Never Could Be a People More Blessed

At one point in the Jaredite history Moroni gave us this intriguing description of the people: “And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of the Lord. And they were in a land that was choice above all lands, for the Lord had spoken it” (Ether 10:28). This naturally begs the question: what did they do to so prosper and be so blessed? I think we have several clues from the text. First, they had a righteous king: “And it came to pass that Lib also did that which was good in the sight of the Lord” (Ether 10:19). We don’t have a description of the people’s level of righteousness at this time, but surely to be so blessed they must have been following the example of their king. If we want the blessings of the Lord, we must first seek to do that which is good in His eyes. Too often we spent our efforts trying to do that which is good in the sight of the world, and that is a pursuit that will never bring us the real blessings of the Lord that we seek. Second, this people were where they were supposed to be; they were in a land that the Lord had brought them to, “choice above all lands” for them. For each of us, we must learn where the Lord wants us and what He wants us doing. A key step to finding happiness and receiving His blessings is to learn the will of the Lord for us and put ourselves (literally or figuratively) there. I love this instruction that He gave to the saints at the time they were settling Nauvoo: “If those who call themselves by my name and are essaying to be my saints, if they will do my will and keep my commandments concerning them, let them gather themselves together unto the places which I shall appoint unto them by my servant Joseph, and build up cities unto my name, that they may be prepared for that which is in store for a time to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 125:2). As seek to know His will for us, especially in the instructions given by His prophet, we can learn where the Lord wants us and what He wants us to do. And then we will be prepared for the future and be blessed in our labors now.

                Lastly, these verses in Ether highlight the need for work on our part to be blessed and prospered by the hand of the Lord. Moroni summarized, “They were exceedingly industrious.” He continued, “And they did work in all manner of ore, and they did make gold, and silver, and iron, and brass, and all manner of metals; and they did dig it out of the earth; wherefore, they did cast up mighty heaps of earth to get ore, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of copper. And they did work all manner of fine work. And they did have silks, and fine-twined linen; and they did work all manner of cloth, that they might clothe themselves from their nakedness. And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash. And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts. And they did make all manner of weapons of war. And they did work all manner of work of exceedingly curious workmanship” (Ether 10:23-27). Ten times in these verses Moroni told us that they did work or make something—they were clearly a hard-working people. The other verbs highlighted their continual labors as well; they did dig and clothe and plow and sow and reap and hoe. It was directly after all of these descriptions that Moroni highlighted that they were blessed and prospered by the hand of the Lord. Surely the fact that they labored exceedingly and worked with all their might was a key part of why the Lord chose bless them. As He said in our dispensation: “And again, verily I say unto you, that every man who is obliged to provide for his own family, let him provide, and he shall in nowise lose his crown; and let him labor in the church. Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways” (Doctrine and Covenants 75:29). Ultimately our blessings come from the Lord just as they did from this people, and as we seek His hand in our lives to prosper us we should remember this truth taught by our prophet and shown by this Jaredite people: “The Lord likes effort.… He blesses our best efforts.”