Post # 262 -- Come, Follow Me -- Week #45 -- November --16–22 -- Ether 6–11 -- “That Evil May Be Done Away”
Dear Family and Friends
Here we are into yet another week and still no news of who our new president will be. Counting and recounting?? It looks like it will be President Biden, unless they find some votes that haven’t yet been counted. I guess we will see, right? This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Speaking of the Jaredite record, Mormon commented that “it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account” (Mosiah 28:19). Keep this in mind as you read Ether 6–11. Why are these things expedient—or beneficial—to you and your loved ones?
Book of Mormon
19 And this account shall be written hereafter; for behold, it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account.
Did you catch that important phrase from the scriptures? This verse is found in Mosiah 28:19. It says that “it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in the account? This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Hundreds of years after the Jaredites were destroyed, the Nephites discovered the ruins of their ancient civilization. Among these ruins was a mysterious record—plates of “pure gold” that were “filled with engravings” (Mosiah 8:9).
Book of Mormon
9 And for a testimony that the things that they had said are true they have brought twenty-four plates which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold.
The Nephite king, Limhi, could sense that this record was important: “Doubtless a great mystery is contained within these plates,” he said (Mosiah 8:19). Today you have an abridgment of this record, translated into your language, and it’s called the book of Ether. It comes from the same record that the Nephites “were desirous beyond measure” to read, and when they did, “they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice” (Mosiah 28:12, 18).
Book of Mormon
12 And this he did because of the great anxiety of his people; for they were desirous beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed.
18 Now this account did cause the people of Mosiah to mourn exceedingly, yea, they were filled with sorrow; nevertheless it gave them much knowledge, in the which they did rejoice.
As you read about the rise and the tragic fall of the Jaredites, you’ll find many sorrowful moments. But don’t overlook the joy of learning lessons from this history. After all, as Moroni wrote, “it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you” (Ether 8:23), for if we can learn from the failures and the successes of the Jaredites, “evil may be done away, and … the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men” (Ether 8:26).
Book of Mormon
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.
Book of Mormon
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.
I believe that you would do well to remember that the records which are contained in the Book of Mormon were written for our day. These records were written for us!!! They were written for each and every one of us, old and young, male and female, rich or poor, bond or free, etc.
As you are preparing to teach your family members and friends; you should be sure to look through these scriptural accounts for principles. You know those principles which can strengthen you and your family members and friends to help them to better face the challenges in their lives.
This is the time when you and your family and friends could share from Ether 6–11, something that you and/or they had found that was meaningful to you and/or them. To help with your and their sharing you may want to consider that you were going to make a story for the radio broadcast -- you know, like books on tape!
This story for your broadcast will be coming from a phrase in Ether 6–11 , what would your title be for your broadcast? Make sure that you give your family members and friends time enough to think about this before calling on them to give you their title for the broadcast as well as their reasoning for choosing their title.
The Lord will guide us through our mortal journey.
In the first section of ideas for personal scripture study listed in This week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families suggests for us to be comparing the Jaredites’ voyage which they took across the sea that we should compare their journey to our journey through mortality.
You and your family members and friends should try this as an experiment the week before this lesson. Then you can share with one another any insights you have found, those things you have gained from this experimental. Something you can do to make some further comparisons during your lesson.
This would be to read together. Yes, you and your family members and friends should read together the following scripture passage Ether 6:1–12. In reading this passage of scripture together you will want to be looking for details about the voyage. Look for those details which could have symbolic meaning.
For a few examples: the shining stones, or the barges, and the wind. As you fubs these examples and others you could write them down on your poster board. Your and your family members and friends could spend a few minutes working in pairs to study these verses in this passage of scripture.
In your pairs you could discuss what those symbols might mean or represent in our lives today. One example, they talk about the “promised land”, so what is your and/or your family members and friends’ “promised land”?How does God guide us on our journey?
Book of Mormon
8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.
By reading through the verses of scripture Ether 6:1–12 you may gain some inspiration for a good discussion about how turning to God will help you and your family members and friends to grow as you / they go through your/ their trials. When we do not turn to God, we still go through the trials but without the comfort that the Lord provides for us when we put our trust in Him.
I have found that when I call on the Lord during my trials He is there for me. He makes my burdens light for I am better able to go through my trials with the Lord’s help. The following quotation can help you and your family members and friends compare the “furious wind” mentioned in verses 5–8 with the adversities of life.
Book of Mormon
5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.
6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.
7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.
8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.
Our trials prepare us to receive eternal life.
Speaking in a general conference during the difficult years of World War II, Elder Charles A. Callis of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “We are told that when the Jaredites in their barges set forth for this land of promise, fierce and terrible tempests prevailed. The winds blew and they were in imminent danger all the while on that perilous journey. God sustained them. And we read that although these gales and tempests raged, holding destruction in their wake, that the wind was continually blowing toward the Promised Land. And these adversities through which we are passing, these terrible wars and all the horrible things that are prevailing, are in the power of God. He can stop them when He chooses, when His divine purposes are fulfilled. But let us not forget that through this sea of trouble, our adversities, the experiences through which we pass and which God will make work together for our good, if we will obey Him—all these are blowing us forward to the haven of rest, to a glorious future, to eternal life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1943, 62).
From your study of this passage of scripture what did the Jaredites do when they “were encompassed about by many waters”? You and your family members and friends may want to share any of your experiences that your and or their adversities helped to push you forward through those adversities as in verse seven:
Book of Mormon
7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.
Here are a couple of questions for you and your family members and friends to answer together: How did the way they responded to their trials help you and / or them progress toward their “promised land”? How did the Lord help you and/or them through their struggles?
You and your family members and friends should refer back to the words and phrases in Ether 6 when you are sharing your thoughts and/or experiences with one another. This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
The Lord will lead me toward my promised land.
You may find spiritual insights if you compare the Jaredites’ voyage across the ocean to your journey through mortality. For example, what has the Lord provided that lights your way like the stones in the Jaredites’ barges? What might the barges represent, or the winds that “blow towards the promised land”? (Ether 6:8). What do you learn from the actions of the Jaredites before, during, and after the voyage? How is the Lord leading you toward your promised land?
Ether 6:7–18, 30; 9:28–35; 10:1–2
The Lord blesses us when we are humble.
You have probably noticed that there is a lot of the Jaredite story that points out the negative actions / consequences, which were that of pride and wickedness. The story also has stretches within it where there was humility and prosperity shown. These are things which we can learn from -- how to show humility to gain prosperity.
One way that we can learn from these positive examples from the Jaredite story could be to divide your family members and friends into two groups. Having the first group to read Ether 6:7–18 and 30. Having the second group could read through Ether 9:28–35 and 10:1–2 at the same time.
Before you and your family members and friends begin these readings of scripture passages you should make sure to ask each group to look in their assigned verses for evidence that the Jaredite people had humbled themselves. Or look for when the Jaredite people were humbled by their circumstances.
Also look for just how the Lord had blessed the Jaredite people as a result of their becoming humble. Be sure to give your groups plenty of time to get their reading completed during your lesson time. When the allotted amount of time has passed ask your two groups to share what each group has learned.
Have each group choose a spokesman from their group to share what they have found from their searching of their scripture passage or verses. And now here’s a good question for you and your family members and friends\\ to answer together: How does being humble help us draw closer to God? 889ollo
I know that i have mentioned at least once before just how important misu is in your study of the scriptures. His is one of my favorite hymns and singing or listening to this hymn about humility. At least read through the lyrics with your fai;y members and friends.“I Need Thee Every Hour” (Hymns, no. 98),
You could use this hymn or choose another one about humility. Adding music to your lesson will certainly bring you and your family members and friends closer to your Heavenly father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Ether 6:5–18, 30; 9:28–35; 10:1–2
The Lord blesses me when I am humble.
Although pride and wickedness seem to dominate Jaredite history, there are also examples of humility in these chapters—especially in Ether 6:5–18, 30; 9:28–35; and 10:1–2. Pondering the following questions could help you learn from these examples: Why did these Jaredites humble themselves in these situations? What did they do to show their humility? How were they blessed as a result? Notice that in some cases, the people were compelled by their circumstances to be humble. Consider what you can do to willingly “walk humbly before the Lord” (Ether 6:17) rather than be compelled to be humble (see Mosiah 4:11–12; Alma 32:14–18).
See also “Humility,” Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Righteous leaders direct people to God.
In your study of the Book f Mormon I am sure that you noticed the ra that there are righteous kinds as well as wicked ones throughout. You and your family members and friends can learn from those examples of the righteous as well as from the wicked Jaredite kings --
Even if you and/or they have never been in a formal leadership position, you can learn from their examples. Their examples can help us to become better leaders in our homes. You can become a better leader within your community as well as at church. These accounts about the righteous and the wicked kings can be helpful to us.
Tiy may want to consider asking your family members and friends what they think it takes to be a good leader. Now ask them to think about someone that they would consider to be such a good leader. Ask then to share some of that person’s qualities that make them a good leader.
Then you should write these qualities on your poster board, adding to the list until all of your family members and friends have had a turn to share what they think it takes to be a good leader. Next you could ask them to learn about one of the Jaredite kings which are found in Ether 7–11.
If you look below in the section ideas for personal scripture study you will find a list of the Jaredite kings for you to learn about. It comes to you directly from the Come,
Follow Me -- For Individuals and Families. You and your family members and friends could share what you and/or they have learned from these kings about leadership.
You could divide your family members and friends up into pairs if this works best for your family study group. If not you may want to study the kings together as a family study group. In doing so you can add other qualities that you and/or they have found on your poster board.
So, you and your family members and friends know that there is a list of kings, with their references to the scriptures that describe their reign. This is found in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. You should search these kings very well to share the most correct information.
Be sure to share what you have learned with your family members and friends, then add what you have learned about each king.their qualities, to your list on the poster board. There are other positive leadership qualities listed here below. How can we develop these qualities and become leaders, even if we do not have a specific leadership assignment in our work, our community, or our chu4ch.
Qualities of righteous leaders.
“In God’s kingdom, greatness and leadership means seeing others as they truly are—as God sees them—and then reaching out and ministering to them. It means rejoicing with those who are happy, weeping with those who grieve, lifting up those in distress, and loving our neighbor as Christ loves us. …
“… Leadership in the Church is not so much about directing others as it is about our willingness to be directed by God” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Greatest among You,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 79–80).
“Only the wholesome have the capacity to lift and encourage one another to greater service, to greater achievement, to greater strength” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 244).
“The world teaches that leaders must be mighty; the Lord teaches that they must be meek. Worldly leaders gain power and influence through their talent, skill, and wealth. Christlike leaders gain power and influence ‘by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned’ [Doctrines and Covenants 121:41]” (Stephen W. Owen, “The Greatest Leaders Are the Greatest Followers,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 75).
This section is where you will find the information that you need about the Jaredite kings. There are ten kings, can you figure out which ones are righteous and which ones are wicked? Can you add to your list of qualities? It comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
Righteous leaders bless the people they lead.
Chapters 7–11 of Ether cover at least 28 generations. Although not much detail can be given in such little space, a pattern quickly emerges: righteous leadership leads to blessings and prosperity, while wicked leadership leads to captivity and destruction.
Below are just a few of the kings mentioned in these chapters. Read the associated verses, and see what you can learn from their examples—positive and negative—about leadership. As you do, think about opportunities you might have to lead or influence others in your home, your community, your Church calling, and so on.
Orihah—Ether 6:30–7:1
Shule—Ether 7:23–27
Jared—Ether 8:1–7, 11–15
Emer and Coriantum—Ether 9:21–23
Heth—Ether 9:26–30
Shez—Ether 10:1–2
Riplakish—Ether 10:5–8
Morianton—Ether 10:10–11
Lib—Ether 10:19–28
Ethem—Ether 11:11–13
Now that you have finished with your list of qualities from each king and placed each kiny under righteous or wicked. Have you added their specific qualities to your list as well? In doing this, you are really making a list of things that you should and should not do.This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Personal Scripture Study
What is a secret combination?
When two or more people conspire to keep their wicked acts secret, they are involved in a secret combination. They are often motivated by the desire for power or riches. In addition to the secret combination described in Ether 8:7–18, other examples can be found in Helaman 1:9–12; 2:2–11; 6:16–30; and Moses 5:29–33. In Ether 8:18–26, Moroni describes the consequences of secret combinations (see also Ether 9:4–12) and warns us not to support them.
Remember this warning from Moroni, make sure that you read through the above scripture passages so that you and your family members know exactly what a secret combination is and then make sure to avoid it!!! This section comes to you directly from our Come, Follow Me for Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you know what principles to emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of your family. Here are some ideas.
Ether 6:2–12
Would your family enjoy acting out the Jaredites’ voyage to the promised land? Maybe you could use a dark room as a barge and flashlights to represent the shining stones. You could talk about how the Jaredites showed their faith in the Lord by getting in the barges, despite knowing that they would be “buried in the depths of the sea” (Ether 6:6). After reading verse 9, family members could share favorite hymns of praise and sing them together. How can our homes be compared to the Jaredites’ barges? What is the promised land the Lord is leading our family toward?
Ether 6:22–23
Throughout this week, your family could watch for how the brother of Jared’s prophetic warning about captivity was fulfilled. What warnings have our Church leaders given us? In what ways could dismissing their counsel lead to captivity?
Ether 8:23–26
According to these verses, why was Moroni commanded to write “these things” about secret combinations? (Ether 8:23). What have we learned from the book of Ether that can help us obtain the blessings described in verse 26?
Ether 9:11
How do our desires affect our choices? What can we do as a family to ensure that we desire the things of God?
Ether 11:8
To learn more about the Lord’s mercy to those who repent, you could read Mosiah 26:29–30; 29:18–20; Alma 34:14–16; or Moroni 6:8. Perhaps family members could share examples of God’s mercy from the scriptures or from their own lives.
For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.
Suggested song: “I Thank Thee, Dear Father,” Children’s Songbook, 7.
For next week’s readings we will be studying chapters 12--15 in Ether. One way to spark interest in your family members desire to read and study Ether 12–15, these chapters.
You might want to mention to your family members and friends that it is in these chapters where Moroni has expressed to the Lord some of those insecurities that he has about this record that he has been keeping.
It is in the Lord’s response to Moroni that can also help us / you when you and/or your family members and friends have somewhat similar feelings of inadequacy in yourselves.
Improving Our Teaching
Encourage a respectful environment. Do you feel that everyone in class is comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings? “Help your class members understand that each of them affects the spirit of the class. Encourage them to help you establish an open, loving, and respectful environment so that everyone feels safe sharing their experiences, questions, and testimonies” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 15).
Improving Personal Study
Act on what you learn. Gospel learning includes more than reading and pondering. We often learn the most by acting on the truths in the scriptures (see John 7:17). What will you do to apply what you read in Ether 6–11?
I hope today’s blog has in some small way enlightened you and your family members and friends, it seems as if there is so much for us to learn within each lesson and I include plenty so that you can a;ways come back to this blog to learn more:) it won't be long before we will be moving onto another book of scriptures.
I do hope and pray that you and your family members and friends will continue to be healthy and well over this next week. And I pray that this lesson has brought you something new in your study of the Book of Mormon. Until my next post, please do all you can to stay safe and healthy and well:)
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