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Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EDEN, THE GARDEN OF Mentioned
six times in the Book of Mormon; always, except in one case, in connection with
the expulsion of our first parents therefrom. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EDOM The land
east of Canaan, inhabited by descendants of Esau. It is mentioned but once in
the Book of Mormon, in a quotation from the prophecies of Isaiah (II Nephi
21:14). Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EGYPT The land
of that name in Africa. It is mentioned frequently in the Book of Mormon,
generally in connection with the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob; or with the
bondage of the Israelites therein. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EGYPTIAN, REFORMED The name
given to the style of characters in use in the days of Mormon, in which the
records were engraven on the sacred plates. These characters were greatly
modified from those used by Nephi and the other earlier recorders. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EGYPTIANS The people
of Egypt. They are referred to in connection with their language (I Nephi 1:3),
and the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage under Moses. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 EGYPTIAN SEA A name
given by Isaiah to the Red Sea, and so spoken of in a quotation from that
prophet (II Nephi 21:15). Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 ELAM The land
of the Elamites, a country lying south of Assyria. It is only mentioned in the
Book of Mormon in a quotation from Isaiah (II Nephi 21:11). Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 ELIJAH The
prophet of Israel. His name only appears in the Book of Mormon in the Savior's
quotation from Malachi, "Behold I will send you Elijah, the prophet."
(III Nephi 25:5.) Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
110 - 111 EMER One of the
early kings of the Jaredites. Two years before his death, Omer, his
father, anointed him to reign in his stead. Emer was one of the best kings of
his race. He executed judgment in righteousness all his days. In his reign the
people greatly increased in numbers and in wealth, becoming the owners of large
herds of useful animals, and rich in agricultural and mineral products, in gems
and fine manufactured goods. The curse, also, which had come upon the land
during the days of Akish because of the iniquity of the people, began to be
removed, as they were now living more righteously. Emer's was a lengthy reign;
sixty-two years are mentioned; but it is not evident whether this period covers
the whole of his reign or not. When he died, full of years and honor, he was
succeeded by one of his numerous sons, named Coriantum, whom he had
anointed king four years before his death. It is recorded of Emer that he saw
the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glorify in his day. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
111 EMRON A Nephite
officer, mentioned in Mormon's second epistle to his son as having been slain
in a severe battle with the Lamanites. From the context we judge he was held in
high regard by Mormon. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
111 ENOS A Nephite
prophet, the grandson of Lehi and Sariah. Enos, if not the leading spirit of
the age among his people, was undoubtedly one of the most conspicuous and
zealous servants of the Lord who ministered and prophesied to the early
Nephites. The son of Jacob, the priest and historian of the colony, he
succeeded his father in these sacred offices, and appears to have inherited his
faith, gentleness and devotion. Of his personal life we have no particulars,
but it is evident that he was a very aged man at the time of his departure from
the scenes of mortality. His father, Jacob, was the elder of the two sons born
to Lehi in the Asiatic wilderness, between the year 600 and 590 before Christ.
We have no direct statement either of Enos' birth or the exact time of his
death; all we know is that when he left this earth he gave the records and the
sacred things associated therewith into the hands of his son Jarom, 180
years after Lehi left Jerusalem, or B. C. 421. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
112 EPHRAIM The name
used by Isaiah for the Kingdom of Israel, and used in the same sense in Neohi's
quotations from the writings of that prophet. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
112 EPHRAIM, HILL A hill
mentioned in the Book of Ether (Ether 7:9), from which Shule obtained
iron ore with which to make swords to arm his followers, in their effort to
replace his father Kib on the throne. We judge this hill to have been
situated in Central America, as it was evidently at no very great distance from
the land Moron, afterwards Desolation. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
112 ESROM A son of
the unfortunate Jaredite king Omer, born to him while he was held in
captivity by his son Jared. Esrom and his brother Coriantumr, growing
exceedingly angry at the treatment received by their father, raised an army and
made a night attack upon the forces of the usurper, in which they gained a
complete victory, Jared's army being destroyed and he himself taken prisoner.
Esrom and his associates then replaced their father on the throne. In the
rebellion of Akish it is said that the Lord was merciful to Omer and also to
his sons and daughters who did not seek his destruction. It is, therefore,
altogether probable that if Esrom still lived he accompanied his father in his
exile to the distant land of Ablom. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
112 ETHEM A wicked
king of the later Jaredites, living, most probably, in the eighth century
before Christ. He was the son and sucessor of Ahah. In Ethem's days,
many prophets came and prophesied that unless the Jaredites repented the Lord
would utterly destroy them from the earth. But the people hardened their hearts
and repented not; and the prophets mourned over their depravity and withdrew
from among them. Ethem was as his people, and did wickedly all his days; and
when he died he was succeeded by his son Moron, who was like unto his father. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
112 - 113 ETHER The last
great prophet of the Jaredites, to whom we are indebted for the history of that
race, for it is an abridgement of Ether's writings, made by Moroni, that we
have in the Book of Mormon, under the title of the Book of Ether. Ether was of
the royal race, his father being Coriantor, one of those unfortunate
monarchs who lived in captivity all his days. In the reign of Coriantumr,
the last king of the Jaredites, Ether came forth and proclaimed the near
destruction of the entire people, a prophecy which many of his predecessors had
also uttered; but he also promised that the king should survive all his
subjects, and live to see another race occupy the land. Great and marvelous
were the prophecies of Ether. He saw the days of Christ, and the great work of
the last dispensation, even to the coming of the new Jerusalem. Indeed, he
appears to have had revealed to him a complete history of the dealings of the
Lord with the inhabitants of this earth, from his own day to the end of time.
But the people heeded not his words, and ultimately grew weary of his
threatenings and drove him from their midst. He hid himself in a cavity of a
rock, coming forth in the night time to view the course of events, and
occasionally appearing and repeating his warnings. While thus hidden, he wrote
the history of contemporaneous events, and, year by year, watched the fulfilment
of the word of the Lord, as the people gradually destroyed each other in
unrelenting warfare. He lived to record the utter destruction of his people at
Ramah, (Cumorah) with the sole exception of Coriantumr, who survived as a
witness to the unfailing word of God. We are not told whether Ether died or was
translated. We incline, from his own words (Ether 15:33), to the latter
opinion. When he had finished his record, he hid the twenty-four golden plates
on which it was engraven, in the place in which they were afterwards found by
the people of King Limhi (B. C. 123). Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
113 EVE The mother
of all living. Her name is mentioned three times in the Book of Mormon (I Nephi
5:11; II Nephi 2:18, 19), in connection with the Creation and Fall. Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p.
114 EZIAS An ancient
Hebrew prophet, referred to by Nephi. Elder Orson Pratt suggests in a footnote
that "Ezias may have been identical with Esaias, who lived contemporary
with Abraham." See Doc. and Cov. 84:11-13. (Dictionary of the Book of Mormon, p. 114) |
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