Book of Mormon Commentary - Ether 13

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 13

Ether speaks of a New Jerusalem to be built in America by the seed of Joseph—He prophesies, is cast out, writes the Jaredite history, and foretells the destruction of the Jaredites—War rages over all the land.

Ether speaks of the 'New Jerusalem' to be built in America by the covenant fulfilling seed of Joseph—Ether warns the people and is cast out, lives in the cavity of a rock where he writes the Jaredite history on the 24 golden plates, seeing the destruction of the Jaredites before hand and concurrently by night vision, recording during the day time what he was shown by night— He sees the wars raging over all of the land. [Around 590 B.C.]
1 AND now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.
2 For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether; for he truly told them of all things, from the beginning of man; and that after the waters had arecededa from off the face of this bland it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lordb; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should cserve him who dwell upon the face thereof;
3 And that it was the place of the aNew Jerusalem, which should bcome down out of heavena, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

 2a after the waters had receded Here is a statement of proof that the flood of Noah was universal. For the Jaredite record in the words of Moroni per the statements of Ether so states that the floods had been upon the western hemisphere even as it had been upon the eastern hemisphere. In considering this, we must understanding that all the lands of the Jaredites and of the Nephites, meaning all the land north and south of the narrow neck, had all been flooded. And that as the waters 'receded' so did the land begin to reappear. Often critics of the geography of the Book of Mormon state that the land of the Nephites could not have been in South America for South America is too wide to so be considered the lands of the Nephites per there descriptions and logistics times round about their lands. This might be true of all of South America, but the Book of Mormon never does present that all of South America was as it is today. In fact because of the great destruction at the death of Christ, both south and north of the narrow neck of land well would have been quite different in many respects. Also any evidence of things since the flood must be those things that have been since the flood. For the flood wiped the earth clean for a year's time of flooding. Thus the evidences for a great Amazon Sea, the benches and sea level marks left since the flood of Noah and all else which do exist, may well be considered to have been so placed upon the earth after the flood of Noah, even down to the time of the Nephites. And thus the Nephite lands need not be considered to be the full wideth of South America today.
 2b this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord This America, this land of the Jaredites is 'a choice land above all other lands'. America is a 'chosen land of the Lord'.
 3a it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven America was/is the place of this New Jerusalem. And that New Jeruslem would/will come down out of heaven being furth associated with the return of the city of Enoch.
 2a Gen. 8:3; Gen. 7:19 (11-24)
   b TG Earth, Dividing of
   c Ether 2:8
 3a 3 Ne. 20:22; 3 Ne. 21:23-24;
      TG Jerusalem, New
   b Rev. 3:12; Rev. 21:2

4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a aNew Jerusalem upon this land.
5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israela, and the aJerusalem from whence bLehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a choly city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel.
6 And that a aNew Jerusalem should be built upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of bJoseph, for which things there has been a ctype.

 5a he spake also concerning the house of Israel Ether, as did the brother of Jared, know all things as pertaining to the vision of all. And he had seen Joseph and he had seen the House of Israel and he knew concerning all about them. Thus Ether will speak or does write and Moroni does read that which Ether wrote concering all of the House of Israel and the remant of the seed of Joseph and the fulfilling of the promised blessings of the fathers through that seed of Joseph, even unto the building of the New Jerusalem by the hand of the seed of Joseph here upon this land.  4a TG Zion
 5a TG Jerusalem
   b 1 Ne. 1:18-20; 1 Ne. 2:2
   c Joel 2:18; Rev. 21:10-27;
     3 Ne. 20:46 (29-36, 46)
 6a D&C 42:9; D&C 45:66-67; D&C 84:2-5;
     A of F 10
   b Ezek. 48:5 (4-5); D&C 28:8;
     TG Israel, Joseph, People of
   c Alma 46:24-26; TG Symbolism

All Theses Jerusalems

As these verse set out there will be two Jerusalems, the 'old Jerusalem' in Palestine rebuild, therefore it could not be a 'New Jerusalem' and the 'New Jerusalem' which is to be built upon this the American continent unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph. Along with these two Jerusalem consider the City of Melchezidek, that Holy City of Peace, whose name may be transliterated into the Hebrew as 'Jerusalem', which was translated and which will likely return unto that sight as a part of that Jerusalem there in Palestine. The also consider the city of Enoch and/or a holy city which will come down out of heaven at the beginning of the Millennium which is also called and is likely to be a part of the 'New Jerusalem' upon the American continent. But this is not all. Once again further consider that before the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the premortal realm there is reference to 'Jerusalem' as those who are the Lords in that judgment council in heaven seen in the fourth recorded vision of Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 3 particularly verse 2 (See Commentary Zechariah 3:2 (all)). And with all these 'Jerusalems' which are joined together under the reign of King David, that is Jesus Christ, Jehovah, the Millennial King; is it little wonder that in Revelation 3:12 it states plainly that 'The name of the city of my God is New Jerusalem'? (See guide to the scriptures 'New Jerusalem'and Topical Guide 'Jerusalem, New') And thus it is that the people, city and Zion of the Lord Jesus is named Jerusalem from the beginning of premortal existence to the end in the great Millennial Day. And even likely always the name and meaning of 'Jerusalem' is those who are of God, ever has been and ever will be. I suppose we have yet to learn more concerning the significants and full meanings of the name Jerusalem.

7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of aEgypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should bperish nota, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.
8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this alanda; and it shall be a land of their inheritanceb; and they shall build up a holy bcity unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall cno more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.

 7a the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not The Lord brought those of Manasseh in Lehi's family, the Lord brought those of Ephriam in Ismael's seed, and the Lord also brought the royal seed of David in Mulek's seed. The house of David being the legal and lawful heirs of the blessings of the covenant of the house of Ephraim and Joseph. And the seed of Joseph being that seed which was to fulfill the covenant of the fathers, the Covenant of Abraham to the world in the latter-days. This was seen by Ether.
 8a the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land This land is the land of Joseph, the promised land of to the fulfilling of the covenant of Abraham by that seed of Joseph to all the world, that all the world and all who has lived and will live in it might be blessed according to the promises of God to the fathers through all ages of time. To this end is the restoration in our day and the rolling forth of the kingdom into all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
 8b it shall be a land of their inheritance This promised land of America is a land for the inheritance of Joseph. It is the land from which the fulfillment of the covenant promises of the father, of Abarham's covenant, should go forth to all the world. In short, this land is our land who are of Joseph. Ether knew this. The brother of Jared would have foreseen this, and Moroni recorded this as he writes an abridgment of the record of the Jaredites from the record of Ether.
 7a Gen. 46:6 (2-7); Gen. 47:6
   b 2 Ne. 3:5-24
 8a TG Promised Lands
   b Rev. 21:10-27
   c Moro. 10:31

9 And there shall be a anew heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are awhite through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

   9a Heb. 8:13; 2 Pet. 3:13 (10-13); Rev. 21:1;
       3 Ne. 12:47 (46-47); 3 Ne. 15:3 (2-10);
       D&C 101:25 (23-25)
 10a Rev. 7:14

11 And then also cometh the aJerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the bnorth countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, cAbraham.
12 And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were afirst, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.

 11a TG Israel, Gathering of; TG Israel, Land of;
       TG Jerusalem
     b D&C 133:26-35;
       TG Israel, Ten Lost Tribes of
     c Isa. 27:6
 12a Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30; 1 Ne. 13:42;
       Jacob 5:63; D&C 18:26-27; D&C 90:9

Ether Hides Himself in a Cave

13 And I was about to write more, but I am forbidden; but great and marvelous were the prophecies of Ether; but they esteemed him as naught, and cast him out; and he ahid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the peoplea.
14 And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock he made the aremainder of his record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people, by nighta.
15 And it came to pass that in that same year in which he was cast out from among the peoplea there began to be a great war among the people, for there were many who rose up, who were mighty men, and sought to destroy Coriantumr by their secret plans of wickedness, of which hath been spoken.

Night Vision 
There are those who would question whether the events of the Jaredite destruction ever really happened if they are but a record made from the 'night visions' of Ether. In so considering, they are questioning the power and the word of God. If men in America, half a world away, can view on 'tele' - vision the actual events of 12 hours previous of the wars in the middle east of Afganistan and Iraq through today's technology of man, why could not God show to Ether by visionary powers the day time destructions of the Jaredites at night? Do we consider that man can do today what God could not do anciently? Is man greater than God? Or do we believe more in the skewed media reporting today on televion, than we do believe in the power of God's visions anciently?
 13a viewing the things which should come upon the people Ether first sees the visions of the destructions of the Jaredites before they happened, first 'viewing the things which 'should' come upon the people. Later as the wars did begin, Ether was again shown these visions of destruction over the course of there occurance, they happen at day and he seeing them in vision them by night.
 14a viewing the destruction which came upon the people, by night Ether had taken refuge in a particular cavity of a rock and there he remained over the course of the battles of the Jaredites, range where they might. The battles were fought during the day time. And Ether's account recorded their day time activities, not viewing them first hand during the day but by the power of God, Ether did view the destruction activities by night. Ether did not spend his night roaming the country side searching out where the battles had gone just to briefly see something in the middle of the night and then to return back to his cavity before morning. Such would be physically prohibitive. The way that Ether to saw all the day time activities of the destructive battles upon which he reported, was by visions of such supplied by the Lord 'by night'. Ether did not see the battle fought by daylight in daylight. He was not told them by some reconnaissance day time observer. The scripture states that Ether himself 'viewed' them during the night. He could have only done this by vision. Thus Ether did not follow the courses of the battles. He need not so do as the Lord showed him the battles by night vision. And this makes the only good sense out of the matter, for Ether 'lived' by day his normal life as God's prophet, likely recording what he had seen. And by night, not leaving his place of living to wander through the darkness, Ether by 'night visions' was given the events of the battles of the Jaredites.
 15a he was cast out from among the people Ether had been cast out from among the people. He had set up his livelihood out of a cavity of a rock, his permanent residence. He did not follow after the course of all the battles of destruction as they range all across the land northward of the Jaredites. He remained at his rock house. And at night he saw the destruction that should and did come upon the Jaredites and he wrote that history of their battles of destruction by vision and not by physically trapesing the country side after them.
 13a 1 Kings 17:3 (1-16); 1 Ne. 3:27;
       Mosiah 17:4 (1-4)
 14a Ether 15:33 (13, 33)

The Visions of Ether 
For those who consider doubting the visions of Ether being so detailed to give him the ability to record the ending of the destruction of his people, there needs to be given further consideration of all the visions of Ether which he did have. Ether had writen and recorded the 'vision of all' as had been recorded by the hand of Mahonri Moriancumr, the brother of Jared. Certainly that would be a great premises for Ether's own visions to have come out of. And like Nephi's desire to see the visions of his father Lehi, who had also seen such vision of all, and Nephi then given the same visions of his father Lehi, so must we presume that Ether did also desire to see the vision of all as had been had by the brother of Jared, which Ether had been reading and recording upon his 24 plates of gold. Thus Ether did have that same vision of all which would have included the destruction of his people even before it did occur as recorded in verse 13 that he first saw the destruction which 'should' come upon his people.

Now, also in conjunction with this vision of all, of the eternal now before the eyes of Ether, he saw that coming of the New Jerusalem upon this American continent and that the Lord had brought a remnant of the house of Joseph to the Americas to be preserved. Ether saw Joseph and Joseph's being taken to Egypt as a 'type' of the Lord bring a remnant of Joseph to America for the purpose that the whole of the house of Israel might be preserved. Joseph of Egypt providing for the temporal salvation of Israel, and the remnant in America bringing forth the fulness of the Everlasting Gospel in the Book of Mormon which does brign to pass the spiritual salvation of Israel in the latter-days. Joseph of old providing the bread of life to Isreal in the wheat that was stored away and the remnant of the Book of Mormon preserving and storing up thhe bread of life, the gospel, in the record of the Nephites to the providing for spiritual salvation as man does feast upon the words thereof. The Book of Mormon is as the wheat store by Joseph which preserved the world and Israel in the days of Joseph. It is that which does preserve the world unto salvation in these latter-days. Now such was the visions of Ether. He did indeed see all things from beginning to end, then why not could he have seen in 'Night Vision' the actual detailed destrution of his people and able to record such accurately in his record? I bear witness that he did.

First Year in the Cave

16 And now Coriantumr, having studied, himself, in all the arts of war and all the cunning of the world, wherefore he gave battle unto them who sought to destroy him.
17 But he repented not, neither his fair sons nor daughters; neither the afair sons and daughters of Cohor; neither the fair sons and daughters of Corihor; and in fine, there were none of the fair sons and daughters upon the face of the whole earth who repented of their sins.
18 Wherefore, it came to pass that in the first year that Ether dwelt in the cavity of a rock, there were many people who were slain by the sword of those asecret combinations, fighting against Coriantumr that they might obtain the kingdom.

 17a Morm. 6:19 (16-22)
 18a Ether 8:9-26

Second Year in the Cave

19 And it came to pass that the sons of Coriantumr fought much and bled much.
20 And in the second year the word of the Lord came to Ether, that he should go and aprophesy unto Coriantumr that, if he would repent, and all his household, the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare the people—
21 Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself. And he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning aanother people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by thema; and every soul should be destroyed save it were bCoriantumr.

 21a he should only live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them This in it self is a curious prophecy when one come to considered the particular details of it. It was stated by Moroni quoting from Ether that, ' ... the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old ... '(Ether 13:8). And here in verse 21 Ether further prophesies that Coriantumr should live to see the fulfilling of the prophecies which had been spoken concerning another people receiving the land for their inheritance? The curiousity is this, that Coriantumr was not found by Lehi or Lehi's descendants. Coriantumr was found by Mulek, the son of King Zedekiah and his descendants. Mulek's people were the ones who did bury Coriantumr. Now had Coriantumr seen the people who would fulfill the prophecies, the prophecies of the remnant of Joseph who would receive this land for thier inheritance, who would build upon this land, or not? If Ether's prophecy is truth, then when Coriantumr beheld the people of Mulek and was later buried by them, he had seen the remanant of the people of Joseph who would inherit the land of Joseph and who would build upon it. Therefore logic sets forth that Mulek who was of the House of David, being the son of Zedekiah, was indeed part of the remnant of the House of Joseph of Egypt. How could this be? See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph.  20a Ether 15:1
     b Omni 1:21; Ether 12:1-2
 21a Ether 11:21
     b Ether 14:24; Ether 15:29-32

Ether Hides Himself Again in the Cave - 3rd - 4th Year

22 And it came to pass that Coriantumr repented not, neither his household, neither the people; and the wars ceased not; and they sought to akill Ether, but he fled from before them and hid again in the cavity of the rock.
23 And it came to pass that there arose up Shared, and he also gave battle unto Coriantumr; and he did beat him, insomuch that in the third year he did bring him into captivity.
24 And the sons of Coriantumr, in the fourth year, did beat Shared, and did obtain the kingdom again unto their father.

 22a Prov. 29:10

Chaos Reigns As Wars Continue

25 Now there began to be a war upon all the face of the land, aevery man with his band fighting for that which he desired.
26 And there were robbers, and in fine, all manner of wickedness upon all the face of the land.

 25a TG Covertousness; TG Selfishness

Valley of Gilgal - Plains of Heshlon - Valley of Gilgal

27 And it came to pass that Coriantumr was exceedingly angry with Shared, and he went against him with his armies to battle; and they did meet in great anger, and they did meet in the valley of Gilgal; and the battle became exceedingly sore.
28 And it came to pass that Shared fought against him for the space of three days. And it came to pass that Coriantumr beat him, and did pursue him until he came to the plains of Heshlon.
29 And it came to pass that Shared gave him battle again upon the plains; and behold, he did beat Coriantumr, and drove him back again to the valley of Gilgal.

Shared Dead - Coriantumr Wounded - 2 More Years of Chaos

30 And Coriantumr gave Shared battle again in the valley of Gilgal, in which he beat Shared and slew him.
31 And Shared wounded Coriantumr in his thigh, that he did not go to battle again for the space of two years, in which time all the people upon the face of the land were shedding blood, and there was none to restrain them.


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