Jaredites Destroyed Four Times
Please indulge me on my latest research. I always have wondered why Moroni put those chapters in Ether recounting the reign of kings and the intrigue associated with it, in the Book of Mormon. So, here's my broad view analysis. I learned a few things. First, that it appears that the time period that each king reigns is longer in the first half of the Book of Ether than the second half. Second, that the Jaredites were almost totally destroyed at least three times during the life of the kingdom. And one last thing, the there seems to be a brief democratic rule by the people once in the history of the Jaredites.
The Jaredites arrive in the new world somewhere around 2200 B.C. They are destroyed around 600 B.C. So, we have about 1600 years to work with.
Ether 6/7/8
1. Orihah (righteous king, son of Jared, lived exceedingly long)
3. Kib (lived to be exceedingly old while in captivity)
4. Corihor (rebelled against father, Kib, and brought him into captivity)
5. Shule (righteous king, v.8, captivity, son of Kib, restored kingdom to Kib)
6. Noah (son of Corihor, rebelled, took kingdom)
7. Divided Kingdom (v. 20, Shule (righteous king) and Cohor, Nimrod, son of Cohor gives kingdom back to Shule, prophets rejected by people but protected by Shule, people repent)
8. Omer (righteous king)
9. Jared (Jared rebelled against his father, Omer, took kingdom, Esrom and Coriantumr (sons of Omer, return kingdom to Omer. Jared very sad.))
10. Omer (until he is told to leave in a dream)
11, Jared (until he get decapitated by Akish)
12. Akish and his sons
These kings rule for a long time. They live long lives. Men were living well over 100 years - perhaps 200 years before they died. I estimate that these first kings ruled about 80 years each (except for number 9 and 11: Jared). This puts us at 640 years or 1560 B.C.
Destruction #1
The first destruction of the Jaredite civilization was after Akish became the king. He never got to cut off Omer's head (King Omer was warned in a dream and left for a period of time), so he cut of the head of his co-conspirator, Jared and became king.
Akish starved his son to death causing the son's brother, Nimrah, to flee to Omer. Akish begats other sons - who used a classical political move to draw away the more part of the people after them. The people wanted gain (transfer payments in our day) and the sons of Akish wanted power (control of the kingdom). This started a war between the sons of Akish and Akish. It lasts for many years unto the destruction of everyone except thirty souls. That is no small destruction. King Omer returns and establishes a righteous kingdom once again.
Destruction #2
We go from Omer to Emer to Coriantum (who received the Second Comforter, Ether 9:22). Corantum had no children until after he was over one hundred years old. He begets Heth. Heth was a bad boy and brought back the secret plans to destroy his father. He dethrones and kills his father (v.27). Prophets come into the land crying repentance. Nobody believes the prophets. They are cast out and killed according to the commandment of Heth. A great dearth upon the land begins. The drought and famine destroys the inhabitants exceedingly fast. Poisonous serpents push the flocks and herds southward. The Lord causes the serpents to create a hedge so the people can't pass to get to their flocks. The people humble themselves sufficiently for the Lord to send rain again. It sounds like the people were pretty much destroyed once again. Using an average of 50 years per king, we have another 200 years since the first destruction.
1. Omer (good king)
2. Emer (good king)
3. Coriantum (very good king, sees the Son of God)
4. Heth (bad king, kills the prophets, dearth in the land)
Ether 10
Shez, a descendant of Heth, begins to build up a 'broken people'. Shez is a righteous king. His son, Shez dethrones him and is killed by a robber.
1. Shez (good king, builds up a broken people)
2. Shez (killed by robber)
3. Riplakish (bad, son of Shez 1, taxes and prison labor, reigned 42 years)
4. People rule (Riplakish killed, descendants driven out)
5. Morianton (Just king but bad morally, descendant of Riplakish, wars against the People and wins)
6. Brother of Morianton (rebels, puts Morianton into captivity)
7. Levi (good king, son or Morianton, 42 years in captivity, makes war and obtains kingdom)
8. Corom (son of Levi)
9. Lib (good king, destroyed poisonous serpents, very industrious, people blessed)
10. Hearthom (son of Lib, reigned 25 years, went into captivity)
11. Heth (son of Hearthom, lived in captivity)
12. Aaron (son of Heth, lived in captivity)
13. Amnigaddah (son of Aaron, dwelt in captivity)
14. Coraintom (son of Amnigaddah, dwelt in captivity)
15. Com (battled against King Amgid and won back the kingdom, fought unsuccessfully against robbers/secret combinations in the land)
Ether 11
The people reject the prophets and they flee to Com for protection.
16. Shiblom (Son of Com) and the brother of Shiblom (rebelled against Shiblom and started an exceedingly great war, caused all the prophets to be but to death; wicked combinations)
Destruction #3
During the reign of Shibom, there are wars, contentions, famines and pestilences. No one had ever known such great destruction. We must remember that the last great destruction occurred over 16 kings back. If we were to average a reign of a king at 35 years, that would be 560 years! No wonder no one remembered the last great destruction. During the estimated 560 years, there are five good kings interspersed. That amount of time is like us remembering the times of Columbus (1492)! The people begin to repent. Shiblom is slain.
17. Seth (son of Shiblon, dwelt in captivity)
18. Ahah (bad king, son of Seth, obtained kingdom, few were his days)
19. Ethem (bad king, descendant of Ahah, prophets prophecy utter destruction of the people)
20. Moron (bad king, rebellion, lost half of kingdom but gained it back, secret combinations)
21. Descendant of the Brother of Jared (apparently a bad guy, over throws Moron who dwells in captivity the rest of his days)
22. Coriantor (son of Moron, dwells in captivity all his days, prophets come again prophesying utter destruction.) Another people to possess the land, the word is rejected due to their secret society and wicked abominations.)
23. Ether (son of Coriantor, prophet of the Lord.)
Destruction #4 (the final destruction)
So, Ether would have been king if he hadn't dwelt in captivity. From the time the people began to repent (Shiblon) to Ether, there are six kings (some rule and some live in captivity). If we were to let each rule for 35 years, that 210 years! To get perspective, that's like going back to the beginning of our nation! It took that long for the Jaredites to ripen for their final destruction.
Notes:
| 80 | 8 | 640 |
| 50 | 4 | 200 |
| 35 | 16 | 560 |
| 35 | 6 | 210 |
| 1610 |
Author
Scott Nelson, creator of Greenscooter blog
