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Book of Mormon Commentary
Ether Chapter 4
His son, Corom, was the next king, and he "did that which was good in the sight of the Lord, all
his days." When he died, his son "Kish reigned in his stead". (63) No mention is made of the kind
of reign he gave. Lib succeeded him, and lie "also did that which was good in the sight of the
Lord" (64, 65). During Lib's reign "the poisonous serpents were destroyed, wherefore they [the
people] did go into the land southward, to hunt food . .. for the land was covered with animals of
the forest." Lib himself "became a great hunter" (66, 67). They built "a great city by the narrow
neck of land" (68). The land southward became a game preserve (69).
Ether 4:70 And the whole face of the land northward was covered with inhabitants; and they were
exceeding industrious, and they did buy and sell, and traffic one with another, that they might get gain.
They worked all manner of ore—gold, silver, iron, brass, and other metals which they dug out of
the earth. Large heaps of earth were left after they dug the ore (71).
They had silks, fine twined linen, and all manner of cloth to make garments. They made many
"tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap, and to hoe, and also to thrash." They
hitched their animals to some of them (73-75). They made "all manner of weapons of war" (76).
Ether 4:78 And never could be a people more blessed than were they, and more prospered by the hand of
the Lord.
Lib lived many years and was succeeded by his son, Hearthom, who reigned twenty-four years
before he was overthrown. He lived in captivity "the remainder of his days" (82, 83). Four more of
his descendants served in captivity: Heth, Aaron, Amnigaddah, and Coriantum. His son "Com
drew away half of the kingdom" over which he reigned forty-two years. He went to battle against
King Amgid, and after many years Com gained power over the remainder of the kingdom (86, 87).
Ether 4:88 And in the days of Com there began to be robbers in the land; and they adopted the old plans,
and administered oaths after the manner of the ancients, and sought again to destroy the kingdom.
Prophets came again and warned of the destruction of that great people unless they should repent.
The people rejected them, and the prophets fled to Com for protection.
In the king's old age he begat Shiblom, who reigned in his stead (92). His brother rebelled against
Shiblom, and a great war followed. The brother of Shiblom "caused that all the prophets who
prophesied of the destruction of the people, should be put to death" (94). They had said that there
should be a calamity, such destruction "as never had been upon the face of the earth" (95). "Their
bones should become as heaps of earth upon the face of the land, except they should repent" (96).
They did not repent, and there began to be wars and contentions, famines and pestilences, such as
had never been known (97); then the people began to repent, and "the Lord did have mercy on
them" (98).
Shiblom was slain, and Seth (probably his son) was brought into captivity. Ahah, his son, obtained
the kingdom. He did "all manner of iniquity" (100, 101). Ethem, a descendant of Ahah, succeeded
him on the throne, but he was a wicked man. The prophets came again, but the people hardened
their hearts. "The prophets mourned and withdrew" (104). Moron was the next king and a wicked
one (105, 106).