As you study the book of Ether, you may wish to observe its overall organization and its most salient points of emphasis, paying particular attention to the historical, personal, doctrinal, and religious importance of the experiences of the Brother of Jared and of the Jaredite people. Since it is proverbially said that a good question is half the answer, bear in mind the following constructive questions:
- Many instructive things can be (and have been) said about this book appended to the main line of the Book of Mormon. What do you find most amazing, impressive, and inspiring about the complex book of Ether given to us by Moroni?
- If you were writing a history of a fallen civilization, what sorts of details might you include or not find important?
- What was going on in Moroni’s very lonely life and traumatized situation when he was finally able to fulfill his father Mormon’s editorial promise that “this account shall be written hereafter; for it is expedient that all people should know the things which are written in this account” (Mosiah 28:19)? Note that about 15 years had passed since the final Nephite battle and Mormon’s death (Mormon 8:6).
- In addition to fulfilling his father’s plan to include something of the record of Ether, why else did Moroni craft this book the way he did? Was it to solidify his testimony of Jesus as the Lord God from the beginning of history (Ether 2–3) until the end of time with “a New Jerusalem” (Ether 13:4)? Was it to overcome his fears with faith? Was it to assuage his own disappointment over the total destruction of his own people? Or was it to show that he, as a lone voice, could hope to make a difference for future people, just as the lone survivor Ether had left a helpful record that told of the demise of the Jaredite civilization?
- Who was Ether? When and why was his account written? (See Ether 12:2–5; 13:2–12).
- What records did Ether rely on as he wrote his original multilayered account of the destruction of his people, the Jaredites, on his 24 gold plates? Those records included at least certain records “brought across the deep” (Ether 1:3; 8:9), a Jaredite king list (1:6–33), records of the brother of Jared (1:33–3:16; 3:21–28); and a Jaredite royal history (6:2–8:18; 9:1–12:1). Ether’s account was translated by King Mosiah, the son of Benjamin about 92 BC (Mosiah 28). See Charting the Book of Mormon, chart 15:
- What then motivated Moroni as he chose what to include in his abridgement of Ether’s account, which Moroni describes as an “account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country” (Ether 1:1)?
- What personal editorial comments and instructional impressions did Moroni interject? See Ether 1:1–6; 3:17–20 (on the faith of the brother of Jared); in 4:1–6:1 (on sealed records coming to light); in 8:18–26 (on the damage caused by secret combinations); in 12:6–37 (on the nature of faith, as well as of hope and charity); and in 12:38–41 (to bid farewell to the Gentiles, testifying that he had talked with Jesus “face to face”).
- What do you think Moroni wanted his readers to learn from the devastating Jaredite experiences, and also from the regrettable Nephite experiences?
- What are your three or four favorite verses in the book of Ether? You may wish to memorize them.
Sources Behind the Book of Ether
