"Great power, which looks small to the understanding of man"

Reading: Ether 1-6

There were some different things that I picked up on as I read through chapters 1-6, that I hadn't picked up on before. Perhaps it's because so much attention is put on the brother of jared seeing the Savior (spirit body of the Savior), as is right.  But these little things are worth mentioning, or they are at least things that I want to remember.  So I'll list them here:

Chapter 1
v 1 - The account of the Jaredites takes place around 2,200 B.C. which is around the time of Noah and before Moses.

v3-5 - We don't have all of the record of the Jaredites because Moroni abridged it and put what we needed to have in The Book of Mormon. Moroni indicates that a record of the creation and Adam and Eve is written on the plates of Ether, but since those subject would be covered in The Bible, Moroni did not include that information.  It is significant that he mentions this old account, witnessing that the creation and Adam and Eve are indeed fact.

v33-37 - At the time of the tower of Babel, Jared was some sort of ruler and his brother a prophet.  The people were so wicked that the Lord was going to confound the languages of the people.  But after prayer and pleading, He did not confound the language of Jared, his brother, their families and select friends (enough to fill eight boats).

v 38-43 - A Noah-like command was given to Jared and his brother to bring animals (male and female) and seeds with them to the promised land.

Chapter 2
v1-4 - A Moses-like experience of the Lord communicating with the brother of Jared/people in a cloud and leading them through the wilderness.

v5-12 - The Lord spends a good amount of time telling this group of people about the importance of the land of promise that they will inherit.  He does not mention the word covenant, but these words are used in other scriptures and defines the Abrahamic Covenant.  That is, in order to inherit this covenant land, you promise to repent and serve God is vs 8:

And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared, that whoso should possess this land of promise, from that time henceforth and forever, should aserve him, the true and only God, or they should be bswept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

v14-16 - The group was on the seashore for four years, and at the end of four years the Lord called the brother of Jared to repentance for not calling on him.  In Sunday School, the question was asked, why the brother of Jared, a prophet of the Lord, would forget to call on the Lord.  There were different postulations, but what I think is interesting is the fact that after going through a repentance process the Lord calls on the brother of Jared to  do something incredibly difficult, time-consuming, challenging and amazing.  It's almost like Jared had to go through a refining point of rededicating himself to the Lord in order to have the dedication to built eight barges that he had no idea how to do.  This idea gives me hope, that my weaknesses are really supposed to refine me.  That while I have shame and guilt for my mistakes, if I let them get me down so that I am despairing and hopeless, I will not be productive in the process of refinement.  But, if I let the correction I receive work in me and the let the Spirit help me understand that my correction is a process, not a final judgment, I move along the path of life with a little more wisdom and am open to direction for small things and great things. As the Lord said to the brother of Jared after his correction (v16) "go to work and build." President Hinckley said something similar:

“I don’t know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 18; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 16).

v 18-25 After building the boats, the brother of Jared had a few questions.  How are we going to breathe? How are we going to steer? How are we going to see without light?  The Lord answered some of his questions directly and other he told the brother of Jared to look for the answers himself and seek confirmation.  This is the story of our lives and relationship with the Lord.  Sometimes He gives answers quickly, sometimes we've got to do a little more work for the answers and stay open to revelation.

Chapter 3
v1-5 When the brother of Jared finds 16 clear stones and has the idea (that probably came be revelation) that if the Lord can touch them they will give off light, he offers the most simple and genuine prayer of humility and faith:

 2 O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

 3 Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.

 4 And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

 5 Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.

My favorite verse is vs. 5.  "O Lord, though canst do this." I have a feeling that this statement was offered with a "but thy will be done" attitude.  But it was the following sentence that really caught my attention this time through.  "We know that thou are able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men."  Sixteen small rocks that were illuminated by the Lord's spirit body hand.  Seemingly such small things, but great power behind the process of doing this.  I had a great experience pondering all the seemingly small miracles in my life, but then considering they are really the great works of the Lord. But this statement seems to be the gate of faith where not only does the Lord show himself (spirit body) to the brother of Jared, but he is shown the great vision of life.

v6-16 - The brother of Jared learned some integral doctrines, that are for us to learn as well, one of the most important being: our bodies are like the body of the Lord.

One last thing before I end:
Chapter 6:8-9

8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.
 9 And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.

While traveling by boat, with no sails, strong winds blew to propel this group of people toward the promised land.  It was not easy, it was a long time (344 days), the people had no control over directions or steering.  Through this episode of uncontrollability, the people praised the Lord, thanked the Lord continuously. The wind that seemed to be so violent and opposing, was actually the force that brought them to the promised land.  And so it is, and should be with our lives.