Ether 6

As Mahonri descended from the mountain, he brought with him the 16 stones that now shown brilliantly. When they were placed at both ends of each boat, they fully illuminated them. Mahonri’s party then loaded the boats with their livestock, seeds for planting, food for the journey, fresh drinking water, and the rest of their belongings. They cast off from shore and trusted God to carry them safely across the broad ocean.

As promised, God caused a great wind to blow steadily across the ocean towards the promised land. The boats bounced on the waves and were sometimes buried underneath them, arising safely again like bobbing corks. Throughout the duration of the crossing, the wind never relented. The party prayed, sang, and gave praise to God for 344 days, until their boats all beached themselves together on the shores of the promised land.

Upon their arrival, they gathered together, bowed down, and gave thanks to God for delivering them safely. They offered their tears of joy before breaking the earth with their plows, and spreading their seeds across the new land.

From the original dozens who had traveled from Babylon, the young sons and daughters married, and had children themselves. As the Jaredites multiplied, they blessed God, and were blessed by God in return. Mahonri came to have twenty-two children, and his brother Jared had twelve. When Mahonri approached the end of his life, he gathered the people together and asked what he might do for them before he died.

The people, it turned out, wanted one of Mahonri’s, or Jared’s, sons to be declared king. To Mahonri, this was abhorrent. “Surely this will lead to tyranny and slavery,” he said.

But Jared disagreed with his brother, saying, “Let them have a king.”

Mahonri reluctantly went along. “Choose a king for yourselves from among our sons,” he said.

When the people chose Pagog, Mahonri’s first-born son, as their king, he declined. He didn’t want to rule over them. When the people asked Mahonri to declare him king anyway, he refused to do so. One by one, all of Mahonri’s sons were selected as king and each declined. Afterwards, each of Jared’s sons was selected and each of them also declined, except for Orihah who accepted the call. Not long afterwards, Mahonri and Jared died. With their passing, Babylon and the journey to the promised land receded from the people’s memory.

Orihah led his people well, throughout his long lifetime. He guided them according to the orders that God had given to Mahonri. By following God’s instructions, the kingdom grew rich and flourished.