ing to our knowledge in the characters, which are called among us the 2 creformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. 33. And if 2dour plates had been sufficiently large, we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been 2 altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. 34. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared 2 means for the interpretation thereof. 35. And these things are written, that we may rid our garments of the blood of our brethren who have 2 dwindled in unbelief. 36. And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, is 2 according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land. 37. And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them for ever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. THE BOOK OF ETHER. CHAPTER 1. 1. AND now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this "north country. 2. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the book of Ether. 3. And as I suppose that the first part of this record, which speaks concerning the creation of the world, and also of Adam, and an account from that time even to the "great 2c, see a, I. Nep. I. 2d, see a, Mor. 1. See g, Mor. 8. 2 e, 1000 years make great changes in language not printed or preserved by books. 2f, see w, Mor. 8. 2g, Mos. 8:13-18. Ether 3: 23, 28. Doc. and Cov. 17: 1. 2 h, see d, I. Nep. 2. 2i, see 8, Mor. 5. 2j, seej, . Nep. 15. a, North America. b, see k, Mos. 8. c, Mos. 28:17. Omni 1: 20-22. Mos. 28: 17. d, vers. 5, 33. tower, and whatsoever things transpired among the children of men until that time, is had among the Jews; 4. Therefore I do not write those things which transpired from the days of Adam until that time; but they are had upon the plates; and whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account. 5. But behold, I give not the full account, but a part of the account I give, from the tower down until they were destroyed. 6. And on this wise do I give the account. He that wrote this record was Ether, and he was a descendant of Coriantor; 7. Coriantor was the son of Moron; 13. And Com was the son of Coriantum; 14. And Coriantum was the son of Amnigaddah ; 15. And Amnigaddah was the son of Aaron; 16. And Aaron was a descendant of Heth, who was the son of Hearthom; 17. And Hearthom was the son of Lib; 18. And Lib was the son of Kish; 19. And Kish was the son of Corum; 20. And Corum was the son of Levi; 21. And Levi was the son of Kim; 22. And Kim was the son of Morianton; 23. And Morianton was a descendant of Riplakish; 24. And Riplakish was the son of Shez; 26. And Heth was the son of Com; 27. And Com was the son of Coriantum: 28. And Coriantum was the son of Emer; 31. And Shule was the son of Kib; 32. And Kib was the son of Orihah, who was the son of Jared; 33. Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great Tower, at the time the Lord "confounded the language of the people, and swear in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered. 34. And the brother of Jared being a large and mighty 15: 33. f, see d. J, see d. Gen. Mos. e, Ether 3: 17. 11: 7, 9. Omni 1 22. 28: 17. Gen 11: 8, 9. man, and being a man highly favoured of the Lord; for Jared his brother said unto him, cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words. 35. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon Jared; therefore he did not confound the language of Jared; and Jared and his brother were not confounded. 36. Then Jared said unto his brother, Cry again unto the Lord, and it may be that he will turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confound not their language. 37. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord, and the Lord had compassion upon their friends, and their families also, that they were not confounded. 38. And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying, Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will 'drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth. And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance. 39. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord according to that which had been spoken by the mouth of Jared. 40. And it came to pass that the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him, and sail unto him, 41. Go to and gather together thy flocks, both male and female, of every kind; and also of the seed of the earth of every kind, and "thy families; and also Jared thy brother and his family; and "also thy friends, and their families, and the friends of Jared and their families. 42. And when thou hast done this, thou shalt go at the head of them down into the valley, which is northward. And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the land of the earth. 43. And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none "greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me. j, see h. 6: 16. America. k, see h. 7, see i. m, From this verse it is seen that the brother of Jared had a plurality of families. Ether 6: 20. n, Ether o, The Lord brought them upon the western coast of North P, Ether 15: 2. CHAPTER 2. 1. AND 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. 2. And 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; 3. And 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. 4. And 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. 5. And 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. 6. And 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. 7. And 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; 8. And 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. 9. And 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; 10. For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve a, Ether 1: 42. b, Ether 1: 41. d, ver. 1. e, Ether 1: 42. inland seas of Asia. 6: 4. 9: 18, 19. c, Ether 1: 41. f, vers. 5, 14. g, Ether 1: 42. h, the i, vers. 8: 12-15. See o, Ether 1. Also see d, II. Nep. 1. 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. 11. And 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 inay not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you, as the inhabitants of the land hath hitherto done. 12. Behold, 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. 13. And now I proceed with my recor; 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 sea shore for the space of four years. 14. And 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. 15. And 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 mare my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands. 16. And 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; 17. And they were built after a manner that they were exceeding 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 k, 1. Nep. 13: 19. II. Nep. 1: 7. 10: 10-14. n, ver. 6, o, Ether 6: 7. P, Isaiah 65: 22. 1, see f. m, see i |