Ether 10
Rebuilding the Kingdom
Ether 10:1–3
1 And it came to pass that Shez, who was a descendant of Heth—for Heth had perished by the famine, and all his household save it were Shez—wherefore, Shez began to build up again a broken people.
2 And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers, and he did build up a righteous kingdom; for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord; and he begat sons and daughters.
3 And his eldest son, whose name was Shez, did rebel against him; nevertheless, Shez was smitten by the hand of a robber, because of his exceeding riches, which brought peace again unto his father.
Comments
The story of the Jaredites is a story of a specific lineage of rulers. Those who rule cities or areas who are not part of that direct line do not show up on the king list in Ether 1, even though in the text of Ether 9–10, that provides the chronological history of those kings, other names are mentioned.
The context for Shez is that he is the son of Heth (according to the king list), but here, in verse 1, he is listed only as “a descendant of Heth”). Heth was an unrighteous king, and a great drought occurred during his reign, a drought that was severe enough that it resulted in his death. Shez takes up the throne, and “did build up a righteous kingdom.”
Nevertheless, in the common Jaredite pattern, his oldest son (also named Shez) rebels against him. Lest we think that all these stories are only type scenes, Shez, the son, doesn’t gain victory and isn’t even defeated in battle. He “was smitten by the hand of a robber.” Mormon’s use of the term “robber” would have suggested Gadianton robbers, but while we see secret combinations in Ether, we do not see Gadiantons. Thus, “robber” really could simply be a robber. However, the possibility that it relates to a secret combination cannot be dismissed, as that is the leitmotif of the Jaredite record. When we see later, in verse 33: “And in the days of Com there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans”, it increases the plausibility that the robber in verse 3 was connected to a secret combination. It is an unanswerable question whether “robber” in the book of Ether influenced Mormon’s designation of Gadianton robbers, or if Mormon’s use influenced the way Moroni used the term.
Ether 10:4–6
4 And it came to pass that his father did build up many cities upon the face of the land, and the people began again to spread over all the face of the land. And Shez did live to an exceedingly old age; and he begat Riplakish. And he died, and Riplakish reigned in his stead.
5 And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines, and did lay that upon men’s shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, he did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes he did build many spacious buildings.
6 And he did erect him an exceedingly beautiful throne; and he did build many prisons, and whoso would not be subject unto taxes he did cast into prison; and whoso was not able to pay taxes he did cast into prison; and he did cause that they should labor continually for their support; and whoso refused to labor he did cause to be put to death.
Comments
Perhaps the most important part of these three verses is the note that Shez lived to an extremely old age, and begat Riplakish. This continues to confirm that the Jaredites practiced ultimogeniture, or the inheritance of the last-born son, rather than the first. The first son was Shez, and the Comments about Shez the son are the reason that verse 4 begins with “his father,” referring to Shez, father of Shez, and father of Riplakish.
Riplakish is the epitome of a bad king. It wasn’t just that he “did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” but he was unfair to his people, laying upon them heavy taxes and conscripting labor for his own benefit.
Rebellions and Uprisings
Ether 10:7–8
7 Wherefore he did obtain all his fine work, yea, even his fine gold he did cause to be refined in prison; and all manner of fine workmanship he did cause to be wrought in prison. And it came to pass that he did afflict the people with his whoredoms and abominations.
8 And when he had reigned for the space of forty and two years the people did rise up in rebellion against him; and there began to be war again in the land, insomuch that Riplakish was killed, and his descendants were driven out of the land.
Comments
Once again, there is a rebellion against the king. In this case, however, it was not a son, but the people themselves who rose against Riplakish and removed him from office. Significantly, all his kin were driven out of the land. Riplakish had been so bad that the people did not want any of his children to be rulers.
Ether 10:9–10
9 And it came to pass after the space of many years, Morianton, (he being a descendant of Riplakish) gathered together an army of outcasts, and went forth and gave battle unto the people; and he gained power over many cities; and the war became exceedingly sore, and did last for the space of many years; and he did gain power over all the land, and did establish himself king over all the land.
10 And after that he had established himself king he did ease the burden of the people, by which he did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint him to be their king.
Comments
Where the king list in Ether 1 showed Shez as a son of Heth, but the detailed record only mentioned him as a descendant, both the king list and this more detailed record agree that Morianton was a descendant of Riplakish. It is not clear if he was a son, but he was certainly related to those who had been driven out of the land when Riplakish was expelled. Morianton gathers “an army of outcasts,” which would suggest that the core group was made up of those who had been expelled. It is unlikely that they could have been an army in and of themselves, but they were likely the leaders of this new group which begins to take over cities, and eventually they anoint a king over the city from which they had been expelled.
Morianton reverses the onerous practices of Riplakish, with the result that “he did gain favor in the eyes of the people, and they did anoint him to be their king.” This is the only suggestion that there might have been some principle such as the voice of the people that we see in later Nephite politics, where the kings ruled by the voice of the people.
Ether 10:11–13
11 And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord.
12 And it came to pass that Morianton built up many cities, and the people became exceedingly rich under his reign, both in buildings, and in gold and silver, and in raising grain, and in flocks, and herds, and such things which had been restored unto them.
13 And Morianton did live to an exceedingly great age, and then he begat Kim; and Kim did reign in the stead of his father; and he did reign eight years, and his father died. And it came to pass that Kim did not reign in righteousness, wherefore he was not favored of the Lord.
Comments
Morianton “did do justice unto the people,” but he, himself, was not righteous. The general peace allowed for the creation of new cities and of prosperity, but when he begets a son in his “exceedingly great age,” that son, Kim, “did not reign in righteousness.” That clearly foreshadows another downturn in Jaredite society.
Ether 10:14–16
14 And his brother did rise up in rebellion against him, by which he did bring him into captivity; and he did remain in captivity all his days; and he begat sons and daughters in captivity, and in his old age he begat Levi; and he died.
15 And it came to pass that Levi did serve in captivity after the death of his father, for the space of forty and two years. And he did make war against the king of the land, by which he did obtain unto himself the kingdom.
16 And after he had obtained unto himself the kingdom he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; and the people did prosper in the land; and he did live to a good old age, and begat sons and daughters; and he also begat Corom, whom he anointed king in his stead.
Comments
This time the rebellion becomes a brother rising against a brother, rather than a son against his father. The father had led a time of basic prosperity, and perhaps that allowed all his sons to bask in the benefits of that prosperity. The change in rulership to the last-born son, one born in Morianton’s exceedingly great age, may have been the trigger for one of the brothers to rise up.
Even though the brother becomes king, he is not the expected king following the traditional pattern. Not only isn’t he named in the king list, he isn’t even named in the text of this chapter (nor of chapter 9), which lays out the chronological history of the kingdom. Similar to other cases, the previous king is not killed, but kept in a type of captivity which still allowed him to have children. One of those, Levi, serves the function of restoring the kingdom. It is Levi who next becomes the king. He begets Corom.
A Period of Righteousness and Prosperity
Ether 10:17–19
17 And it came to pass that Corom did that which was good in the sight of the Lord all his days; and he begat many sons and daughters; and after he had seen many days he did pass away, even like unto the rest of the earth; and Kish reigned in his stead.
18 And it came to pass that Kish passed away also, and Lib reigned in his stead.
19 And it came to pass that Lib also did that which was good in the sight of the Lord. And in the days of Lib the poisonous serpents were destroyed. Wherefore they did go into the land southward, to hunt food for the people of the land, for the land was covered with animals of the forest. And Lib also himself became a great hunter.
Comments
The story moves quickly through times when there were no disruptions. Corom “did that which was good,” and his son Kish becomes king. No information whatsoever is provided about Kish. All that we know is that he begets Lib.
There was an increase of people in the time of Lib. The descriptions here show the people of Jared spreading across the land, and specifically, hunting game. Lib is mentioned as a great hunter, and that leads to the description of the land southward as a place where Lib the hunter might get game.
Ether 10:20–22
20 And they built a great city by the narrow neck of land, by the place where the sea divides the land.
21 And they did preserve the land southward for a wilderness, to get game. And the whole face of the land northward was covered with inhabitants.
22 And they were exceedingly industrious, and they did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain.
Comments
The vocabulary of “the land northward” and of “the narrow neck of land” suggests that this is Moroni’s interjection. The description of the land northward being covered with inhabitants recalls Helaman 3:8 where Mormon had indicated that those in the land northward “began to cover the face of the whole earth.” When Moroni adds that they “did buy and sell and traffic one with another, that they might get gain,” we see a reflection of 4 Nephi 1:46: “And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic.”
Mormon had used the Jaredites as the model for the Gadiantons, and Moroni is making certain to point out those aspects of the Jaredite record that support his father’s use of the document.
Ether 10:23–28
23 And they did work in all manner of ore, and they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work.
24 And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness.
25 And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash.
26 And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts.
27 And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship.
28 And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it.
Comments
These verses are also best seen as Moroni’s insertion into the text. They do not follow the style of the text before, nor of what will come after. The use of repetitive resumption for this insertion is more subtle than other examples because the structure of naming the kings makes the connection so much more logical. Moroni leaves his text speaking about Lib, and returns to Lib. (See Comments for 1 Nephi 6:1–6 for information on repetitive resumption.)
The purpose of these verses is to describe the Jaredites as a powerful people. They had been promised that they would be a great people, and Moroni wants to make certain that the reader understands that, at least during times when the people were righteous, they were the great people that the Lord had promised them. “And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it” (Ether 10:28).
Secret Combinations Cause Rebellion
Ether 10:29–31
29 And it came to pass that Lib did live many years, and begat sons and daughters; and he also begat Hearthom.
30 And it came to pass that Hearthom reigned in the stead of his father. And when Hearthom had reigned twenty and four years, behold, the kingdom was taken away from him. And he served many years in captivity, yea, even all the remainder of his days.
31 And he begat Heth, and Heth lived in captivity all his days. And Heth begat Aaron, and Aaron dwelt in captivity all his days; and he begat Amnigaddah, and Amnigaddah also dwelt in captivity all his days; and he begat Coriantum, and Coriantum dwelt in captivity all his days; and he begat Com.
Comments
The unusual practice of keeping a royal line in captivity is underscored in these verses where it is no longer just the deposed king, but an entire lineage that is kept captive. All these names appear in the genealogy in these verses, but only Hearthom and Com became rulers. The others were captives throughout their lives. That is at least four generations that lived in captivity before that will change with Com.
Ether 10:32–34
32 And it came to pass that Com drew away the half of the kingdom. And he reigned over the half of the kingdom forty and two years; and he went to battle against the king, Amgid, and they fought for the space of many years, during which time Com gained power over Amgid, and obtained power over the remainder of the kingdom.
33 And in the days of Com there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom.
34 Now Com did fight against them much; nevertheless, he did not prevail against them.
Comments
Com is the one who rebels and creates a new kingdom, restoring his family to rule. The first step was to create a division, and then after forty-two years, to conquer the rest of the land.
For Moroni, the importance of Com’s rule is that “there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans, and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients.” Once again, the domination of secret combinations among the Jaredites is brought out to make certain that Moroni’s readers continue to understand that important connection. That connection was the reason that Mormon wanted the records to be added to his work, since it was Mormon who, in his writing, used the Jaredite secret combinations as the progenitors of the Gadianton robbers.
This is not the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition.
