Ether 13
Ether 13:1
1 And now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people of whom I have been writing.
Comments
The whole of our chapter 12 was also a complete chapter in the original. That was appropriate because it was entirely Moroni’s writing, and unrelated to the specifics of the book of Ether. Having departed from the text he was editing, however, Moroni must return and he does so explicitly. He will return to the point where he left off, which was introducing Ether, but Moroni doesn’t use the technique of repetitive resumption that his father (and Nephi1) used. Moroni’s method is to declare explicitly that he is returning to the record after he departed from it.
The New Jerusalem
Ether 13:2–4
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 receded from off the face of this land it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him who dwell upon the face thereof;
3 And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.
4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.
Comments
Ether was righteous, and Moroni gives some details to let us know that he was. The reason is not simply to indicate that he was righteous, but to create the contrast between a prophet who was sent to give the people of Jared one last chance, which they reject. The contrast dramatically places Ether on the side of the God, whom he has seen, and the people who reject him and therefore implicitly follow the Adversary. They are ripe for destruction, and Ether is the witness to it, just as a righteous Mormon was witness to the Nephite destruction. Moroni does not make that comparison explicit, but he would have understood it.
One of the interesting aspects of the declaration of Ether’s righteousness is that he has a vision of the future of the land. One of the things he sees is the New Jerusalem. That name is certainly one that the Nephite translator added to Ether’s text. The Jaredites left the Old World at a time that they may not have had any record of the Old Jerusalem, and therefore would not understand the concept of a New Jerusalem. Nevertheless, seeing the future of the land, Ether would see the establishment of the seat of God in the New World, even if he did not understand it by the name we have learned to call it.
Ether 13:5–6
5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy 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 New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.
Comments
The specific description of Jerusalem and its relationship to the house of Israel was undoubtedly added by the translator (see the Comments for verses 5–6 of this chapter). Ether saw how the history of the land he was on would play out, and that included the understanding that there would be a seat of government for each hemisphere.
Ether 13:7–8
7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, 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 perish not, 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 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; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.
Comments
Although the result of this discussion is to further information on the New Jerusalem, the parallel that is drawn is interesting. Joseph is brought to Egypt and died there. Joseph was an exile and died in a foreign land. Nevertheless, his lineage was preserved. Ether knows that his people came from the Old World and knows that they too are about to die in that symbolic exile. The implicit promise is that, although the people of Jared will die in this land, there will still be a remnant preserved, and there will be ultimate redemption in the final days.
Ether 13:9–12
9 And there shall be a new 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 white 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.
11 And then also cometh the Jerusalem 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 north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.
12 And when these things come, bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.
Comments
Ether saw the events of the ending of times. Those will be days when all things “have become new.” This is when the injustices of the world are healed, and God himself comes to claim his people and govern them. That is the context of the New and Old Jerusalem. God will come first to the New Jerusalem, and then to the Old. Verse 12 indicates that this “bringeth to pass the scripture which saith, there are they who were first, who shall be last; and there are they who were last, who shall be first.” The only place where we see that scripture is in the New Testament. See Matthew 19:30; 20:16. It is unknown to which scripture Moroni might be referring. Although this information discusses Ether’s vision, the vocabulary and context are Moroni’s retelling. Thus, it is possible that just as the risen Christ taught texts that we find in Matthew, this scripture may have been one that was given, but not recorded, in the account Mormon elected to use, one that Mormon suggested was a “shorter but true” account (3 Nephi 5:9).
Coriantumr and His Enemies
Ether 13:13–15
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 hid himself in the cavity of a rock by day, and by night he went forth viewing the things which should come upon the people.
14 And as he dwelt in the cavity of a rock he made the remainder of this record, viewing the destructions which came upon the people, by night.
15 And it came to pass that in that same year in which he was cast out from among the people 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.
Comments
Moroni has a record that gives the prophecies of Ether, but he is not copying them. He is telling them and using his own vocabulary and concepts to describe them, typically in places where Moroni would recognize the elements from Ether’s prophecy that Moroni had either also seen, or learned of, from the Nephite records. He confirms that this is his process by noting that he was “about to write more.” Moroni confirms that he is making selections from the record available to him.
Turning from the righteousness of Ether, Moroni returns to the more secular history. This story will be told in details that were largely absent in the historical recounting up to this point.
In those turbulent times, Ether removes himself from the places of war, and remains in a safe spot to become the chronicler of the end of his people. The introduction to the end comes in the time when Coriantumr is king (Ether 12:1). Coriantumr doesn’t appear in the genealogy because he is not of that direct lineage.
Significantly, Moroni makes certain to note that at this time of the final destruction, the “secret plans of wickedness” are clearly mentioned as a cause. Although there are other important events in Jaredite history, the one that Mormon emphasized, and the one that Moroni makes certain that is underscored, is the secret combinations. Those combinations are less often called robbers in this text, because the Gadianton robbers is a name from late in Nephite history. Nevertheless, Mormon, and now Moroni, see them as equivalent, and equivalently harbingers of the destruction of a people.
Ether 13:16–17
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 fair 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.
Comments
War is the theme at the end of the book of Ether, and Coriantumr is described as one trained in “all the arts of war and the cunning of the world.” It is likely that his opponents were similarly trained.
Coriantumr is also one who will not repent. Verse 17 declares that the sons and daughters of Cohor and Corihor will not repent. Those are two names from deeper in Jaredite history. They are sons of Noah, who was a king who did not follow God. It is quite possible that when Mormon wrote the story of Zeniff’s son, he may have borrowed Noah’s name from the Jaredite record and used it to provide a context to the wickedness of Zeniff’s son.
By invoking unrighteous ancestors, the conflict is given deep roots in Jaredite culture, and deep roots in a people with a history of rejecting God and his teachings. Thus, when they are unrepentant in the last days, it is unsurprising, and a continuation of the influence of an ancestral tradition.
Ether 13:18–22
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 secret combinations, fighting against Coriantumr that they might obtain the kingdom.
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 prophesy 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 another people receiving the land for their inheritance; and Coriantumr should receive a burial by them; and every soul should be destroyed save it were Coriantumr.
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 kill Ether, but he fled from before them and hid again in the cavity of the rock.
Comments
God has Ether give the people one last chance. He goes to Coriantumr and lays out the future, including that the people would be destroyed, and that Coriantumr would survive and live to see another people who would receive the promise of the land.
Coriantumr does not repent. Coriantumr turns against Ether and attempts to kill him. Although not stated, it is certain that the Lord’s protection assisted Ether to escape and return to his cave.
Coriantumr Versus Shared
Ether 13:23–24
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.
Comments
Even though Mormon and Moroni saw the story of the Jaredites as a type of the destruction of the Nephites, there were significant differences. One of those was ultimogeniture, and the other is the fascinating Jaredite practice of capturing opposing kings and keeping them in captivity. That happens again in these verses. Coriantumr is defeated and brought into captivity, and then his sons are able to free him. It is a pattern often seen in Jaredite history.
Ether 13:25–31
25 Now there began to be a war upon all the face of the land, every 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.
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.
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.
Comments
The contrast between the details of the battles between Shared and Coriantumr only serve to highlight the absence of such stories for the earlier history. It would appear that when Ether wrote, he was most interested in the final days, and therefore only gave the bare bones of the history needed to get to the end.
Once again, however, it is emphasized that “there were robbers, and in fine, all manner of wickedness upon all the face of the land,” even though we are given no details of what they are doing and how they are involved. Their presence alone is sufficient to let the reader know that the end is coming.
This is not the end of a chapter in the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon.
