Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 6:21-23
"And it came to pass that they did number their people; and after that they had numbered them, they did desire of them the things which they would that they should do before they went down to their graves.
And it came to pass that the people desired of them that they should anoint one of their sons to be a king over them.
And now behold, this was grievous unto them. And the brother of Jared said unto them: Surely this thing leadeth into captivity."
The people of Jared arrive in the promise land. Beside Jared and his brother, there are 22 friends of Jared. I wonder if that is only counting the men which they usually do in the scriptures. So there would be 24 families that came over in eight vessels. Jared had 12 children, four of them sons. The brother of Jared had 22 children. By the time Jared and his brother were old and ready to die there were a lot of people.
I notice that they numbered their people, so basically they are taking a census. After this census they are voting on who they want to rule them. I could see a parallel to how we do our voting. Unfortunately they wanted a king. Having an order of kings is eventually what leads them into captivity and destroys their nation. The words of the brother of Jared are a warning to us, to not do the same. The voice of the people must never accept having a king on this land. I had to sit and think about the voice of the people. It can be a marvelous thing when the people are righteous. Then it can also be so hard when the hearts of the people desire things that they should not have. Through it all the Lord gives us the free agency to decide. The son that accepted to be king was righteous so for now the Jaredites are blessed. It's down the line when wickedness is in the hearts of the people that these conditions, with an unrighteous king, leads the people to captivity.
Day 399 Tami Fitzgerald Harris
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