Ether 6:3 Shine in darkness

“You have the light within. You can shine in darkness. You can light up the world. You can help dispel the darkness. You can make a difference” (Ardeth Kapp, The Joy of the Journey [1992], 69).

Ether 6:7 How can we be protected from the storms of life like the Jaredites?

“In our time there are vessels that protect against these terrible spiritual tempests, and they are our temples, homes, quorums. Wards and stakes.” (James E Faust, We Believe in You).

Ether 6:12 Multitude of his tender mercies

Sisters, I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, so eternal and everlasting, so joyful and beyond our understanding that in that day of reward, we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, “Was that all that was required?” I believe that if we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence again, surrounded by Their love eternally. What will it matter, dear sisters, what we suffered here if, in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior? (Linda S Reeves, General Conference, October 2015).

Ether 7:7 Kib dwelt in captivity

“Such is the practice, mentioned many times in the book, of keeping a king prisoner throughout his entire lifetime. Allowing him to beget and raise a family in captivity, even though the sons thus brought up would be almost sure to seek vengeance for their parent and power for themselves upon coming of age…It seems to us a perfectly ridiculous system, yet it is in accordance with the immemorial Asiatic usage.” (Hugh Nibley, Lehi in the Desert)

Ether 8:24 Your awful situation

“We do not fear the future for ourselves or for our children. We live in dangerously troubled times. The values that steadied mankind in earlier times are being tossed away.

We must not ignore Moroni’s words when he saw our day and said, “Ye [must] awake to a sense of your awful situation”. (Boyd K Packer, General Conference, April 2004)

Ether 9 – The Jaredite Pride Cycle

“1. During the righteous reigns of Emer and Coriantum the people prospered exceedingly (Ether 9:15-25).

2. Under the reign of Seth, the people began to join together in secret combinations, and they turned to wickedness (vv 26-27)

3. The Lord sends prophets to warn the people of their terrible circumstances (v 28)

4. The people of Heth rejected the prophets (v29).

5. The judgements of God fell upon the people (vv 30-33).

6. The people humbled themselves and repented and the Lord blessed them again with prosperity (vv 34-35).”  (Thomas R Valletta, The Book of Mormon Study Guide).

Ether 11:13 The Jaredites rejected the prophets

“[The Jaredites] would say with the corrupt Ahab, ‘I hate [the prophet Micaiah]; for he never prophesied good unto me. But always [prophesied] evil.’ That kind of hate for a prophet’s honesty cost Abinadi his life. As he said to King Noah: ‘Because I have spoken the truth ye are angry with me…Because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad’ or, we might add, provincial, patriarchal, bigoted, unkind, narrow, outmoded, and elderly.’ (Jeffrey R Holland, Cost – and Blessings – of Discipleship).