Ether Chapter 6 The Jaredite barges are driven by the winds to the promised land—The people praise the Lord for His goodness—Orihah is appointed king over them—Jared and his brother die.
Ether Chapter 7 Orihah reigns in righteousness—Amid usurpation and strife, the rival kingdoms of Shule and Cohor are set up—Prophets condemn the wickedness and idolatry of the people, who then repent.
Ether Chapter 8 There is strife and contention over the kingdom—Akish forms an oath-bound secret combination to slay the king—Secret combinations are of the devil and result in the destruction of nations—Modern Gentiles are warned against the secret combination that will seek to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries.
Ether Chapter 9 The kingdom passes from one to another by descent, intrigue, and murder—Emer saw the Son of Righteousness—Many prophets cry repentance—A famine and poisonous serpents plague the people.
Ether Chapter 10 One king succeeds another—Some of the kings are righteous; others are wicked—When righteousness prevails, the people are blessed and prospered by the Lord.
Ether Chapter 11 Wars, dissensions, and wickedness dominate Jaredite life—Prophets predict the utter destruction of the Jaredites unless they repent—The people reject the words of the prophets.
Jaredite’s Barges Travel to the Promised Land
I can trust Heavenly Father to comfort me when I am scared.
The families got into the barges to cross the sea. They trusted the Lord to take care of them. There were many storms and waves. At times, the water covered the barges completely. But they prayed, and the Lord brought them back on top of the water again. They sang many songs of thanks to the Lord.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
It must have been frightening for the Jaredites to be “tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind” (Ether 6:5). But the Lord kept them safe and helped them.
- Using words and phrases from Ether 6:2–12, describe to the children the Jaredites’ journey across the sea. Invite the children to pretend to climb into the barges and pretend that their barge is being moved and covered by waves. How would it feel to be in a real barge in rough waters? What can we do when we are scared? Read together verses 7 and 9 to see what the Jaredites did when they were frightened..
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Ether 6-11”
- Everyone has hard days—even little children. Perhaps you could help your children find words and phrases in Ether 6:1–12 that show how the Jaredites trusted God during some really tough and scary days. Consider sharing with each other some experiences when God helped you during difficult times in your life.
Friend September 2013 “Jesus Calms the Tempest”
Friend February 2022 “I Can Trust God” Coloring page
“Tornado Scare” (Aug. 2021 Friend)
Friend November 2020 “Come, Follow Me for Little Ones” Sit on a bed with your children and cover yourselves with a blanket, or do something else to build a pretend barge. (You could use a dark room as a barge and flashlights to represent the shining stones.) Read Ether 6:5 together and act out being “tossed upon the waves” with a “furious wind.” Then read Ether 6:9 together and help your little ones say, “I can be thankful.” Pick a favorite Primary song to sing together before leaving the barge!
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11:
- Maybe you could talk about how the Jaredites showed their faith in the Lord by getting in the barges, despite knowing that they would be “buried in the depths of the sea” (Ether 6:6). After reading verse 9, family members could share favorite hymns of praise and sing them together.
Friend November 2024 “The Jaredite Barges”
I can trust Heavenly Father to guide me to eternal life.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11
- The account of the Jaredites’ voyage across the sea can be compared to our journey through mortality. Both journeys are sometimes dangerous and require faith that the Lord will guide and protect us. Read together Ether 6:2–12, pausing frequently so the children can draw pictures of what they are reading. How is the Jaredites’ journey like our lives? Help the children identify and label what different parts of their drawings might represent in our lives. For example, the Jaredites could represent us. The barges could represent our homes, the Church, or the gospel. What might the wind, the water, the shining stones, and the promised land represent?
Jaredites Arrive. They Set Up Kings
Remembering what the Lord has done brings gratitude and peace.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Ether 6-11”
- After arriving safely in the promised land, the Jaredites were so thankful that they “shed tears of joy” (Ether 6:12). You might inspire your children to feel thankful for God’s blessings by helping them find phrases from Ether 6:9, 12 that show how the Jaredites expressed their thanks to God.
Book of Mormon Stories for Young Readers “Traveling to the Promised Land”
- They may enjoy singing, like the Jaredites did, a song that expresses gratitude, like “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 195). Ask your children to tell you about some things they are thankful for. (“I Thank Thee, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 7).
One thing that distinguished the righteous Jaredite kings from the wicked ones is that the righteous kings “remembered the great things that the Lord had done” for them (Ether 7:27).
- Perhaps your children could read Ether 6:30; 7:27; and 10:2 and find what these righteous kings remembered. How did it affect the way they led their people? You and your children could discuss ways to remind yourselves of what God has done for you. For example, maybe they could write about it or draw pictures. You might suggest that they make a regular habit of writing down blessings they notice from God (see “O Remember, Remember” , Gospel Library).
101 Planners “Gratitude Journals” See more at link
Friend February 2023 “What’s on Your Mind?”
Latter Day Kids “Being Thankful- Come Follow Me” Lesson ideas and video
I am blessed when I follow God’s prophet.
Book of Mormon Stories “Ether the Prophet”
The Lord brought the brother of Jared and his family to the promised land. They were humble and kept the commandments of God. Their group grew for many years, and they wanted a king to lead them. The brother of Jared warned them that having a king could lead to trouble, but he let them choose a king.
For hundreds of years, the Jaredites lived in the promised land. Sometimes their kings led them to do good, but other times they did not. The prophets of God would warn the people to repent. When they listened and kept the commandments of God, He blessed them.
Book of Mormon Stories “Chapter 52: The Destruction of the Jaredites”
Throughout this week, your family could watch for how the brother of Jared’s prophetic warning about captivity was fulfilled. What warnings have our Church leaders given us? In what ways could dismissing their counsel lead to captivity?
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Ether 6-11”
- Perhaps you and your children would enjoy acting out some things the prophet has taught us to do. You could even turn it into a game in which you guess what the actions represent. This could prepare your children to discuss why it is important to follow God’s prophet. You could then read Ether 7:24–27 to find out what happened when the people obeyed God’s prophet. How are we blessed by following the prophet today?
Friend June 2022 “I Will Follow the Prophet”
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
Talk with the children about things the prophets have taught us to do (for example, reading our scriptures daily, keeping the Sabbath day holy, or serving others), and invite them to act out obeying that counsel when you say “Follow the prophet!”
The book of Ether clearly shows that when the Jaredites followed the prophets they were blessed, and when they rejected the prophets their lives were harder.
- Show a picture of the living prophet, and ask the children what they know about him. What does a prophet do? Explain that the Jaredites had prophets too, and whenever they followed the prophet, they were blessed and happy (see Ether 7:24–27). How can we follow the prophet?
Friend November 2024 “What are Prophets?”
- Sing together a song about prophets, such as “Follow the Prophet” (Children’s Songbook, 110–11; see also Gospel Art Book, nos. 4–27, 67–87).
The Lord is merciful when I repent.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Book of Mormon 2020 “Ether 6–11: “That Evil May Be Done Away”
- Even though the Jaredites often rejected the prophets and became wicked, the Lord always forgave them when they humbled themselves and repented.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024 “Ether 6-11”
- Looking for patterns is a useful scripture study skill. The book of Ether contains a repeated pattern that emphasizes the Lord’s mercy. To help your children find this pattern, invite them to read Ether 9:28–35 and Ether 11:5–8, looking for similarities between the two accounts. What do we learn from these stories? Perhaps they could look for pictures in the Gospel Art Book of other people in the scriptures who repented and were forgiven.
Friend December 2017 “How Can Repenting Make Me Feel Happy?” When Elder Renlund was young, he lit a firecracker in a church building and felt terrible about it. His bishop helped him repent and feel happy again.
More ideas for repentance here.
Additional Resources
What is a secret combination?
When two or more people conspire to keep their wicked acts secret, they are involved in a secret combination. They are often motivated by the desire for power or riches.
Throughout this week, your family could watch for how the brother of Jared’s prophetic warning about captivity was fulfilled. What warnings have our Church leaders given us? In what ways could dismissing their counsel lead to captivity?
According to these verses, why was Moroni commanded to write “these things” about secret combinations? (Ether 8:23).
