Ether, who was born after six
generations of conflicts involving the descendants of Jared. In line for the
throne, Ether, an unassuming and selfless individual made no such claims and
instead became a bold prophet of God. He even went to King Corienaumr and told
him that if he did not repent everyone except the king would die.
Unfortunately, Coriantumr would not listen and a series of wars began between
Coriantumr, as king, and the house of Shared.
Coriantumr, though injured, defeated
and killed Shared in the initial conflict, whose brother Gilead, continued the
conflict. Unfortunately for Coriantumr, his men were inebriated one night when Gilead
attacked and overthrew the throne, chasing Coriantumr out into the wilderness.
However, the usurper was murdered by his high priest who was murdered by Lib,
the leader of an evil society, but Lib was killed by Coriantumr in a battle, and
his brother, Shiz, continued the war against Coriantumr.
In another odd example of both
Hugh Nibley and John L. Sorenson not willing to take Ether’s word for the
circumstances the ancient prophet personally witnessed, believing Ether’s words
of “all the people upon all the face of the earth” did not mean all those of
the Jaredite Kingdom, but only a portion that one family controlled or their
following. As Sorenson claims: “the
Jaredite final battle was really only a war among two familes and not universal
to all Jaredites. That means that there could have been Jaredites that were not
destroyed—who lived on into Nephite times”
Response: Sorenson promotes the continuation of the Jaredite people as Hugh Nibley did before him for the simple reason that their Mesoamerican model they both championed demands other people in the land; however, when he says some didn’t take part, we need to remember that when Shiz ran before Coriantumr, they evidently passed through several populated areas because his army “swept off the inhabitants before them, all that would not join him” (Ether 14:27).
Response: In military
strategy, in a land where an army is marching, if the people are not for you
they are against you, and to leave some of them in your rear invites their
future attack of your force. If they will not join with your force, history has
shown a strong proclivity in such cases for an invading force to eliminate the
populace who would not join them. When Ether states: “swept off the inhabitants
before them, all that would not join him” (Ether 14:27), it is a definitive
statement that Shiz killed those who would not join his forces, rather than
leave them to join his enemy’s forces.
The tactic of such an army is exactly as is stated with that of Shiz—the last of the great military commanders opposed to Coriantumr in the final war between the factions of the Jaredite kingdom. In fact, when Coriantumr killed Lib, his brother Shiz took over the rebel army and soundly routed Coriantumr, chasing him in quick pursuit from the plains of Agosh, where the battle took place, to the sea shore.
Shiz’ march was one
of horror and terror to the people, for as he swiftly pressed forward, he
destroyed everything within his reach, burning the cities and slaying their
inhabitants, sparing neither man, woman nor child, as he swept along, and a cry
of despair went up through all the land “Who can stand before the army of Shiz?
Behold, he sweepeth the earth before him!” (Ether 14:18).
Seeing they had no chance to remain neutral, or at least not become involved in the war, the people who escaped Shiz’ slaughter, flocked to Coriantumr’s army, or those in favor of Shiz, joined his army, as “the people began to flock together in armies, throughout all the face of the land” (Ether 14:19). They either joined Coriantumr’s army or they joined Shiz’ rebel forces (Ether 14:20).
So great and lasting
had been the war, and so long had been the scene of bloodshed and carnage, that
the whole face of the land was covered with the bodies of the dead (Ether
14:21), and so swift and speedy was the war that there was none left to bury
the dead, but they did march forth from the shedding of blood to the shedding
of blood, leaving the bodies of both men, women, and children strewed upon the
face of the land, to become a prey to the worms of the flesh” (Ether 14:22).
The stench from the unburied dead “went forth upon the face of the land, even upon all the face of the land; wherefore the people became troubled by day and by night because of the scent” (Ether 14:23).
Obviously, this was no small skirmish somewhere in the Jaredite lands, nor was it involving only those people who chose to fight—it was a universal war involving a series of running battles between the king and his forces, referred to as Corieantumr’s army, and the rebel forces, referred to Lib’s or Shiz’ army.
It was obvious to those who remained alive throughout the Jaredite kingdom that they either joined one or the other of the two armies, or died a victim of both—so those yet alive hastened to join one or the other. Shiz, who was filled with murderous revenge, swore he would avenge the blood of his slain brother who Coriantumr had killed in battle. When he finally caught up with Coriantumr’s retreating army, Shiz threw himself upon them with all the energy that hatred inspires and the battle lasted three days and ended with Shiz’ forces being repulsed, who then retreated rapidly to the land of Corihor, sweeping off the inhabitants of the lands they passed through who would not join him.
Therefore, it should be noted there is a noticeable difference between gathering together everyone in the land and just a portion of the people. Moroni makes it clear that at the end, Ether wrote that “it came to pass that Ether did behold all the doings of the people; and he beheld that the people who were for Coriantumr were gathered together to the army of Coriantumr; and the people who were for Shiz were gathered together to the army of Shiz.
Wherefore, they were for the
space of four years gathering together the people, that they might get all who
were upon the face of the land, and that they might receive all the strength
which it was possible that they could receive. And it came to pass that when
they were all gathered together, everyone to the army which he would, with
their wives and their children—both men women and children being armed with
weapons of war, having shields, and breastplates, and head-plates, and being
clothed after the manner of war” (Ether 15:13-15).
However, when just a family or smaller group was involved, Moroni made that clear as in the case of Akish demanding the family swear allegiance to him and his planned evil deeds (Ether 8:13), and where Morianton gathered together an army, it is singled out as not everyone, but just “an army of outcasts” (Ether 10:9). But when talking about the Jaredites as a whole, it was all, everyone, and “they did gather together all the people upon all the face of the land, who had not been slain, save it was Ether” (Ether 15:12).
It should be kept in mind that the word “all” means: “Wholly, completely, entirely; all the parts that compose it; the whole or entire thing,” and signifies “everything” or “everyone.”
It is amazing that Sorenson, and others, cling so doggedly to a belief of Jaredite survival that they ignores all the references to the total Jaredite destruction.
LtoR: Coriantumr, Ether, and Shared
LtoR: Gilead, Lib and Shiz
Response: Sorenson promotes the continuation of the Jaredite people as Hugh Nibley did before him for the simple reason that their Mesoamerican model they both championed demands other people in the land; however, when he says some didn’t take part, we need to remember that when Shiz ran before Coriantumr, they evidently passed through several populated areas because his army “swept off the inhabitants before them, all that would not join him” (Ether 14:27).
Shiz’ army killed everyone who would not
join him in his battle against Coriantumr toward the end of the Jaredite wars,
leaving no one alive who was not involved in the war
The tactic of such an army is exactly as is stated with that of Shiz—the last of the great military commanders opposed to Coriantumr in the final war between the factions of the Jaredite kingdom. In fact, when Coriantumr killed Lib, his brother Shiz took over the rebel army and soundly routed Coriantumr, chasing him in quick pursuit from the plains of Agosh, where the battle took place, to the sea shore.
No one could stand before Shiz and his army
Seeing they had no chance to remain neutral, or at least not become involved in the war, the people who escaped Shiz’ slaughter, flocked to Coriantumr’s army, or those in favor of Shiz, joined his army, as “the people began to flock together in armies, throughout all the face of the land” (Ether 14:19). They either joined Coriantumr’s army or they joined Shiz’ rebel forces (Ether 14:20).
The stench from the unburied dead “went forth upon the face of the land, even upon all the face of the land; wherefore the people became troubled by day and by night because of the scent” (Ether 14:23).
Obviously, this was no small skirmish somewhere in the Jaredite lands, nor was it involving only those people who chose to fight—it was a universal war involving a series of running battles between the king and his forces, referred to as Corieantumr’s army, and the rebel forces, referred to Lib’s or Shiz’ army.
It was obvious to those who remained alive throughout the Jaredite kingdom that they either joined one or the other of the two armies, or died a victim of both—so those yet alive hastened to join one or the other. Shiz, who was filled with murderous revenge, swore he would avenge the blood of his slain brother who Coriantumr had killed in battle. When he finally caught up with Coriantumr’s retreating army, Shiz threw himself upon them with all the energy that hatred inspires and the battle lasted three days and ended with Shiz’ forces being repulsed, who then retreated rapidly to the land of Corihor, sweeping off the inhabitants of the lands they passed through who would not join him.
Therefore, it should be noted there is a noticeable difference between gathering together everyone in the land and just a portion of the people. Moroni makes it clear that at the end, Ether wrote that “it came to pass that Ether did behold all the doings of the people; and he beheld that the people who were for Coriantumr were gathered together to the army of Coriantumr; and the people who were for Shiz were gathered together to the army of Shiz.
However, when just a family or smaller group was involved, Moroni made that clear as in the case of Akish demanding the family swear allegiance to him and his planned evil deeds (Ether 8:13), and where Morianton gathered together an army, it is singled out as not everyone, but just “an army of outcasts” (Ether 10:9). But when talking about the Jaredites as a whole, it was all, everyone, and “they did gather together all the people upon all the face of the land, who had not been slain, save it was Ether” (Ether 15:12).
It should be kept in mind that the word “all” means: “Wholly, completely, entirely; all the parts that compose it; the whole or entire thing,” and signifies “everything” or “everyone.”
It is amazing that Sorenson, and others, cling so doggedly to a belief of Jaredite survival that they ignores all the references to the total Jaredite destruction.
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