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)
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