THE MATTER OF THE STONES

 

When the city of Babel became a strong metropolis under the dictatorial government of Nimrod, the Lord pronounced judgment upon that city by confounding their language ‘that they may not understand one another’s speech’ and so that they may be scattered ‘upon all the face of the land, and unto every quarter of the earth” (JST Genesis 11:5)

Living in the city of Babel was a group of righteous people who had resisted the teachings of Nimrod. One of them was Mahonri-Moriancumr, better known as the Brother of Jared (see Book of Mormon Student Manual Rel. 121-122 (2009) p 362).

Jared had so much faith in his brother, who was highly favoured of the Lord (Ether 1:34) that he asked him to pray to God so that their language and that of their friends would not be confounded. Another request was for God to lead them to a possible ‘land which is choice above all the earth’ (Ether 1:38)

A choice land above all the earth indeed…..enter the Book of Mormon which records in detail the entire history of the Jaredite civilization in the western hemisphere. There is just one significant thing I want to point out about the authenticity of this account. It’s to do with the stones of light that the Brother of Jared procured for their journey in the barges they built.

A few years ago I sought to gain a broader view of the Jaredites. I went to Hugh Nibley’s book, “An Approach to the Book of Mormon” and came across something that left my mouth gaping:

“Nothing in the Book of Mormon has elicited louder whoops and howls of derision than the account in the second and third chapters of the book of Ether of the ships of the Jaredites…..According to J.C. Bennett, the illumination by shining stones, was the “climax” of all of Joseph Smith’s indiscretions, in which he “used his utmost endeavours to see how far he could impose on the gullibility of mankind. It would be useless to make further comments to prove the absurdities of this extraordinary book.

“In 1855 T. Taylder declared this story to be nothing less than “a libel on the wisdom of God”. “It seems impossible”, another investigator wrote, “for sensible men to credit such trash”.  “My soul is filled with disgust at this monstrous absurdity”, cried the Reverend C. Fenwick Ward as he perused the pages of Ether, “that I dare not trust myself to comment upon it”.

“Fawn M. Brodie claimed that “Joseph Smith wrote the book of Ether as a sort of afterthought to cover up the scientific blunders and inaccuracies of the rest of the Book of Mormon which were causing him disturbing doubts and misgivings”.  (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p 340,341)

Brother Nibley also quoted many ancient sources that have since come to light comparing the Brother of Jared’s stones to that of Noah who also had a stone for light in the ark and many other ancient practices with likewise stones. He pointed out that none of these ancient sources would have been available to Joseph Smith in his time or to the critics of his day.  And the critics of our day wouldn’t bother searching them.

To the people of Babel, the details of Noah’s ark and the Flood was a certainty that everyone believed in. The tower of Babel was built out of fear of another flood (“Josephus” Book 1, chapter 4).  So I ask, where else would the Brother of Jared gain the knowledge of the stones???? Chapter 3 of Ether does not say that he deliberated and agonized over the solution of light for the barges. It states he went immediately to the mount Shelem and ‘did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones…as clear and transparent as glass’ (Ether 3;1).

I am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon and not be affected by the spirit of it….that such a small thing as sixteen stones could prevent belief of all that is in this amazing book. Once again, I am reminded of: “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27).  If you believe, you are that sheep…..you are His. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

A GIFT OF GOD

 

“Though within the reach of all who diligently strive to gain it, faith is nevertheless a divine gift. As is fitting for so priceless a pearl, it is given to those only who show by their sincerity that they are worthy of it, and who give promise of abiding by its dictates.

“Although faith is called the first principle of the Gospel of Christ, though it be in fact the foundation of religious life, yet even faith is preceded by sincerity of disposition and humility of soul, whereby the word of God may make an impression upon the heart. No compulsion is used in bringing men to a knowledge of God; yet, as fast as we open our hearts to the influences of righteousness, the faith that leads to life eternal will be given us of our Father.”

-          James E. Talmage, “Articles of Faith” p 107

Elder Talmage goes on to say: “Faith is the secret of ambition, the soul of heroism, the motive power of effort” (ibid p 103). Consider these Old Testament heroes who achieved admirable feats through faith that will live in the annals of history forever (Hebrews 11):

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; (v 5)

By faith Noah, being warned of God, prepared an ark to the saving of his house (v 7)

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac  (v 17)

Through faith Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age (v 11)

By faith Moses forsook Egypt and passed through the Red Sea as by dry land (v 27,29)

By faith the Brother of Jared led a colony of people from the Tower of Babel to a promised land in the western hemisphere, whose faith revealed the yet unborn Christ to him and to whom he spoke face to face (Ether 1-6: D&C 17:1).

These are not simple, ordinary achievements, these are achievements that required extraordinary faith, divine faith, an endowment of godly faith, the Father’s gift of faith…..

This type of faith can only be gifted through our personal righteousness, as indicated by Elder Talmage. In Saviour’s words: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21). Is there a more glorious promise??? 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus Christ by Biju Mathew)

A PROMISED LAND

 

I have always had the Brother of Jared on a pedestal because of his perfect faith that rent the veil and revealed the Saviour standing before him. This faith has been the identifier we use in the Church for this man but I am fascinated with a couple of things that occurred prior to this event.

The Brother of Jared was ‘highly favoured of the Lord’ and his mighty and frequent prayers were ‘cries’ unto God to separate him and his company of family and friends from the situation of the Tower of Babel (Ether 1:34; 43). The Lord obliged and promised to lead them to ‘the choice land above all other lands’ (Ether 1:42; 2:13).  

The company travelled in the wilderness and crossed many waters in the barges they had made and were constantly led by God (Ether 2:5,6). And this is the puzzling thing. When they arrived to the coast, they pitched their tents and settled there for four whole years! (2:13). Were they tired of all the travel? Did they survey the area and thought, ‘this is good enough’, we’ll stay here? Did they get too comfortable in having been removed from the situation they tried to evade and accepted the coast as their promised land?

I rather suspect it was this. The Brother of Jared did something uncharacteristic when they arrived there. He stopped praying….and so the guidance to keep going stopped too.  Did he think it was no longer necessary? When the Lord came to him after four years, He ‘stood in a cloud and talked with him and chastened him for the space of three hours ‘because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord’ (2:14). Obviously, it was very much necessary.

Can we relate this to us? Often we settle for something that is ‘good enough’ when in reality God has something so much better for us. We take the reins of our lives and think we don’t need to be guided so much so we stop turning to God.  I know many people who are very grateful to be on this earth and don’t want to go further because there is much to be liked and enjoyed here. The promise of eternal life seems just too costly and far away.

People of the world fear death and view it as something dark and terrible. I know someone who is 101 years old and has a 10 year plan. He is determined not to die. The world is invested in anti-aging and longevity. This earth however, is our coast, and the promised land is waiting. There is more, so much more, if we are brave enough to cross the great waters to enter ‘the choice land above all other lands’.

Let’s not settle and become too comfortable. The Brother of Jared didn’t. He repented and the next step of the journey surpassed all his expectations. The heavens parted, he saw the premortal Christ and he stepped through the veil to see the mysteries of eternity (Ether 3:18,20).

This brings me to more food for thought. The Lord solved the problem of needed air in the barges but he asked the Brother of Jared to solve the problem of needed light (Ether 2:25). I don’t know why this man thought of the stones which could be illuminated. There are a number of Jewish sources that say that God had Noah suspend precious stones or pearls inside the ark to lighten it (Tvedtnes, John A., “Ancient Texts in Support of the Book of Mormon”). Perhaps the Brother of Jared had heard about this and reasoned he should do the same.

The important thing here is that the Lord asked him to think deeply and see the possibilities beyond the obvious which require faith to be brought into reality. Following the illumination of the stones came the greatest spiritual illumination known to man (Ether 4:4). So great were the things that the Brother of Jared was permitted to see, that he was forbidden to tell no man (Ether 3:21).

This knowledge remains hidden from the world to this day in the sealed portion of the gold plates to be revealed when we, the Gentiles ‘become clean before the Lord’ and exercise faith in Him as the Brother of Jared did (Ether 4:6,7). This knowledge of eternity is more valuable than the promised land of America the Jaredites arrived at. This knowledge is a glimpse into our eternal home. This is the real promised land.

“Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world……” (Ether 4:15)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Worlds by Greg Olsen)

MORONI'S LAMENT

 

I was led to read Ether 12 this morning and paid particular attention to Moroni’s interlude on faith amongst his account of the Brother of Jared’s experience with the Lord.

I actually sorrowed for this man as I read his lament over the Nephite’s inadequacy in writing because of their ‘awkwardness of hands’ (v 24). Having just dealt with the written account of the Brother of Jared, Moroni felt even worse, for the words of the Brother of Jared were ‘overpowering of man to read them’ (v 24)…..something he felt the rest of the writers of the golden plates lacked.

Moroni worried that the Gentiles will mock the Book of Mormon because of this lack of skill (v 25). I have always considered Moroni’s interlude on faith and abridgement of the Jaredite story as one of the gems of the Book of Mormon, if not the greatest gem.

Imagine my surprise when, immediately after reading Moroni’s account, I went to Hugh Nibley’s book, “An Approach to the Book of Mormon” with the intent to read a broader view of the Jaredites and came across something that left my mouth gaping:

“Nothing in the Book of Mormon has elicited louder whoops and howls of derision than the account in the second and third chapters of the book of Ether of the ships of the Jaredites…..”  Hugh Nibley then went on to list some critics who basically left me speechless:

“According to J.C. Bennett, the illumination by shining stones, was the “climax” of all of Joseph Smith’s indiscretions, in which he “used his utmost endeavours to see how far he could impose on the gullibility of mankind. It would be useless to make further comments to prove the absurdities of this extraordinary book”.

“In 1855 T. Taylder declared this story to be nothing less than “a libel on the wisdom of God”. “It seems impossible”, another investigator wrote, “for sensible men to credit such trash”.  “My soul is filled with disgust at this monstrous absurdity”, cried the Reverend C. Fenwick Ward as he perused the pages of Ether, “that I dare not trust myself to comment upon it”.

Fawn M. Brodie claimed that “Joseph Smith wrote the book of Ether as a sort of afterthought to cover up the scientific blunders and inaccuracies of the rest of the Book of Mormon which were causing him disturbing doubts and misgivings”.

-        Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, p 340,341

Brother Nibley quoted all the sources of these criticisms and I honestly wondered how he could stomach reading such books.

Brother Nibley also quoted many ancient sources that have since come to light comparing the Brother of Jared’s stones to that of Noah who also had a stone for light in the ark and many other ancient practices with likewise stones. He pointed out that none of these ancient sources would have been available to Joseph Smith in his time or to the critics of his day.  And the critics of our day wouldn’t bother searching them.

I sorrowed even more for Moroni and his efforts to bring the Book of Mormon to the light of day but was comforted by the Lord’s advice to him:

“Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness.”  (Ether 12:26)

I thought of all the people I know who have turned their backs on the Church and those who have discounted and rejected the Book of Mormon and I hoped that the Saviour’s mercy will be sufficient…..

I am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon and not be affected by the spirit of it. Once again, I am reminded of: “My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27).  If you believe, you are that sheep…..I am comforted knowing many who are.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

EXEMPLARY FAITH

 

Whenever I read the story of the brother of Jared, I ask myself: what kind of faith does it take for the veil to become so thin that the Lord was compelled to fully show himself to this man?

Undoubtedly, this faith began the moment the solution to the problem of light entered into this man’s mind. The solution he came up with may not have been so unusual since some rabbis and scholars claim that Noah’s ark had the same illumination and the brother of Jared might have been familiar with that fact (New Era Dec 2020).

Certainly, the carving out of the stones would have contributed greatly to his faith in this solution for why would you go to such trouble if you were not a hundred percent sure that it would work?

Bringing the stones before the Lord and acknowledging his personal conviction in the Lord’s power to do all things would have added another decibel to his faith (Ether 3:4). Being specific about the finger would have taken that faith up another notch.

What amazes me further is this. Once his faith rendered the veil, everything beyond it was fair game. He was shown not only the Lord but ‘greater things that never have been manifest before’ (v 18,19,20; 4:4). These greater things are contained in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon (Ether 4:4,5).

Much can be written about the brother of Jared’s experience but my intent here is to show that we need to take note of the principle of faith that unfolded the whole story. There are two things I find are of great interest.

Firstly, Moroni indicates that the brother of Jared was told ‘in times before’ that if he believed in the Lord, He could show him ‘all things’ (Ether 3:26). We can conclude from this that the brother of Jared had a long-standing relationship with Christ, he had a desire to know the mysteries of the kingdom and he worked on developing his faith to come to the point where ‘the Lord could not withhold anything from him’ (Ether 3:26).

We should take note of this, especially in relation to the promise that the saints of this dispensation have been given as contained in D&C 76:5-10.

The second point of interest involves us. I have friends, who like me, are eager to read the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. I have always thought the ‘yet unrevealed scriptures’ will one day just appear and we will get to read them, probably in the Millenium. There is a catch however.

This is what Moroni was told by the Lord himself referring to the ‘greater things’, when he was commanded to seal up the portion of the plates:

“They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall EXERCISE FAITH IN ME….EVEN AS THE BROTHER OF JARED DID…..” (Ether 4:7)

The Saviour went further to say that we will need to be sanctified in Him before He will unfold to us all His revelations (v 7). This is a sobering thought that tells us we will not get to read these scriptures without any effort on our part…a serious effort, one that leads to the principle of repentance and the manifesting faith like we have never known before…..the manifesting faith of the brother of Jared.  Are we up to it????

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

A MEASURE OF TRUST

 

The story of the Jaredites would have to be one of the most interesting in the Book of Mormon.

Imagine the confusion and fear that would have ensued as the only language you have ever known became confounded and you saw people scattering  (Ether 1:33).

I presume this process was gradual and so the fear would have been so much greater. You would wonder if one day you would wake up and not be able to communicate with your family.

Ether, who was a descendant of Jared recorded that his brother cried unto the Lord a ‘long time’ before the Lord answered his petition to not confound the language in their family (Ether 1:6-32; 43). In fact, chapter 1 mentions the word ‘cry’ seven times suggesting the brother of Jared ‘pleaded’ with the Lord. But there is something else that piqued my interest.

I have never before noticed the hand that Jared had in his people’s possession of the land of promise. He must have been an optimist. He not only asked his brother to plead with the Lord so their language would not be confounded but he expressed a hope that the Lord might bless them beyond what they expect: “And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth?” This was the beginning of trust.

Then he went a step further. Jared did not only hope for the blessing but he ensured that his family and friends were worthy of the choicest land the Lord could give them by exhorting them to be faithful (Ether 1:38). He was no doubt the patriarch of his family and respected as a leader by his friends.

The Lord answered their petition and promised them He would deliver them to the land choice above all other lands (Ether 1:42,43). So intent was He that they would arrive to America that He personally led them in their travels and gave them directions where they should go ‘as he stood in a cloud’ in their midst (Ether 2:5).

The trust that the Jaredites had in the Lord during their experience is astounding.

I don’t know if this company of people ever travelled anywhere by sea. The fact that the Lord personally led them to it suggests, not (Ether 2:13). Now imagine you get into barges you had never seen or been in before to travel to another land. They were small and light and tight and the length of a tree (v 16,17).

All you know is that they were built according to the Lord’s instructions (v 16). And then a frightening warning: ‘you will be as a whale in the midst of the sea, for the mountain waves shall dash upon you’ (v 24).

If you were claustrophobic, would you get in? And once you are in, you see no rudder or anyone at the helm. All you are going on is the word of a friend who said that God told him He will blow you by the breath of His mouth to a ‘choice land’ you have never been to (Ether 2:24).

How would you feel if you were in there listening to the deafening sounds of crashing waves against the barge you were in? On top of that, you are constantly listening to a ‘furious wind which tossed you upon the waves of the sea continually’ (Ether 6:5). Add to that being ‘buried in the depths of the sea because of the terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind’ (v 6).

You have no idea if the other barges are safe, if the other half of your family is alive or not. No mobile phones, no reception, no communication. Only trust.

The worst is this: you do not know how long you have to endure this journey. Three hundred and forty and four days, to be exact (Ether 6:11). That’s 21 days short of a year.

But something marvelous happened in those barges. The trust never died….. for one reason. They sang praises to the Lord unceasingly (Ether 6:9). And 344 days of praises later, when they arrived, they shed tears of joy ‘because of the multitude of the Lord’s tender mercies over them’ (v 12).

Next time you are buried in the depths of your sea, sing…… 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: God of Wonders by Yongsung Kim)

YET TO COME

 

I am sure many of us know of more records that are yet to be revealed. In relation to this, Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “Today we carry convenient quadruple combinations of the scriptures, but one day, since more scriptures are coming, we may need to pull little red wagons brimful with books” (A Wonderful Flood of Light [1990], p 18). Does this seem overwhelming to those of us who do not study the scriptures now??? It should, because we cannot be given more if we are not ready to receive it.

This is what is yet to come: writings of Enoch (D&C 107:57); writings of Apostle John (Ether 4:16); records of the Lost Tribes (2 Nephi 29:13); the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon comprising approximately two thirds of the record (2 Nephi 27:10,11; see Elder Maxwell’s quoted book). Does it not blow your mind that what we have now is only one third??? Do we know the one third well enough to be given another two thirds to study?. This is what caught my eye the most as I studied 2 Nephi 27 in relation to the sealed portion: the revelations contained in the sealed portion ‘reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof….and the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops’ (vs 10,11).

And this is the most intriguing part of the sealed portion. Besides the writings of Apostle John which are also contained therein (Ether 4:16), Moroni wrote upon the sealed section ‘the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared’ (v4). I can only assume these revelations are those that ‘reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof’. Moroni also states that the Lord commanded him to write these revelations and seal them up together with the interpretation thereof (v5).

And here is something that we need to know. The Lord said to Moroni that these revelations will not be revealed until: 1. the Gentiles shall repent and become ‘clean before the Lord’ (v6) and 2. The Gentiles exercise faith in the Lord even as the brother of Jared did (v7). 'The Gentiles' here refers to us, His Church. He says the revelations were manifested to the Brother of Jared and the Lord will manifest them to us. The operative word here is MANIFEST. Why? Because the brother of Jared did not have just any old weak as water faith….he had a manifesting faith that he exercised when he saw the finger of the Lord.

I am fascinated with the concept of ‘manifesting faith’. I remember when Jesus was walking towards Jerusalem with His disciples. He was hungry and sought figs on a barren tree. He cursed the tree and it withered before their eyes (Matthew 21:19-22). This is manifesting faith….when you bring into reality something that aligns with your belief. This is the faith that manifested the Lord’s finger to the Brother of Jared. This is the faith that is going to be required of us to bring the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon into reality. I think we have some work to do…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)