Ether 8
Reigns of Omer and Jared
Ether 8:1–5
1 And it came to pass that he begat Omer, and Omer reigned in his stead. And Omer begat Jared; and Jared begat sons and daughters.
2 And Jared rebelled against his father, and came and dwelt in the land of Heth. And it came to pass that he did flatter many people, because of his cunning words, until he had gained the half of the kingdom.
3 And when he had gained the half of the kingdom he gave battle unto his father, and he did carry away his father into captivity, and did make him serve in captivity;
4 And now, in the days of the reign of Omer he was in captivity the half of his days. And it came to pass that he begat sons and daughters, among whom were Esrom and Coriantumr;
5 And they were exceedingly angry because of the doings of Jared their brother, insomuch that they did raise an army and gave battle unto Jared. And it came to pass that they did give battle unto him by night.
Comments
The pattern of instability occurs again, with the same overall story being repeated. Omer has a son, Jared, who rebels against him and succeeds in obtaining half of the kingdom, and then uses that power base to wage war against his father. Jared is successful, but Jared is never named in the Ether chapter 1 genealogy. While he was a son and became king, he was not a king by normal accession, and apparently that was the only kind of accession recognized in the official king list.
As with Kib, Omer is in captivity but still able to have children. The pattern repeats and the displaced children, Esrom and Coriantumr, rebel.
Plotting against the King
Ether 8:6–12
6 And it came to pass that when they had slain the army of Jared they were about to slay him also; and he pled with them that they would not slay him, and he would give up the kingdom unto his father. And it came to pass that they did grant unto him his life.
7 And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world.
8 Now the daughter of Jared being exceedingly expert, and seeing the sorrows of her father, thought to devise a plan whereby she could redeem the kingdom unto her father.
9 Now the daughter of Jared was exceedingly fair. And it came to pass that she did talk with her father, and said unto him: Whereby hath my father so much sorrow? Hath he not read the record which our fathers brought across the great deep? Behold, is there not an account concerning them of old, that they by their secret plans did obtain kingdoms and great glory?
10 And now, therefore, let my father send for Akish, the son of Kimnor; and behold, I am fair, and I will dance before him, and I will please him, that he will desire me to wife; wherefore if he shall desire of thee that ye shall give unto him me to wife, then shall ye say: I will give her if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king.
11 And now Omer was a friend to Akish; wherefore, when Jared had sent for Akish, the daughter of Jared danced before him that she pleased him, insomuch that he desired her to wife. And it came to pass that he said unto Jared: Give her unto me to wife.
12 And Jared said unto him: I will give her unto you, if ye will bring unto me the head of my father, the king.
Comments
These verses easily conjure up the biblical passages about Salome dancing to entice a man to bring another man’s head to her father. There are clearly superficial similarities, but Dr. Nicholas Frederick (BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture) took a careful look at the two stories and found that the differences outweigh the similarities. An important difference is the nature of the role that the daughter of Jared plays compared to that of Salome. Salome acts at her mother’s behest. The daughter of Jared is the instigator in Ether.
The reasons for the inclusion of the stories also differ. In the New Testament, Salome explains the death of John the Baptist. In Ether, the daughter of Jared is the initiator of secret oaths and combinations. Those are two different concepts, and secret combinations are, for Mormon and Moroni, the most important message given in the book of Ether.
Ether 8:13–15
13 And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you?
14 And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life.
15 And it came to pass that thus they did agree with Akish. And Akish did administer unto them the oaths which were given by them of old who also sought power, which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning.
Comments
Because the plates of Ether were compiled by a single person, Ether, we cannot tell whether it was Ether or Moroni (or even Mosiah2 as the original translator) who supplied the general narrative. However, it is highly likely that at least verse 15 comes from Moroni. This part of the story describes the beginning of the secret combinations that Mormon had declared were so dangerous that they would see the end of the Nephites. The key phrase is that these were oaths “given by them of old . . . which had been handed down even from Cain, who was a murderer from the beginning.”
Compare that phrase to Helaman 6:29: “Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.” While Mormon credits Satan, rather than Cain, both Mormon and Moroni see these oaths as being ancient, and ultimately stemming from Satan (the one who enticed Cain to murder for gain).
Ether 8:16–19
16 And they were kept up by the power of the devil to administer these oaths unto the people, to keep them in darkness, to help such as sought power to gain power, and to murder, and to plunder, and to lie, and to commit all manner of wickedness and whoredoms.
17 And it was the daughter of Jared who put it into his heart to search up these things of old; and Jared put it into the heart of Akish; wherefore, Akish administered it unto his kindred and friends, leading them away by fair promises to do whatsoever thing he desired.
18 And it came to pass that they formed a secret combination, even as they of old; which combination is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God;
19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.
Comments
This is the reason that Moroni included this story. Perhaps there were so few stories that he included every story that Ether had recorded, but the meaning of this story assured that it would be included. This is the story that caused Mormon to desire that the Jaredite story be ultimately told. This is the story that Mormon did not want told widely so that the secret combinations would not be continued.
To make sure that we get the message, Moroni warns us that “the Lord worketh not in secret combinations.” This is not of God, but of the Adversary.
Rise of Secret Combinations, Moroni’s Warning
Ether 8:20–22
20 And now I, Moroni, do not write the manner of their oaths and combinations, for it hath been made known unto me that they are had among all people, and they are had among the Lamanites.
21 And they have caused the destruction of this people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.
22 And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground for vengeance upon them and yet he avenge them not.
Comments
This story has a moral that is so important that Moroni clarifies it by making it explicit. He inserts his own words into the text. Why is the story so important? In verse 21, he tells us that their oaths and combinations “have caused the destruction of his people of whom I am now speaking, and also the destruction of the people of Nephi.”
Moroni therefore reasonably cautions his future readers to make sure that they do not fall to the same oaths and combinations. Ultimately, nations who embrace those elements self-destruct, “they shall be destroyed; for the Lord will not suffer that the blood of his saints, which shall be shed by them, shall always cry unto him from the ground.”
Ether 8:23–26
23 Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of destruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.
24 Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.
25 For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who beguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath hardened the hearts of men that they have murdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning.
26 Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.
Comments
Moroni continues his warning to his future readers against adopting these secret combinations. Although this story had been withheld for a long time so that the people would not see and adopt them, Moroni writes this much by command. It is a command to write so “that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men.”
This ends a chapter in the 1830 edition.
