Ether 5 – 6
I get the impression that Moroni did not get to write the preceding chapter outlining the commandments regarding the record of what the brother of Jared saw until long after he received the command. Perhaps, having been given the command to seal those words up as he began the translation, he wrote that after he had finished translating that portion of the plates of Ether or perhaps his recording of the command was preempted by a need to escape Lamanite detection. Whatever the case, Moroni wrote this chapter directly to Joseph Smith.
It just occurred to me that the preeminent value of the Old Testament is its record of the interventions of the Lord not simply the history of the people. The preeminent section of the New Testament is the gospels which record the life and ministry of the Savior. As much as we learn from the epistles and the Revelation of John, it’s greatest value is in the recording of the works of Jesus. The preeminent event of the Book of Mormon is near the end where the visitation of Christ is recorded. Likewise the preeminent information in the plates of Ether is the revelation to the brother of Jared in which he saw the Savior and learned from Him of the Plan of Salvation. The brother of Jared knew of the plan and how it applied to him but from Christ he learned how it would play out for mankind. Because that part is sealed for us the value of the book of Ether is to confirm the pattern of the promises of the Lord in this land as found in the record of the Nephites.
I notice that all twelve of the sons of the brother of Jared are wise enough to follow their father and not choose to be king. Three of the sons of Jared were wise enough to follow their example whether they recognized the dangers of having a king or not. Unfortunately neither Jared nor Orihah recognized the danger of establishing a king. It occurs to me that it was after he had the record of Ether that Mosiah told his people how undesirable it was for them to have a king. I wonder how much ha saw of the danger before getting that record.
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