|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 9The kingdom passes from one to another by descent and intrigue and murder—Emer saw the Son of Righteousness—Many prophets cry repentance—A famine and poisonous serpents plague the people. |
||
|
1 AND now I, Moroni, proceed with my
record. Therefore, behold, it came to pass that because of the
asecret combinations of Akish and his friends, behold, they
did overthrow the kingdom of Omer.
2 Nevertheless, the Lord was merciful unto Omer, and also to his sons and to his daughters who did not seek his destruction. 3 And the Lord awarned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer bdeparted out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of cShima, and came over by the place dwhere the Nephites were destroyedb, 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.
But the discription is verse three worded the same way cause a vast extent of a 'condensation error' on the part of the limited model of building a Book of Mormon map. Why? Simply because 'we don't know, we don't have a knowledge, we don't have a mapped knowledge' of where the hill Shim was or where the place where the Nephites were destroyed. Or do we? For those who accept that Cumorah in New York is the Cummorah of the Book of Mormon, there is at least one such site of understanding. And if one accept's Joseph Smith's statement concerning Lehi's landing (TPJS p. 267), there is another such 'known' point. If I were to explain that the land of Antum and the hill of Shim was located up and in the Yucatan Peninsula, and Moroni was just commenting on the fact that in the Lamanite and Nephite wars, and those 10 years of retreat, that the Yucatan got 'by passed' by the Nephite retreat and the Lamanite attach of taking possess of the land, so Moroni reports that as part of the big view of such, would it be acceptably understandable? If I state it thus, 'From the narrow neck of land of the site of the city of Desolation to the final retreat of the Nephites ending at the Hill of Cumorah, only the Yucatan Peninsula, where the hill of Shim was located, was passed by.' Certainly if one had a map and a knowledge that the Book of Mormon lands extended from the narrow neck landing sites to the hill of Cumorah in New York, Moroni's statement in Ether 9:3 would be so understood as such a statement of saying the 'hill of Shim was by passed. And why would Moroni think that we'd like to know that? Perhaps today some archeologist, explorer, or tourist will just happen to stumble accross it and it will be a great find to the students of the Book of Mormon. Wouldn't you think? I suggest if someone really wants to make a name for themselves that they go and find that storage cave of Shim somewhere in the Yucatan. Good luck! There are countless caves in the Yucatan. Maybe you can find a 'dry one' with some writing or other tale-tell signs in it? Like the Balankanche Cave? Or maybe it doesn't have to be a cave at all, just a structure built on the hill Shim? See Yucatan's Mysterious Hill Cities. |
3a came over and passed by the hill of
Shim Now those who promote the limit geographic theory of the Book
of Mormon tout this description with great fervor stating it 'proves' that
the hill Cumorah and the hill Shim were near to the land of Moron and to that
east coast to which Omer fled. They quick read their way beyond the highly
condensed abridgment and make this description a 'detailed account' of the
journey. One might so conclude upon a summary statement concerning Lewis and
Clarke which would state that they passed by the Mississippi river and came
over the Rocky Mountains to the western coast and conclude that but to be
a short jog. Or that the saints traveled to winter quarters and thus on
passed chimney rock and thence down into the Salk Lake valley or even that
Columbus sailed but one sea to arive in America. Such short descriptions of
travel, escpecially when they are of an abridged nature tell one nothing
concerning space and distance. Moroni merely inserts two point of commonality
with the Nephite record, of Shim and Cumorah. And since the route came over
the hill Shim rather than around it, one might even conclude that Shim is a
sizable range which was needful to travel over and across rather than to pass
merely to the side of it. Certainly if one travels due east from the
Mesoamerican theory's proposed Cumorah there is but a day's walk to Ablom.
Thus the limited theorist would have one believe that it was but a 'few days'
journey to Ablom rather than what the Book of Mormon states to be 'many days'.
3b by the place where the Nephites were destroyed Now this reference to the passing by of Cumorah, that being the place of the Nephite destruction without any such reference to the final Jaredite destruction is but an indirect evidence that after the four years of gathering in the people of the Jaredites unto the army of Shiz or the army of Coriantumr, that those armies had so removed themselves from Ramah, the same is Cumorah, and thus the final great battle of the Jaredites was not fought at Cumorah. Else one would think that the reference here would have mentioned this as being the place of the final destruction of the Jaredites as well as the Nephites. There is nothing in the Book of Mormon that states that the Jaredites fought their last great battle at the hill Ramah. Ramah was but the last mention site before the four years of gathering in the people from all the quarters of the land. And Raman was not a central place to gather to, but a remote corner. Thus logic, beyond the traditional quick presumption, would suggest that the Jaredite great last battle was fought in a place more central to the remaining Jaredite populous rather than everyone returning to the remote hill Ramah. And this reference does support that conclusion indirectly. |
1a
Ether 8:15 (13-17) 3a TG Dream; TG Warnings b Ether 9:13 c Morm. 1:3; Morm. 4:23 d Morm. 6:2 (1-15)
|
|
4 And 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.
5 And it came to pass that Akish asought the life of his father-in-lawa; and he applied unto those whom he had sworn by the boath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of his father-in-law, as he sat upon his throne, giving audience to his people. 6 For 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.
|
5a Akish sought the life of his father-in-law Wickedness begats wickedness. Jared had employed Akish to kill his father, and when Jared had obtained the kingdom, Akish in turn did seek the life of Jared and did over throw him. And it would seem that the daughter of Jared, who was the wife of Akish, did not have her father's interest at heart but her own as she was likely confederate to the over throw of her father in league with Akish. |
5a
Esth. 2:21 b TG Oath
|
|
7 And it came to pass that Akish began to be
ajealous of his son, therefore he shut him up in prison,
and kept him upon little or no food until he had suffered death.
8 And 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. 9 And 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.
|
7a
TG
Jealousy
|
|
|
10 And 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.
11 Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for apower; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them bmoney, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them. 12 And 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.
Thus we see that the Lord does not trifle, allowing endless repentance. And that when a peple are fully rippened, they are destoryed to whatever extent at whatever time. And the Lord will destory the wicked while he will preserve the righteous. In the wicked world we live in today, this is our consolation, that if we be righteous, like Omer and his people, we may be spared. |
11a
TG
Tyranny b 1 Sam. 8:3 (1-4); Hel. 9:20; TG Bribery
|
|
|
13 Wherefore, Omer was restored again to the aland
of his inheritance.
14 And 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. 15 And 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 fathera.
|
15a fill the steps of his father We would say 'he followed in the steps of his father' or 'he filled his father's shoes' or even 'he did walk in his father's moccasins', but this saying whether Nephite or Jaredite but a slightly different twist on it while conveying the same concept. This Jaredite or Nephite saying would tend to set forth that Emer was also of a righteous nature, that he did as he father did. |
13a
Ether 9:3;
|
|
16 And 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—
17 Having aall manner of fruit, and of grain, and of bsilks, and of fine linen, and of cgold, and of silver, and of precious things; 18 And also aall 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. 19 And they also had ahorses, 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.
|
17a
Ether 1:41 b Ether 10:24 c Hel. 6:9-11; Ether 10:12, 23 18a Ether 6:4 19a 1 Ne. 18:25; Enos 1:21; 3 Ne. 6:1
|
|
|
20 And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which
was achoice above all other lands; and he commanded that
whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should
be bdestroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon
such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.
21 And 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. 22 And 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 aSon of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.
|
20a
Ether 2:15 b Deut. 31:4-5; Ether 2:8-11 22a 3 Ne. 3:25
|
|
|
23 And 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 aold.
24 And 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.
|
23a
Ether 7:3, 7
|
|
|
25 And 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.
26 And 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 aHeth began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy his father.
|
26a
Ether 10:1
|
|
|
27 And 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.
28 And there came prophets in the land aagain, 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. 29 But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into apits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.
|
28a
Ether 7:23;
Ether 11:1, 12, 20 29a Jer. 38:6 (4-13)
|
|
The Second Great Destruction of the Jaredites ~ Famine |
||
|
30 And it came to pass that there began to be a great
adearth 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.
31 And there came forth apoisonous 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 bsouthward, which was called by the Nephites cZarahemlaa. 32 And 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.
|
31atowards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla The concept that the whole of the nation of the of the Nephites was called by the name of Zarahemla is established variously throughout the Book of Mormon. But here again it is quite obvious that the reference is to the entire nation of the Nephites and not to just that land about the city of Zarahemla. For Bountiful lay immediately southward and the land which was the more capital part of the land was also before that more provincial land of Zarhemla which was just immediately about the city. This many be thought of in terms of New York city within the state of New York. And so it was in the land of Zarahemla, The greater nation of Zarahemla included all such lands and cities of the Nephites from Bountiful to Manti and from Moroni to Melek, with the actual city and provincially immediate land of Zarahemla being but that land just about the city as with the city and state of New York. |
30a
TG
Drought;
TG
Famine 31a Ether 10:19 b Morm. 3:5; Ether 10:21 c Omni 1:13
|
|
33 And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the
aserpents 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.
34 And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the acarcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all. Now when the people saw that they must bperish they began to crepent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord. 35 And it came to pass that when they had ahumbled 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.
|
33a
Deut. 8:15;
1 Ne. 17:41;
TG
Plague 34a Jer. 7:33 (32-33) b Alma 34:34 c D&C 101:8 35a D&C 5:24
|
|
| This BM Book | Previous BM Chapter | Next BM Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |