Ether
35 verses
Now I, Moroni, continue with my record. Because of the secret combinations of Akish and his friends, they overthrew the kingdom of Omer.
And now I, Moroni, proceed with my record. Therefore, behold, it came to pass that because of the secret combinations of Akish and his friends, behold, they did overthrow the kingdom of Omer.
However, the Lord was merciful to Omer, as well as to his sons and daughters who did not try to destroy him.
Nevertheless, the Lord was merciful unto Omer, and also to his sons and to his daughters who did not seek his destruction.
The Lord warned Omer in a dream to leave the land, so Omer left with his family and traveled for many days. They passed by the hill of Shim and the place where the Nephites were destroyed, then continued east until they reached a place called Ablom by the seashore. There, he set up his tent along with his sons, daughters, and all his household, except for Jared and his family.
And the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer departed out of the land with his family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and from thence eastward, and came to a place which was called Ablom, by the seashore, and there he pitched his tent, and also his sons and his daughters, and all his household, save it were Jared and his family.
Jared was anointed king over the people through wicked actions, and he gave his daughter to Akish as a wife.
And it came to pass that Jared was anointed king over the people, by the hand of wickedness; and he gave unto Akish his daughter to wife.
Akish wanted to kill his father-in-law, so he went to those he had sworn to by the ancient oath, and they killed his father-in-law by cutting off his head while he was sitting on his throne, speaking to his people.
And it came to pass that Akish sought the life of his father-in-law; and he applied unto those whom he had sworn by the oath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of his father-in-law, as he sat upon his throne, giving audience to his people.
The influence of this wicked and secret society had spread so much that it corrupted the hearts of all the people. As a result, Jared was murdered on his throne, and Akish became king in his place.
For so great had been the spreading of this wicked and secret society that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people; therefore Jared was murdered upon his throne, and Akish reigned in his stead.
Akish became jealous of his son, so he put him in prison and gave him little or no food until he died.
And it came to pass that Akish began to be jealous of his son, therefore he shut him up in prison, and kept him upon little or no food until he had suffered death.
Nimrah, the brother of the one who was killed, was angry with his father because of what his father had done to his brother.
And now the brother of him that suffered death, (and his name was Nimrah) was angry with his father because of that which his father had done unto his brother.
Nimrah gathered a small group of men, left the land, and went to live with Omer.
And it came to pass that Nimrah gathered together a small number of men, and fled out of the land, and came over and dwelt with Omer.
Akish had other sons, and they won the hearts of the people, even though they had sworn to him to do all kinds of evil according to whatever he wanted.
And it came to pass that Akish begat other sons, and they won the hearts of the people, notwithstanding they had sworn unto him to do all manner of iniquity according to that which he desired.
The people of Akish wanted wealth, just as Akish wanted power. So the sons of Akish offered them money, and in this way they convinced most of the people to follow them.
Now the people of Akish were desirous for gain, even as Akish was desirous for power; wherefore, the sons of Akish did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them.
A war broke out between Akish and his sons, lasting for many years and leading to the destruction of nearly everyone in the kingdom—everyone except for thirty people and those who escaped with the house of Omer.
And there began to be a war between the sons of Akish and Akish, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the kingdom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omer.
Omer was restored again to the land of his inheritance.
Wherefore, Omer was restored again to the land of his inheritance.
Omer grew old; but in his old age he had a son named Emer, and he anointed Emer to be king to rule in his place.
And it came to pass that Omer began to be old; nevertheless, in his old age he begat Emer; and he anointed Emer to be king to reign in his stead.
After he anointed Emer to be king, he saw peace in the land for two years, and then he died after living many days filled with sorrow. Emer became king in his place and followed in his father's footsteps.
And after that he had anointed Emer to be king he saw peace in the land for the space of two years, and he died, having seen exceedingly many days, which were full of sorrow. And it came to pass that Emer did reign in his stead, and did fill the steps of his father.
The Lord began once again to remove the curse from the land, and the house of Emer prospered greatly during Emer’s reign. In sixty-two years, they became very strong and extremely rich.
And the Lord began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emer did prosper exceedingly under the reign of Emer; and in the space of sixty and two years they had become exceedingly strong, insomuch that they became exceedingly rich—
They had all kinds of fruit, grain, silks, fine linen, gold, silver, and valuable items.
Having all manner of fruit, and of grain, and of silks, and of fine linen, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things;
They also had all kinds of cattle—oxen, cows, sheep, pigs, goats—and many other kinds of animals that were useful for human food.
And also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of man.
They also had horses and donkeys, and there were elephants, cureloms, and cumoms. All of these were useful to people, especially the elephants, cureloms, and cumoms.
And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto man, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms.
The Lord poured out his blessings on this land, which was the most choice of all lands. He commanded that whoever possessed the land should do so for the Lord, or they would be destroyed when they became fully wicked. For the Lord says, “I will pour out the fullness of my wrath on such people. ”
And thus the Lord did pour out his blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and he commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lord, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lord: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath.
Emer judged righteously throughout his life and had many sons and daughters. He had a son named Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his place.
And Emer did execute judgment in righteousness all his days, and he begat many sons and daughters; and he begat Coriantum, and he anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead.
After he anointed Coriantum to reign in his place, he lived for four more years and saw peace in the land. He even saw the Son of Righteousness and rejoiced and gloried in his day, and he died in peace.
And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace.
Coriantum followed in his father's footsteps and built many great cities, doing good for his people throughout his life. He had no children until he was very old.
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.
His wife died at the age of one hundred and two. In his old age, Coriantum married a young woman and had sons and daughters. He lived until he was one hundred and forty-two 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.
He had a son named Com, who became king after him. Com reigned for forty-nine years and had a son named Heth, as well as other sons and daughters.
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.
The people spread out again across the land, and once more, there was a great amount of wickedness throughout the land. Heth started to follow the old secret plans again to destroy his father.
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.
He dethroned his father by killing him with his own sword, and then he ruled in his place.
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.
Prophets came into the land again, calling the people to repent and prepare the way of the Lord, or a curse would come upon the land—a great famine in which they would be destroyed if they did not repent.
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 did not believe the words of the prophets and threw them out; some they threw into pits and left them to die. They did all these things because King Heth commanded them to.
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.
A great famine began in the land, and the people started to die very quickly because of it, since there was no rain on the earth.
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.
Poisonous serpents also came onto the land and poisoned many people. Their flocks started to flee from the poisonous serpents toward the land to the south, which the Nephites called Zarahemla.
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.
Many of them died along the way; however, some escaped into the land to the south.
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.
The Lord made it so the serpents no longer chased them, but instead blocked the way so the people couldn’t get through, and anyone who tried to pass might be killed by the poisonous serpents.
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.
The people followed the paths of the animals and ate the bodies of those that died along the way, until they had eaten them all. When the people realized they were about to die, they began to repent of their sins and pray to the Lord.
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. Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lord.
When they had humbled themselves enough before the Lord, he sent rain on the land. The people began to recover, and fruit started to grow in the northern regions and in all the surrounding areas. The Lord showed his power by preserving them from famine.
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.