“The Lord Leads the Jaredites to a Promised Land,” Friend, May 1990, 19
The Lord Leads the Jaredites to a Promised Land
While the Jaredites camped by the sea, the brother of Jared forgot to pray. The Lord came in a cloud to tell him to repent. Ether 2:14
The brother of Jared repented and prayed. The Lord said, “I will forgive thee … but thou shalt not sin any more.” Ether 2:15
The Lord told the brother of Jared to build barges to take his people to the promised land. Ether 2:16
The Lord told the brother of Jared how to build the barges. Ether 2:16–17
The barges were made so that they could float on the water. The barges were airtight so that no water could get inside. Ether 2:17
The brother of Jared wondered how the people would have air to breathe in the barges. He asked the Lord what to do. Ether 2:18–19
The Lord told him to make a hole in the top and bottom of each barge. The hole could be opened to let in air and closed if water began to come in. Ether 2:20
The brother of Jared told the Lord that the barges were dark inside. The Lord asked him to think of a way to have light in the barges. Ether 2:22
The Lord said that the barges could not have windows because they would break. He said that they could not take fire with them. Ether 2:23
The brother of Jared went to a mountain and smelted from a rock sixteen small stones that looked like clear glass. He made two stones for each of the eight barges. Ether 3:1
The brother of Jared carried the sixteen stones to the top of the mountain. Then he prayed to the Lord. Ether 3:1
The brother of Jared asked the Lord to touch the stones so that they would give light inside the barges. Ether 3:4
The Lord reached out and touched each stone with his finger. Ether 3:6
Because the brother of Jared had great faith, he saw the finger of the Lord. It looked like the finger of a man. Ether 3:6
Then the Lord showed himself to the brother of Jared. Ether 3:9–13
He said, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ.” Jesus then said that all who believe in him would have eternal life. Ether 3:14
Jesus taught the brother of Jared many things. Jesus told him to write what he had seen and heard. Ether 3:25–27
The brother of Jared carried the stones down the mountain. He put one stone in each end of each barge. They gave light inside the barges. Ether 6:2–3
The Jaredites went into the barges with their animals and food. The Lord made a furious wind blow the barges toward the promised land. Ether 6:4–5
The Lord protected them in the rough sea. They thanked the Lord and sang praises to him day and night. Ether 6:6–10
After 344 days on the water, the barges landed on the shore of the promised land. Ether 6:11–12
When the Jaredites came out of the barges, they knelt down before the Lord and cried tears of joy. Ether 6:12
The Jaredites made homes and planted crops in the promised land. They taught their children to listen to the Lord and obey his words. Ether 6:13, 16–18
Illustrated by Robert T. Barrett