Ether 4

A Test To See How We Are Doing

Between Ether 3 (the brother of Jared seeing the Lord) and Ether 5 (the three witnesses to the record of Mormon), is Ether 4, which I will call the chapter by which we measure ourselves.

There are certain writings in the Book of Mormon we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can use as a barometer to see how we are doing. Ether 4 is at the top of the list.

This chapter begins with the Lord commanding the brother of Jared to go down out of the mount from the presence of the Lord, and write the things which he had seen.

Moroni then tells us that the things or words written by the brother of Jared were forbidden to come unto the children of men until after Christ came and showed himself unto his people. For this reason did king Mosiah keep them. It was only after Christ had showed himself unto his people that He commanded that these things should be made manifest.

When Christ did come to the Nephites he said "These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations" (3 Nephi 26:2).

Christ did expound all things unto them, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory, even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

Jesus then said that there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of all the things which He did teach unto the people. In other words, He hid up again all that had been revealed to the brother of Jared. 

Lehi then tells us that the plates of Nephi contain the more part of the things which Jesus taught the people, but the things which Lehi had written were a lesser part of the things which Jesus had taught, and that they would be brought again unto his people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus had spoken.

And why did we receive only the lesser part? Lehi explains:

"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them" (3 Nephi 26:9).

We received the lesser part as a test of our faith and if it so be that we will not believe what we do receive, then shall the greater things be withheld from us, unto our condemnation. Fast forward to 1832 and we were under condemnation for treating lightly what we had received, and that condemnation has not been lifted. (D&C 84:54-55), and we have not received more.

The link to Ether 4 is clear, and because the Nephites had all dwindled in unbelief, and the Lamanites had rejected the gospel of Christ, Moroni was commanded that he should hide these the 'greater things' up again in the earth.

He then tells us that he had written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.

He was then commanded to seal them up again, along with the interpreters.

And now the test.

Moroni was told by the Lord that these writings of the  brother of Jared, these things of which Moroni says there are none greater, will not be given to us until…

"For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord" (Ether 4:6).

What does the fact that they are still sealed up, and that we do not have them, say about us? Answer: We have not yet repented of our iniquity and become clean before the Lord. 

But there is more.

"And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are" (Ether 4:7).

These "none greater things' do not come from the pulpit. In fact perhaps because we prefer pulpit fiction, we do not have these revelations, do not even think about them, or desire them. Perhaps it is because we do not think verses 6 & 7 apply to us, we who are religious and living the gospel.

And not only do we ignore these greater things because we believe we have enough (2 Nephi 29:3), but we transfigure what we do have (Mormon 8:33).

And Jesus' response to us?

"And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh" (Ether 4:8). 

Let me repeat "for unto them will I show no greater things." Says who? "Saith Jesus Christ."

And who is Jesus Christ?

"And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire" (Ether 4:9).

And who are we? Those who believe not His words?

"And he that believeth not my words believeth not my disciples (his disciples speak His words); and if it so be that I do not speak (directly), judge ye; for ye shall know that it is I that speaketh, at the last day" (Ether 4:10).

Or those who do believe His words?

"But he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record (They will always speak His words). For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things (His words) are true; (how) for it persuadeth men to do good" (Ether 4:11).

And how does He define good?

"…for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God (Moroni 7:16). And anything that even distracts us from Christ is not good and is of the devil (Moroni 7:17).

Those that "know and bear record" do good by working by the power and gifts of God (Moroni 10:25). And they do the "greatest good" by proclaiming the Gospel of Christ (D&C 81:3-4).

Jesus then says:

"And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me (good cannot come of men, but men can point us to good). I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words will not believe me—that I am; and he that will not believe me will not believe the Father who sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.

Jesus then bids us.

"Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief" (Esther 4:13). We could say hid up because of our unbelief.

The same is true of the house of Israel.

"Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world; and it hath not come unto you (yet), because of unbelief" (Ether 4:14).

Note that Jesus says to the House of Israel that "the Father hath laid up for you" great things. He does not say the same to us, the Gentiles. But He tells us in 3 Nephi 16, that if we do repent we shall be numbered with the House of Israel.

Jesus then tells us that the House of Israel will rend the veil of unbelief, and how they will rend the veil of unbelief. And by implication He invites us to do the same.

"Behold, when ye shall rend that veil of unbelief which doth cause you to remain in your awful state of wickedness, and hardness of heart, and blindness of mind, then shall the great and marvelous things which have been hid up from the foundation of the world from you—yea, when ye shall call upon the Father in my name, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then shall ye know that the Father hath remembered the covenant which he made unto your fathers, O house of Israel" (Ether 4:15).

The Lord links the "great and marvelous things" which have been hid up with His prophecies that these great and marvelous things shall come forth as part of His great and marvelous work (3 Nephi 20 & 21), and that the house of Israel will believe His great and marvelous things, and that the Gentiles will not believe them.

In addition to the coming forth of the great and marvelous things revealed to the brother of Jared, Jesus says there is more.

"And then shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed" (Ether 4:16).

Jesus tells us that the last days work of His Father has already commenced, and how we know it has commenced. 

"Therefore, when ye shall receive this record (The Book of Mormon) ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land" (Ether 4:17).

And what should be our response? Without variation, it is always the same.

"Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name" (Ether 4:18).

Nothing is said about being religious, living the gospel, following the prophet, being in the covenant path, living righteously, staying in your lane, using thee and thou in your prayers, paying tithing, daily scripture study, and the myriad of other religious duties expected of active church members. It is only when we rend the veil of unbelief that we will receive these greater things. What does it say about us given the fact that we don't have them?

It is to Christ and only to Christ that we are to turn. He alone is our salvation. We are to live by every word that "proceeded forth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:44). 

"And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up (delivered from Babylon) to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen" (Ether 4:19).