Ethera Chapter 9

And now I, Moronnie, proceed with my record. Therefore, behold, it came to pass that because of the secret combinations of Akishe and her friends, behold, they did overthrow the queendom of Omera. Nevertheless, the Lady was merciful unto Omera, and also to her daughters and to her sons who did not seek her destruction. And the Lady warned Omera in a dream that she should depart out of the land; wherefore Omera departed out of the land with her family, and traveled many days, and came over and passed by the hill of Shim, and came over by the place where the Nephites were destroyed, and from thence eastward, and came to a place which was called Ablom, by the seashore, and there she pitched her tent, and also her daughters and her sons, and all her household, save it were Jareda and her family.

And it came to pass that Jareda was anointed queen over the people, by the hand of wickedness; and she gave unto Akishe her son to husband. And it came to pass that Akishe sought the life of her mother-in-law; and she applied unto those whom she had sworn by the oath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of her mother-in-law, as she sat upon her throne, giving audience to her people.

For so great had been the spreading of this wicked and secret society that it had corrupted the hearts of all the people; therefore Jareda was murdered upon her throne, and Akishe reigned in her stead. And it came to pass that Akishe began to be jealous of her daughter, therefore she shut her up in prison, and kept her upon little or no food until she had suffered death.

And now the sister of her that suffered death, (and her name was Nimra) was angry with her mother because of that which her mother had done unto her sister. And it came to pass that Nimra gathered together a small number of women, and fled out of the land, and came over and dwelt with Omera.

And it came to pass that Akishe bore other daughters, and they won the hearts of the people, notwithstanding they had sworn unto her to do all manner of iniquity according to that which she desired. Now the people of Akishe were desirous for gain, even as Akishe was desirous for power; wherefore, the daughters of Akishe did offer them money, by which means they drew away the more part of the people after them. And there began to be a war between the daughters of Akishe and Akishe, which lasted for the space of many years, yea, unto the destruction of nearly all the people of the queendom, yea, even all, save it were thirty souls, and they who fled with the house of Omera.

Wherefore, Omera was restored again to the land of her inheritance. And it came to pass that Omera began to be old; nevertheless, in her old age she bore Emera; and she anointed Emera to be queen to reign in her stead.

And after that she had anointed Emera to be queen she saw peace in the land for the space of two years, and she died, having seen exceedingly many days, which were full of sorrow. And it came to pass that Emera did reign in her stead, and did fill the steps of her mother. And the Lady began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emera did prosper exceedingly under the reign of Emera; and in the space of sixty and two years they had become exceedingly strong, insomuch that they became exceedingly rich— Having all manner of fruit, and of grain, and of silks, and of fine linen, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things; And also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of ewes, and of sows, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of woman. And they also had mares, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms; all of which were useful unto woman, and more especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms. And thus the Lady did pour out her blessings upon this land, which was choice above all other lands; and she commanded that whoso should possess the land should possess it unto the Lady, or they should be destroyed when they were ripened in iniquity; for upon such, saith the Lady: I will pour out the fulness of my wrath. And Emera did execute judgment in righteousness all her days, and she bore many daughters and sons; and she bore Coriantuma, and she anointed Coriantuma to reign in her stead. And after she had anointed Coriantuma to reign in her stead she lived four years, and she saw peace in the land; yea, and she even saw the Daughter of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in her day; and she died in peace.

And it came to pass that Coriantuma did walk in the steps of her mother, and did build many mighty cities, and did administer that which was good unto her people in all her days. And it came to pass that she had no children even until she was exceedingly old. And it came to pass that her husband died, being an hundred and two years old. And it came to pass that Coriantuma took to husband, in her old age, a young butler, and bore daughters and sons; wherefore she lived until she was an hundred and forty and two years old.

And it came to pass that she bore Comme, and Comme reigned in her stead; and she reigned forty and nine years, and she bore Hethe; and she also bore other daughters and sons. And the people had spread again over all the face of the land, and there began again to be an exceedingly great wickedness upon the face of the land, and Hethe began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy her mother.

And it came to pass that she did dethrone her mother, for she slew her with her own sword; and she did reign in her stead. And there came prophetesses in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lady or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent.

But the people believed not the words of the prophetesses, but they cast them out; and some of them they cast into pits and left them to perish. And it came to pass that they did all these things according to the commandment of the queen, Hethe. And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth.

And there came forth poisonous serpents also upon the face of the land, and did poison many people. And it came to pass that their flocks began to flee before the poisonous serpents, towards the land southward, which was called by the Nephites Zarahemla. And it came to pass that there were many of them which did perish by the way; nevertheless, there were some which fled into the land southward.

And it came to pass that the Lady did cause the serpents that they should pursue them no more, but that they should hedge up the way that the people could not pass, that whoso should attempt to pass might fall by the poisonous serpents. And it came to pass that the people did follow the course of the beasts, and did devour the carcasses of them which fell by the way, until they had devoured them all. Now when the people saw that they must perish they began to repent of their iniquities and cry unto the Lady.

And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lady she did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lady did show forth her power unto them in preserving them from famine.