Ether 9 – The Beat Goes On

Jared was bad enough, but after he gained the kingdom by having Akish kill his father, Akish then turned around and killed him. Verse 6 says everyone was wrapped up in secret combinations. It’s hard to fathom how fast a society can fall—yet we’re watching the same pattern unfold today in our own nation and across the world. Our prophets have warned us. Not everyone has listened.

Akish even starved one of his own sons. Another son, Nimrah, fled with a small group to dwell with Omer. Akish’s remaining sons won the hearts of the people—of course, with money. Filthy lucre. You can buy almost anything in this world, but you cannot buy peace. Eventually the sons went to war against their father, and nearly everyone was destroyed except Omer and the thirty souls who refused to live in wickedness. Thirty! That number still amazes me.

Omer was restored to his land, though he was getting old. (Side note: how big could his kingdom have been after so much devastation?) His son Emer became king, peace returned, and in sixty years they were strong and blessed in every good thing. Emer lived righteously enough to see Jesus (v22) and died in peace. The pattern is unmistakable: the Lord blesses those who love Him. Not always with wealth—but with peace. And isn’t that the blessing we all seek?

Coriantum, Emer’s son, was also good. He had no children until he was 102, after remarrying, and lived to 140. I can’t help wondering if people lived longer then because their land wasn’t polluted like ours. Today the soil is depleted, and poison is used to grow food. Yikes.

After Emer came Com, then Heth. As the people spread, wickedness returned. When life becomes easy, people seem to forget God. Heth embraced the old secret combinations and even killed his own father.

I was just talking with my daughter about how many young people today have never faced war, scarcity, or bondage. Many have become entitled, and hardship may be the only teacher they’ll listen to.

The prophets in Ether’s day warned the people to repent or face famine, but—as always—they were cast out. Then came the dearth: no rain, no food, and poisonous serpents driving away the flocks.

My 2020 pandemic note:
16 July 2020 — When the people finally humbled themselves, the Lord sent rain. Rain falls on everyone, which tells me they all humbled themselves. Could that happen today? Could an entire nation—or world—be humbled enough to plead with God for deliverance? If so, I fear great suffering would precede it.

Ether 12:27 reminds us that the Lord gives us weakness to make us humble. COVID made it painfully clear we can’t fix everything ourselves.

Five years later (2025):

COVID humbled many, and some saw the Lord’s hand sustaining them. But not enough hearts changed to stop the slide into wickedness. And now, the world feels even more unsettled than before. 

Ether 8 — A Chilling Reminder

It’s interesting that I landed on Ether 8 today. One of my children had a rough weekend — a blowout with her child and son-in-law that left everyone bruised. Reading this chapter, I couldn’t help noticing how contention really is one of the adversary’s greatest tools. In Ether, it destroys nations; in our lives, it destroys families and peace at every level.

The story itself is wild: a king loses his power to his son. He regains that power from a war. His son who lost the kingdom is and and his daughter steps in with a plot — Satan’s plot — to reclaim the throne. Talk about family contention! 

As a side note, I’ve reflected a few times on the “captivity” described here. It doesn’t sound like prison behind steel doors — more like living under an oppressive ruler, the way people lived behind the Berlin Wall. Limited freedoms, living in someone else’s wickedness. And right in the middle of it all is this daughter, plotting against her own grandfather. She hardly sounds like a “sweet little lady.” Ether is full of messy families — and sometimes mine feels messy too — but wow, these people take it to a whole new level.

One thing this chapter makes painfully clear is the power of influence. A woman with an impure heart helped set a nation on a path to destruction. Toxic behaviors really are contagious. We need to choose our company carefully.

Ether also warns that when people (we)  “suffer these things to be,” destruction follows. Maybe that applies to a lot of areas today — spiritually, socially, even civically. When we stop paying attention, or stop choosing wisely, we open the door to consequences we never intended.

The truth is, secret combinations didn’t stay in ancient scripture. Corruption exists in every age. As we stare down another election cycle, the choices don’t always feel great. Sometimes it feels like choosing between the lesser of evils. But even then, we’re accountable for doing our best — acting with integrity, keeping our covenants, and staying anchored to the only real power that lasts: God’s power.

Ether 8 is a sobering chapter, but it’s also a wake-up call. Contention destroys. Destruction begins with small compromises. And righteousness — quiet, steady, deliberate — still matters.

  

Ether 7 - Captivity

I’ve always paused at verse 7, where Kib is living in captivity yet still has a son, Shule, in his old age. What exactly did “captivity” look like for them? Was it anything like the captivity behind the wall that separated East Berlin from West Berlin? Probably not the same, but the idea makes me wonder.

And if Kib was in captivity, then technically Shule was too. Right? Yet Shule was free enough to enter the city where his brother Corihor reigned in Nehor. It’s one of those moments in the story that makes me stop and scratch my head a little. After Shule helps recapture the kingdom, Kib turns around and bestows it on him. And what happens? Shule rules in righteousness. Under his leadership, the people prosper and multiply — including Shule himself, with many sons and daughters.

So what set Shule apart from the others who fought for power? I think it was his ability to remember.

Remembering is a big deal. When we forget the goodness of the Lord, we lose our direction. We become like a ship without a rudder, making choices based not on righteousness but on whatever feels easiest or most self-serving in the moment. We see this in our world today — good people who start out well but slowly become influenced by money, power, or those with harmful intentions. The pattern is as old as the Book of Mormon.

So how do we keep that from happening to us?

One way is to remember our own days of “captivity” — the trials we’ve been delivered from — and to acknowledge that God’s hand was in those rescues. We keep a record of them. We talk about them. We stay grateful for the ways the Lord has restored us and continues to.

And then we keep doing the steady, simple things: following the prophets (past and present), reading the scriptures with real intent, attending our meetings, and fulfilling our callings. And perhaps the strongest safeguard of all is service. Looking outward. Keeping our eyes open for anyone who needs help. Being quick to volunteer when a need arises.

Service to the Lord is the surest way to keep ourselves free from the quiet, creeping captivity of the adversary.

Ether 6 — The Winds and the Waves

It’s a very windy morning, and as I read Ether 6, I can’t help but think about the faith it took for those people to climb into a barge they built with their own hands. No warranty from a business, no safety inspection, no customer service number to call if something went wrong. Their only assurance was from God—that He had a plan for them, that He would be their light, and that He would lead them to a promised land they had never seen except through the words of their prophet, the brother of Jared. That's as good a warranty as any I can think of.

As the wind howls outside, my imagination wanders. The Lord used the wind to push them toward the Promised Land. I picture them hurrying through last-minute preparations while the gusts picked up. Mothers calling after little ones, “Grab that last treasure and get in!” Maybe a few resistant children who didn’t want to climb aboard. They were human, after all. Yet in the end, they stepped inside and turned their lives completely over to the Lord.

And then I think about my own winds—the ones that feel troublesome and inconvenient. Maybe those very winds are what move me exactly where the Lord wants me to go, if I have the faith to let Him steer and not complain about the ride. I’ve been on a boat in the ocean before. It’s a very big place, and being tossed around can be frightening.

Being buried in the depths of the sea is something else entirely. I’ve been scuba diving, and that alone requires faith—faith that the equipment won’t fail, that the dive master knows what he’s doing, that I can calm my fears. The Jaredites had nothing but their faith in the Lord. They didn’t even know how long the journey would last. Unlike a SCUBA dive that never lasted longer than an hour for me, they were simply told to take a lot of food and trust. I don’t think any scripture story intrigues me more. You can handle anything for an hour. Right? 

Verse 7 really caught my attention today. Their vessels “were tight,” and when they were buried in the deep, they cried unto the Lord, “and He did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.” Isn’t that just like life? We think we’re managing, and then suddenly we’re overwhelmed by the waters of this imperfect world. We cry out, and the Lord lifts us back up—again. That word “again” is important. He does this over and over because that’s who He is and that’s His plan.

Verse 9 — They sang praises. Years ago when I first read that, I decided I needed more songs in my repertoire —just in case I ever found myself in deep darkness and needed reassurance. That’s when I began memorizing hymns: hymns of peace, comfort, and testimony. Next to prayer, they are my go-to lifeline when I’m troubled. Truly a blessing.

And then verse 10. They had light whether they were above the water or beneath it. What was that light? The light of Christ. We can have that same light—both when we’re riding high and when we’re submerged in the hardest parts of our lives.

But the verse that really grabs me? The one that says they were upon the water for 344 days. Can you imagine? Confined in small spaces with your family for almost a year? I would have gone a little stir crazy. And the relief they must have felt when they finally stood on solid ground—oh, there would be tears of joy.

Maybe there’s a metaphor there. When we finally reach the feet of our Savior after this long mortal journey, won’t there be tears of gratitude for the safety and tender mercies that brought us home? I sometimes wonder if I’ll feel that gratitude deeply enough. And then I remind myself, Don’t worry, Connie. You will. You’ll see the Lord’s hand in your life—clearly—and those tears will come.

And finally, verse 17. They were taught to walk humbly before the Lord, and they were also “taught from on high.” What does that mean? Were angels among them? The footnote says “Divine Revelation.” I imagine the brother of Jared—and Jared—receiving revelation as they built a new world. Fascinating to think about.

Ether 4 – The Time has Come; the Work has Begun.

Ether 4 is such a sad chapter for me. Moroni is completely alone, holding the record of Ether and his people while his own people have dwindled into unbelief. Christ commands him to hide up the records, and he does it, but I can’t help wondering what must have gone through his mind.

Moroni knew that Ether had seen the Savior — just as he had. I imagine there had to be some comfort in that. Almost a brotherhood between them, even though they lived generations apart.

So Moroni seals up the writings along with the interpreters the Lord had prepared — the Urim and Thummim — so they could be understood again someday. And Joseph Smith was the one who would open it all up. Ether 4:7 describes what he would need in order to do that:

• Faith in Jesus Christ like the brother of Jared had
• Faith strong enough to sanctify him
• Faith that opened the way for all the revelations he received

There’s also that warning about contending against what Joseph knew. I don’t think it ever gave Joseph any “peace” to know that. That’s not who he was. He didn’t want anyone to suffer. But he understood what rejecting the Lord’s word would mean for people. That must have been heavy for him.

As I read this chapter, I’m reminded of when I first started the Book of Mormon. I really did feel almost giddy. The Spirit was right there. I knew — and once I knew, I wanted to share that whenever I could. Verse 12 talks about how the truth persuades us to do good, and that good comes from Christ. That connection still reassures me that I’m on the right track.

And then verses 16–19 — those are exciting verses. When “these things” come forth (the Book of Mormon, the revelations that followed), we can know that the time has come. The work has begun. I sometimes pause after reading that and think, We are actually living in that time. No wonder President Nelson kept saying, “Do it now!”

There’s an urgency to it, but also a hopefulness. It makes me want to try a little harder and be a little better — now.

Seeing Ether 3 with New Eyes

Some scriptures feel familiar every time we read them — until one morning when they suddenly meet us in a new place. Ether 3 did that for me again today.

“Evil Continually”? Really?

Ether 3:2 includes the phrase:
“…we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually.”

I paused.
Even after repentance? I’m still evil continually?

It made me think of why prophets remind us to pray always. Not because we’re hopeless, but because our fallen nature constantly tugs us off course, and staying connected to heaven keeps pulling us back.

 

Fearful… or Filled With Joy?

In verse 6, the brother of Jared sees the finger of the Lord and is struck with fear. That reaction surprised me a little. Would I be afraid?

I remembered the first time I felt the Spirit so powerfully that I couldn’t stop smiling. My steps were light, my whole soul lifted, and I literally hugged myself because the joy was overflowing. In a moment like that, fear would feel far away. I imagine that if I had seen the Lord’s finger during that stage of my life, I’d be more thrilled than terrified.

 

The Gift of Knowing Their Character

We are blessed in a way earlier peoples weren’t. We have the Book of Mormon — a whole record that teaches us the true nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We know They don’t appear simply to condemn or punish. If we are sincerely trying, They guide, lift, and forgive.

Our faith is nourished by stories of prophets who walked their paths without the benefit of our scriptures. What a gift we have in their experiences.

 

Growing Confidence Before the Lord

In verse 10, once the brother of Jared realizes the Lord isn’t going to smite him, he finds the courage to ask for more. His confidence grows not from pride but from trust.

Then verse 13 says:
“Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall… therefore I show myself unto you.”

What did he “know”?

• He knew God and Christ were real beings with bodies like his.
• He knew They cared enough to help him, but also expected him to think, plan, and act.
• He knew They honored sincere effort even in imperfection.

A lot of this came gradually, not all at once. Weren't their language being preserved and the promise of a new land faith-building experiences along the way?

 

The Weight of Sacred Silence

Verse 21 fascinates me every time. The brother of Jared is commanded not to tell anyone he had seen the Lord. Can you imagine carrying something so sacred — and so astonishing — in absolute silence? What a heavy, holy responsibility.

But verse 22 brings peace: the promise that what he writes will one day matter.

 

A Small Insight from My Journal

I scribbled a note to myself as I studied:
I see this differently today. Write them.

I write a great deal in my journal, and much of it won’t be read until after I’m gone. Some writing is meant for the future — and some is meant for the soul right now.

Maybe that was true for the brother of Jared too. His writing served two purposes:

1. To create a sacred record of an unbelievable, intimate encounter with the Lord.
2. To give him a way to process the experience — to hold it, honor it, and heal through it.

That thought made the whole chapter unfold in a new way for me.

 

Closing Thought

Ether 3 isn’t just a story about a remarkable man seeing the Lord. It’s a story about how faith develops, how heavenly confidence grows, and how writing — quietly, privately — can become a bridge between earth and heaven.

And oh, how blessed we are that his record, written in obedience and silence, eventually found its way into our hands.

Crossing the Great Deep

Ether 2:25 captured my heart again this morning:

 

“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 word again matters, because this scripture has spoken to me before. In 2022, I wrote a note about it, and rereading my own words today reminded me just how true they still are.

 

Our Own “Great Deep”

 

Is this any different from our journey through life? Can we cross our own deep waters without the Lord’s preparation and guidance? Not in my experience.

 

Life brings waves of indifference, winds of opposition to what we know is right, and floods of challenges that come whether we want them or not. I’ve needed the Lord to prepare the way for me. When I finally learned to follow Him, the path didn’t become easy, but it did become easier. And that “easier” was a gift.

 

The Prayer That Changed Everything

 

My turning point came with my first sincere prayer in nearly ten years. That moment cracked something open inside me. My eyes began to see people placed in my path to help me. My heart softened. The scriptures—once confusing or distant—became a place of joy, even if I didn’t fully understand them. I simply exercised enough faith to believe they would help me.

 

And they did.

 

Scripture study became essential for me, not optional. After years of living without structure, purpose, or goals, the scriptures gave me direction. They gave me hope. That is a powerful thing for anyone who has grown tired of the darkness in their life.

 

Why is it so hard to turn away from that dark place? I still don’t know. But I know this: we don’t usually change until the pain becomes unbearable. A missionary friend of mine once said, “Generally, people won’t desire change until the pain is so intense they cannot take any more.”

 

I reached that point. No tragic event pushed me there—I was the tragedy. I felt dead inside. I wanted nothing except for the pain to stop.

 

And yet, when I finally prayed, I felt something unmistakable: God was listening. I can’t explain how. I can only say that He made Himself known to me in a way that told me I mattered—to Him, and to my parents, whose prayers for me I pleaded He would answer.

 

He did.

 

Nearly 50 Years Later

 

Almost five decades have passed since that first sincere prayer, and I am very aware of this truth: Satan is real, and so is the darkness he offers. I avoid it with everything in me. I never want to go back.

 

I pray every day for my children who are now in their own dark places. I pray they will find the courage to ask Heavenly Father for help—to let Him prepare their way across their own deep. Leaving the dark isn’t easy. It never has been.

 

But there is hope because Jesus Christ paid a tremendous price to bring us home. His sacrifice is liberating. It means He loves you. It means He suffered your pains and sorrows so you don’t have to carry them alone.

 

Come Into the Light

 

Turn to Him. Let His sacrifice matter in your life today. Not tomorrow. Not “someday.”

 

To echo President Russell M. Nelson:
“DO IT NOW.”

 

He is ready to prepare your way. All He asks is that you let Him.