his stead.
Jared became king through wickedness and gave his daughter to Akish. Then Akish used the same secret oath to have Jared killed on his throne, and Akish became king.
Ether 9:7-13Desirous for Gain, Desirous for Power
7And it came to pass that Akish began to be jealous of his son, therefore he shut him up in prison, and kept him upon little or no food until he had suffered death. 8And now the brother of him that suffered death, (and his name was Nimrah) was angry with his father because of that which his father had done unto his brother. 9And it came to pass that Nimrah gathered together a small number of men, and fled out of the land, and came over and dwelt with Omer.
Akish grew jealous of his own son and starved him to death in prison. Another son, Nimrah, was angry about it and fled to join Omer.
10And it came to pass that Akish begat other sons, and they won the hearts of the people, notwithstanding they had sworn unto him to do all manner of iniquity according to that which he desired. 11Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them. 12And there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer. 13Wherefore, Omer was restored again to the land of his inheritance.
Akish's other sons bought the people's loyalty with money. War broke out between Akish and his sons and lasted for years, until almost everyone was dead. Only thirty people survived, plus Omer's household. Omer came home.
Ether 9:14-25He Even Saw the Son of Righteousness
14And it came to pass that Omer began to be old; nevertheless, in his old age he begat Emer; and he anointed Emer to be king to reign in his stead. 15And after that he had anointed Emer to be king he saw peace in the land for the space of two years, and he died, having seen exceedingly many days, which were full of sorrow. And it came to pass that Emer did reign in his stead, and did fill the steps of his father. 16And the Lord began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emer did prosper exceedingly under the reign of Emer; and in the space of sixty and two years they had become exceedingly strong, insomuch that they became exceedingly rich—
In his old age Omer had a son named Emer and made him king. Omer saw two years of peace and died. Emer was a good king like his father, and the Lord began to bless the land again.
17Having all manner of fruit, and of grain, and of silks, and of fine linen, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; 18And also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of man. 19And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms. 20And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.
The people had plenty of fruit, grain, cloth, metals, and animals. But the Lord repeated His rule: whoever owns this land must live for the Lord, or they will be destroyed when they become fully wicked.
21And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead. 22And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.
23And it came to pass that Coriantum did walk in the steps of his father, and did build many mighty cities, and did administer that which was good unto his people in all his days. And it came to pass that he had no children even until he was exceedingly old. 24And it came to pass that his wife died, being an hundred and two years old. And it came to pass that Coriantum took to wife, in his old age, a young maid, and begat sons and daughters; wherefore he lived until he was an hundred and forty and two years old. 25And it came to pass that he begat Com, and Com reigned in his stead; and he reigned forty and nine years, and he begat Heth; and he also begat other sons and daughters.
Coriantum was a good king like his father. He built cities and lived to be 142. His son Com reigned for forty-nine years.
Ether 9:26-35Prepare the Way of the Lord
26And the people had spread again over all the face of the land, and there began again to be an exceedingly great wickedness upon the face of the land, and Heth began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy his father. 27And it came to pass that he did dethrone his father, for he slew him with his own sword; and he did reign in his stead.
The people spread out again and became very wicked. Com's son Heth took up the old secret plans and killed his father to become king.
28And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent. 29But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.
30And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth. 31And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla. 32And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way; nevertheless, there were some which fled into the land southward. 33And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents.
Just as the prophets warned, there was no rain and a great famine came. Poisonous serpents came too. The animals fled, and the serpents blocked the way so the people could not follow.
34And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all. Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord. 35And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.
The people followed the animals and ate the ones that died. When they realized they would die too, they repented and prayed. When they were humble enough, the Lord sent rain and saved them from the famine.
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.
- Secret CombinationsScriptures on the combination that overthrows Omer and destroys its own makers (vv. 1-12).
- Jesus ChristScriptures on the titles of the Savior, including the Son of Righteousness Emer saw (v. 22).
- ProphetScriptures on the prophets who cried repentance in Heth's day (v. 28).
- Humble, HumilityScriptures on humility, the turning point of verse 35.
Where this echoes in Scripture
The Lord Was Merciful unto Omer
- Ether 8:22Whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations... until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed.
- Matthew 2:13The angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise... and flee.
- 1 Nephi 2:2The Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness.
- Matthew 26:52All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Desirous for Gain, Desirous for Power
- Ether 8:25It bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil.
- 1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money is the root of all evil.
- Helaman 6:38Had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils.
- Mosiah 29:17How much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!
He Even Saw the Son of Righteousness
- 3 Nephi 25:2Unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings.
- 2 Nephi 26:9The Son of Righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them.
- John 8:56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
- Ether 2:10This is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off.
- Ether 12:19Many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil.Moroni on those who saw with an eye of faith.
Prepare the Way of the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
- 1 Nephi 10:8He should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
- Jeremiah 38:6They let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire.
- Helaman 11:4Rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God.
- Helaman 12:3Except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions... they will not remember him.