Jaredite Era

The Reigns of Coriantum, Com, and Heth

Ether 9:23

Coriantum also reigns righteously, but grows old without any children.

And it came to pass that Coriantum did walk in the steps of his father, and did build many mighty cities, and did administer that which was good unto his people in all his days. And it came to pass that he had no children even until he was exceedingly old.

Ether 9:24

Coriantum’s wife dies, Coriantum remarries, has many children, and lives to be 142 years old.

And it came to pass that his wife died, being an hundred and two years old. And it came to pass that Coriantum took to wife, in his old age, a young maid, and begat sons and daughters; wherefore he lived until he was an hundred and forty and two years old.

Ether 9:25

One of Coriantum’s sons, Com, becomes king; Com has, among other children, a son named Heth.

And it came to pass that he begat Com, and Com reigned in his stead; and he reigned forty and nine years, and he begat Heth; and he also begat other sons and daughters.

Ether 9:26–27

Heth begins to embrace the secret evil pacts of the past, hungers for power, and kills his father Com, taking his place as king.

And the people had spread again over all the face of the land, and there began again to be an exceedingly great wickedness upon the face of the land, and Heth began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy his father. And it came to pass that he did dethrone his father, for he slew him with his own sword; and he did reign in his stead.

Ether 9:28–29

Prophets come among the people and warn them to repent, warning them of a famine, but most people reject and harass the prophets.

And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent. But the people believed not the words of the prophets, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the king, Heth.

Ether 9:30–32

The land is stricken with a dearth, the population declines rapidly, and venomous snakes attack people and scatter livestock.

And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth. And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla. And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way; nevertheless, there were some which fled into the land southward.

Ether 9:33

The Lord causes the snakes to form a barricade to block the people off from the southern land.

And it came to pass that the Lord did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents.

Ether 9:34

The people try to follow the path of the migrating livestock, scavenging carcasses along the way.

And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all.

Ether 9:34–35

Seeing that their sins brought this upon them the people begin to repent; soon after, rain begins to fall, and fruit grows back in the northern region.

Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord. And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine.