Author: reneehawkley

My center of gravity is Jesus Christ, and it fans out from there to my family, nation, community and friends. I love to think, dance, read, sing and write. A favorite mantra is "A day without dancing is like . . . oh wait . . . I have no idea."

Who wrote the book of Ether?

Who wrote the book of Ether?

Usually, books start at the beginning and end at the end. The book of Ether is close to the end of The Book of Mormon. It tells the stories of 30 generations of Jaredites, who came to the American continent before the Nephites and Lamanites came.

Ether was a prophet and a descendant of Jared and his brother, who prayed to Heavenly Father for help during the Tower of Babel times.

During 30 generations, the Jaredites became wicked and wanted to destroy each other. So they did. This is what happens when families and friends turn away from Heavenly Father’s commandments and the teachings of Jesus.

Ether wrote the stories of his people on 24 gold plates. Then he hid them. (These plates were like pieces of paper, not like plates we eat on.) Ether was the last Jaredite to die.

Here is the order Ether’s father and grandfathers were born:

(If you can read 20 of these names easily, you are a good reader.)

Jared, Orhihah, Kib, Shule, Omer, Emer, Coriantum, Com, Heth, Shez, Riplakish, Morianton, Kim, Levi, Corom, Kish, Lib, Hearthom, Heth, Aaron, Amnigaddah, Coriantum, Com, Shiblon, Seth, Ahah, Ethem, Moron, Coriantor, and Ether. (That’s 30. There are two Coms and two Coriantums.)

I don’t know why the book of Ether comes near the end of The Book of Mormon instead of the beginning. Do you?

Prayer helps us stick together.

Prayer Helps Us Stick Together 

Over 2,000 years before Jesus was born, everyone spoke the same language. The families of Noah who were saved from the flood had turned against the Lord and were trying to build a tower up to heaven. They called it the Tower of Babel. 

The Lord was angry with his people. He decided to mix up their languages and scatter them ‘upon all the face of the earth.’

Jared and his brother had stayed true to the Lord and his commandments. Jared asked his brother to pray to the Lord and ask if the language of their families could stay the same so they could understand each other.

So the brother of Jared prayed, and the Lord said ‘Yes.’ 

Jared asked his brother to pray to the Lord again and ask if the language of their friends and their families could stay the same, too.

So the brother of Jared prayed, and the Lord said ‘Yes.’

Jared asked his brother to pray to the Lord one more time and ask if the Lord might ‘carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth?’

So the brother of Jared prayed, and the Lord told the brother of Jared what their families and friends needed to do.

Do you ever ask someone in your family to pray for something?

Do you ever pray with your family?

Do you ever wonder how many times to pray?

‘ . the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him.’ Ether 1:40

Who is in the Book of Mormon?

Whose stories are in the Book of Mormon?

Book of Mormon stories are about two groups of people who were guided by the Lord to cross the ocean to ‘a promised land’ that we now call America.

The Jaredites came to America after Noah and Tower of Babel times. Jared and his brother prayed to Heavenly Father. They received answers about what to do.

The Nephites and Lamanites came later. They started out in Jerusalem as Lehi and Sariah’s family and friends. Lehi knew Jerusalem was going to be destroyed. He also prayed to Heavenly Father and received answers about what to do.

Both groups were led by prophets, who taught their families and friends to choose the Lord and to keep His commandments. 

Many years after the two groups arrived at ‘the promised land,’ the people chose Satan’s plan and turned to making bad choices. They fought and killed each other until just a few Lamanites were left.

* When we talk about ‘the Lord,’ we are referring to God, Heavenly Father, Jesus and/or the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

Tell me the stories of Jesus

Tell me the stories of Jesus – Intro

Every book starts with a writer, who is called ‘the author.’

The Holy Bible and The Book of Mormon have many authors.

They were written long ago by prophets of olden times.

They include many smaller books that were put together.

They tell stories about Jesus and the everlasting gospel.

We call these books ‘scriptures’ because they tell the true stories of how 

Heavenly Father and Jesus can help us.

Anyone can be a writer.

Most writers like to share their stories and messages.

They want their stories and messages to be understood and to last.

Sometimes, the best messages are short, like Jesus’ message of ‘Love one another.’

Do you have something you would like to tell others that will last?

What will you write about?

Photo by Vlada Karpovich on Pexels.com

Timeless, universal principles win.

The principle of charity ranks top of the list.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or of a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up;

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things;

Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away;

For we know in part, and we prophecy in part;

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a woman, I put away childish things.

For now, we see through a glass, darkly; but then, face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also, I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

* I Corinthians 13

The Prize fish Dad and Janette “baught” on their daddy/daughter date.

Words last longer than things.

1 Nephi 3:1-4

When Lehi took his family into the wilderness, they left their home, their land, their gold, silver and precious things behind in Jerusalem. (1 Nephi 2:11)

When they got to the wilderness, the Lord commanded Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem to get the plates of brass.

The plates of brass had stories and the genealogy of Lehi’s forefathers written on them from many generations before Lehi was born.

The names and stories of people who lived before were more important to Lehi and his family than their home in Jerusalem, their friends, their gold, silver and precious things all put together!

How can words last longer and matter more than things?

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

*In Lehi’s time, the people saved words by carving them onto ‘pages’ made of metal.