Jaradite Boats or How we get to the Promised Land
by
Jeffrey A. Bushman
I
have picked a topic that many have worked on in the past, and I almost didn't
do it because of others and their works.
However I have felt a desire to put this story of the Brother of Jared
into a symbolic form for myself. I feel
that if I can see symbolism and see Christ in that symbolism, then I have come
closer to the Savior as I have studied the scriptures. Many of the thoughts I will use are well
known, and yet others may see to be a far stretch of the imagination, but they
work for me and have helped me focus on the Savior more than in my past
studies.
In
the story of the Jaradite boats, many of the individual elements have been
given symbolic meaning as they relate to us arriving in "our" promised
land after our journey across the deep, or sea of life. I will use many of these learned from
others.
First,
what is the promised land? In this paper
it will be symbolic of gaining our exaltation in the Celestial kingdom.
Second,
what is the Ocean? In Revelations 17: 1,
15 John sees the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters. Maybe she is
sitting on them in order to hold them down.
Then in verse 15 it reads,
"And he saith unto me, The water
which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." In this account the water represented the
power of the adversary or the peoples of the world by keeping them in darkness,
through their disobedience. In many
other places water has reference to wicked people. In this paper it will not only represent
people but the world we have to live in but must not become a part.
Third,
the people in the boat represent us as we leave one promised land from our
past, our pre-earth existence, and travel towards another promised land. In Chapter 2:5-7, They follow the Lord, and
travel in that quarter where there never had man been (this mortality and
possibly pre-earth as spirit children).
The Lord went before them and gave direction whither they should travel. They built barges many times and crossed many
waters (pre-earth) under the direction of the Lord. However, the Lord would not let them stop in
the wilderness beyond the sea (mortality), but He wanted them to continue on
until they came unto the promised land (Celestial Kingdom
Fourth,
the boats that were fashioned to provide a means of crossing the many
waters. They are the means the Lord has
given us to assist us in our efforts to reach the promised land. In this paper I will give more details about
what I feel the boats represent.
Fifth,
the winds that brought the boats to the promised land represent the spirit of
the Lord. In the Hebrew language, I
understand that wind and spirit come from the same word. Also D&C 109:37 records the rushing of great winds during the
temple dedication.
I
will focus on the second, third and sixth chapters of the book of Ether and
will start the story after the brother of Jared and his friends and family have
arrived at the place they call Moriancumer (Ether 2:13). Here they have camped for four years and the
Lord comes and chastened the brother of Jared because he remembered not to call
on the name of the Lord. In verse 15 of
chapter 2 he repents and calls on the name of the Lord for his brethren who
were with him. They then receive
forgiveness for their sins. Calling on
the name of the Lord seems to do more with repentance and seeking forgiveness
of sins and not just failure to pray.
Then in the same verse the Lord tells the brother of Jared not to sin
anymore, because he needed to remember that the Lord's spirit would not always
strive with man. This phrase "my
spirit shall not always strive with man", is used several times in the
scriptures. Most have to do with Noah
and the ark episode, when all flesh or natural men, as I will interprete it,
would be destroyed. Back in verse 15 we
learn that if people sin until they become fully ripe they will be cut off from
the presence of the Lord. This is also
the promise that makes this (America
In
the book of 1 Peter chapter 3, we learn that Noah's ark was symbolic of the
baptismal covenant that the Lord has given us so we may be forgiven of our sins
and allows Him to give us more light than the world can receive. I will use the eight Jaradite barges (Ether 3:1) as also being symbolic of the
covenants of the Lord, designed to save us from the waters that destroy men,
and through the help of these covenants, land us in the promised land. In Ether 2:16 the Lord tells the Brother of
Jared to build barges like the ones he has previously built. If the barge has to do with our covenants in
this life then these previous barges must relate to covenants and experiences
we had in our previous promised land ( pre-earth). These eight barges were built according to
the instructions of the Lord. He sets
the terms of the covenants and not man.
"I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say. . ." D&C
82:10. These boats were small. In Alma
The
barges were light upon the water. They
were given to keep us up and not let us be weighed down with the sins of the
world. They were above the wicked and
were not part of them. They would float
and be nearer to the light the Lord gives to the world, at least to those who
will take the time to look up out of the water.
They were also light like a fowl on the water, many times the Holy Ghost
is mentioned like a dove, thus the Lord can use the wicked for His very
purposes. In this case they provide the
opposition necessary for us to have agency.
In verse 17 the barges are described as being tight even that they would
hold water like unto a dish. It seems
strange they were described as being able to hold water, but also designed to
hold out the sea. They took water with
them to keep alive physically and that spiritual water (Christ) which the world
has not available for they have nothing to hold that living water. In Jeremiah 2:13 the Lord said, " for my
people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living
waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Here this takes on added meaning when we
remember in verse 18 where he said I have made the barges according as thou
hast directed me. Thus the barges are
constructed by their works and the help or grace of the Lord. In verse 25 the Lord very plainly states that
He has to prepare us for this journey for He said, "for ye cannot cross
this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea." The desire of the wicked one and his
followers is to destroy the righteous along with their light and truth.
The
sides and top of the barges were also tight so that now water could get
in. The only way the water could destroy
was if those inside were to let it in.
The ends of the boats were peaked, maybe pointed towards heaven, here
they would place two stones to light their boats. This would allow Christ who gave the
covenants to be both the author and finisher of our faith. This is taught in Moroni 6:4 where
"after being received unto baptism( the barges) . . .they were nourished
by the good word (light and truth or stones) of God, to keep them in the right
way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the
merits of Christ, who was the author and finisher of their faith."
The
length of the barges was the height of a tree, Ether 2:17, possibly this has
reference to the tree that would support the Christ in completing His
atonement, death, and resurrection, there by giving life unto the
covenant.
Later
in verse 19 the brother of Jared is confronted with three problems. The one about steering has no answer given by
the Lord. Later in Ether 6:5 we find
that God caused a furious wind blow towards the promised land. When we make covenants with Him and counsel
with him He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6) giving power and direction
to our progression. We are not to rely
on the arm of flesh.
The
second problem was of receiving air.
Here they were instructed to make a hole in the top and bottom of their
barges to receive needed air from the Lord.
Even their air was from the grace of the Lord. In Mosiah 2: 21 we read, "I say unto you
that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is
preserving you from day to day, by
lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own
will, and even supporting you from one moment to another--I say, if ye should
serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable
servants." Also in Ether 2:20 they
were warned "that if the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop
the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood." The wicked one would use all of our physical
needs to try and destroy us through them.
Also in verse 24 they were told that they would be like a whale in the
sea because of the big waves that would cover them, but the Lord says that He
will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea, giving you life giving
breath, even a whale has to surface because it can't get air from the waters.
The
third problem was receiving light to see in the barges. In verse 22 of chapter 2 the brother of
Jared asks "Behold, O Lord, wilt
thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness"? This represents our need for light as we are
separated from the Lord in this mortal sojourn.
Then in verse 25 the Lord asks "what will ye that I should prepare
for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the
sea"? All men including the wicked
had or have access to the light that comes from the sun or in this story, the light
of Christ. Here at this part of the story
the brother of Jared is concerned about having light when they are under the
water or swallowed up in the depths of the sea.
Perhaps they received light as well as air through the hole but needed
additional light when confronted by the pressures and temptations of the
wicked. When they are covered with water
the deeper they go the less light that is available. This added light is made available as we make
covenants with the Lord and strive to keep our part of the agreement, for
"the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more
unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18.
It is the Lord's desire for us to gain more light until we shall see eye
to eye. In D&C 93:39 we are warned
about Satan for "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth
through disobedience, from the children of men..." Satan want to keep you down under the
water. So when the Lord asks what he
should do it is left up to the brother of Jared for the Lord is willing to give
the light to any who on their own will come to him. We have to do the work to bring us to the
point where he can give us the light.
In
Ether 3 we now have the story of the brother of Jared putting forth the effort
to molten 16 stones out of the mount
Shelem
Once
these stones were placed in the boats they gave light unto men so they could
have light instead of the darkness as they cross the deep, perhaps the
tightness of the boats made it so those inside did not cast their pearly light
before swine, that as shown in other scripture love to swim in the waters. The light was only for those who were worthy
of it.
Once
the boats were prepared they had to gather food and water for themselves and
their animals. Here we learn, as spoken
in Phillipians 2:12 that we must work out our own salvation once the way has
been made available to us, commending ourselves unto the Lord our God.
After
they have launched their boats it is now up to the Lord and in Ether 6:5 the
Lord causes a furious wind to blow towards the promised land. The wind never quit (verse 8) just as the
Lord's help and assistance will always be available as we keep our
covenants. They traveled before the
wind, but were tossed by the waves. Here
the spirit of the Lord causes trouble for the wicked (waves) for in 1 Nephi
16:2 we learn from Nephi, "...I
know that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth;
and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up
at the last day; wherefore the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it
cutteth them to the very center."
As the wind (spirit) blows upon the water it causes or stirs it up to
great anger and a desire to destroy those in the barges. Those in the barges are affected by the waves
but realize the wind is necessary to get them to the promised land. In 6:6-7 many times they were buried in the
depths of the sea because of the great and terrible tempests. "Great and terrible" sound like the
second coming where it will be terrible for the wicked and great for the
righteous showing forth the power of God.
The water could not hurt them when buried since their boats were tight
like a dish and also tight like the ark of Noah. Comparing it to Noah's ark would then have
reference to the covenants the Lord makes with those who would have him save
them.
When
they were buried deep by the waters, they had to cry unto the Lord and he did
bring them on top of the waters again.
When we are encompassed by sin and evil and all seems lost our only hope
is the Lord who has power over the water and can bring us back on top of our
enemies. In verse 9 they were
continually giving thanks and singing praises to the Lord for His great mercy
towards them. The next verse tells that
because of their relationship which they maintained with the Lord they were
driven towards the promised land. The
next statement mentions that no monster of the sea nor whale could break them
and they did have light continually whether above or beneath the water. This last statement mentions monster which is
different from a whale. In 2 Nephi
9:9-10,26 we learn what this monster is and why it had a desire to destroy the
light they enjoyed on their voyage. It
reads,"And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become
devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to
remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea to that being
who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder
and all manner of secret works of darkness.
Oh
how great the goodness of our God, who
prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful Monster; yea, that monster, death and
hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
....they
are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, which is
endless torment; and they are restored
to that God who gave them breath,
which is the Holy One of Israel."
These
scriptures make it plain that the waters are stirred up to destroy and that
Christ who gives breath restores them to the top of the water when they are
about to be destroyed.
Upon
their arrival in the promised land and when their feet were set upon the promised land, they did
bow down and shed tears of joy before the Lord for his tender mercies over
them. Notice their feet were set, they
were set because of the grace and mercy that had been bestowed upon them for
their remaining humble through this whole experience. Let us hope and pray that we may accept His
help and assistance, that we may find our feet in the Celestial Kingdom
