While it is true that God’s ways are higher than ours and we should always submit to His will, He also encourages us to think and act for ourselves. That’s one lesson Jared and his brother learned. For example, the idea of traveling to a new land that was “choice above all the earth” seemed to start with Jared, and the Lord granted the request, saying to the brother of Jared, “Thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me” (see Ether 1:38–43). And when the brother of Jared needed light inside the barges that would carry them to their promised land, the Lord asked a question that we usually ask Him: “What will ye that I should do?” (Ether 2:23). He wants to hear our thoughts and ideas, and He will listen and give His confirmation or counsel us otherwise. Sometimes the only thing separating us from the blessings we seek is our own “veil of unbelief,” and if we can “rend that veil” (Ether 4:15), we may be surprised by what the Lord is willing to do for us.
See also “The Lord Appears to the Brother of Jared” (video), Gospel Library.
As I cry unto the Lord, He will have compassion on me.
Ether 1:33–43 tells of three prayers of the brother of Jared. What do you learn from the Lord’s response to each prayer? Think about a time when you have experienced the Lord’s compassion as you cried unto Him in prayer. You may want to record this experience and share it with someone who may need to hear your testimony.
President Russell M. Nelson said: “I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly” (“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 96).
As you study Ether 2; 3:1–6; 4:7–15, what do you learn about “the spiritual work” President Nelson spoke of? You could mark in one color the questions or concerns the brother of Jared had and what he did about them, and in another color you could mark how the Lord helped him and made His will known.
Here are some questions to ponder as you study:
What impresses you about the way the Lord answered the brother of Jared’s questions in Ether 2:18–25?
How might you use Ether 3:1–5 to help someone who is learning how to pray?
What might prevent you from receiving revelation from the Lord? (see Ether 4:8–10). How can you receive revelation from Him more often? (see Ether 4:7, 11–15).
What do you think it means to “rend [the] veil of unbelief” in your life” (Ether 4:15).
What else do you learn from the brother of Jared about personal revelation?
Elder Dale G. Renlund taught about “A Framework for Personal Revelation” (Liahona, Nov. 2022, 16–19). Consider drawing a picture frame and writing the four elements of the framework on each side. How can this framework help you “increase your capacity to receive revelation”?
Through His chastening, the Lord invites me to repent and come unto Him.
Even a prophet as great as the brother of Jared needed to be chastened by the Lord. What do you learn from Ether 2:14–15 about the Lord’s chastening? Think about how the Lord’s chastening and the brother of Jared’s response may have helped prepare him for his experiences in Ether 3:1–20.
The Lord will prepare me to cross my “great deep.”
Sometimes, crossing the “great deep” is the only way to fulfill God’s will for us. Do you see similarities to your life in Ether 2:16–25? How has the Lord prepared you for your challenges? What is He asking you to do now to prepare for what He needs you to do in the future?
Apply what you learn. Gospel study should inspire us to change our lives. After reading Ether 4:11–12, you might list some of the influences in your life and consider whether they persuade you to do good. What changes do you feel inspired to make?
Witnesses testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
As you read Moroni’s prophecy in Ether 5, ponder the Lord’s purpose in preparing many witnesses of the Book of Mormon. What witnesses have inspired you to believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God? How has the Book of Mormon shown you “the power of God and also his word”? (Ether 5:4).
If you know a language that your children don’t, give them some simple directions in that language (or play a recording of another language). You can use this to explain why the brother of Jared prayed for help in Ether 1:33–37. Emphasize how the Lord felt about this prayer and how He responded (see also “Chapter 50: The Jaredites Leave Babel,” Book of Mormon Stories, 143–44).
Your children could pretend to build a barge as you read Ether 2:16–17. Then you and your children could read about the problems the Jaredites had with their barges (see Ether 2:19) and the different ways the Lord answered the brother of Jared’s prayers (see Ether 2:19–25; 3:1–6). The picture and activity page at the end of this outline could help you and your children tell the story. What do we learn from the brother of Jared about prayer? Consider sharing an experience in which you prayed for help and Heavenly Father helped you.
As they grow, your children will encounter many false messages about God, themselves, and their physical bodies. You might ask them to help you find truths about these topics in Ether 3:6–16. To emphasize the truth taught in Ether 3:13, 15, you could look at a picture of the Savior together and invite your children to point to various parts of His body. They could then point to the same part of their own bodies. You could also sing together a song related to our bodies, such as “The Lord Gave Me a Temple” (Children’s Songbook, 153). You and your children could talk about why you are grateful for your bodies.
Moroni prophesied that the Three Witnesses would help establish the truth of the Book of Mormon. To teach what a witness is, you could ask your children to describe something they have seen or experienced that others have not. Then as you read Ether 5 together, you could talk about why God uses witnesses in His work. You could also share with each other how you know the Book of Mormon is true and how you can share your witness with others.
For more ideas, see this month’s issue of the Friend magazine.
