I’ve studied the first several chapters of Ether recently, and here’s my modern day application (my HWN).
When Jared and his family witnessed the destruction of the tower of babel and the confusion of languages, Jared asked his brother to:
“Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.” (Ether 1:38)
Jared hoped they would be led to a choice land. In the end, “the Lord did hear the brother of Jared, and had compassion upon him” (Ether 1:40). I believe Heavenly Father listens to what we want and hope for, as He did for the brother of Jared. My hope is to have success in dating and marriage, and I believe the Lord will hear my my prayers as well :) I know I can’t change His will, but as we read in the bible dictionary:
“The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that we must ask for in order to obtain.”
The Lord led the Jaredites to the ocean and had them build ships. The brother of Jared approached the Lord about three problems. The style of their ships (“tight like unto a dish,” Ether 2:17) made it impossible for them to steer, breathe, or see (when they were submersed under water).
- The Lord solved the steering problem by causing “a furious wind [to] blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land” (Ether 6:5).
- He solved their breathing problem by having them “make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air” (Ether 2:20).
- And He left the solution to the darkness up to the brother of Jared, asking, “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (Ether 2:23).
The brother of Jared gathered 16 stones and asked the Lord to “touch these stones… with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness” (Ether 3:4). And the Lord “stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger” (Ether 3:6).
For me, the wind blowing the ships represents the Spirit — guiding me through revelation towards my choice land. The holes for breathing represent the atonement — which allows me to breath after through trials or my own poor decisions. And the stones represent my actions — what I do to work towards my goal of marriage. And the Lord can make my actions shine; He can sanctify them according to His will to reach my goals.
Next I can follow the Jaredites example of “commending themselves unto the Lord their God” (Ether 6:4) and “thank and praise the Lord all the day long” (Ether 6:9) until I “land upon the shore of the promised land” (Ether 6:12).
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Also, here are some pictures of a couple of fun hikes I’ve done recently:
