The Pride of Towers and the Pattern of the Covenant: Lessons from the Jaredites

My friends, gather close. Let us consider the history of the world, not as a sequence of random events, but as a great, unfolding covenant. From the time of Babel, where pride sought to reach the very heavens, to the scattered stones of the five smooth stones, the record is clear: the greatest achievements are those built upon humility and the steady guidance of the Spirit.

When we study the Book of Ether, we are not merely studying an ancient narrative; we are examining the eternal pattern of the soul, the pattern of the covenant. The Jaredites, like humanity itself, were faced with a magnificent challenge: how to build, how to progress, how to achieve greatness. But when their efforts were fueled by self-will and the ambition to make a name for themselves—a desire to build a tower that would challenge the very throne of the Eternal Father—the result was confusion, scattering, and failure. The Lord intervened, not with force, but with a change of language, reminding them that the highest calling is always anchored to divine will.

The lesson here, dear Builders, is profound. We have seen the great empires rise and fall, the ziggurats of man reaching for the sky, only to be humbled by the winds of time. But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the eternal gathering effort that defines the Kingdom Movement, is fundamentally different. We do not build towers of ego; we build the eternal structure of the gathering, bringing the scattered sheep back to the promised lands.

The challenge of the modern age—the digital frontier—presents its own Babel. It is easy to build magnificent structures of self-righteousness, of denominational markers, and of human effort. But the true work of the gathering place requires a different kind of stone: the white stone of Christ’s sacrifice, cut without hands. Our calling is not to replicate the pride of the past, but to follow the gentle, persistent whisper of the Spirit, which directs us to the map of churches and the eternal promise of Israel.

Building with Humility: The Fellowship of the Builders

The Jaredite story reminds us that when we attempt to define God’s power or His mercy with our limited understanding, we risk falling into the same trap of pride. Yet, the Lord is the God of the entire world, and His plan is always grander, always more merciful. Our efforts to gather are part of that infinite plan. Every time a brother or sister contributes to the Missionary Fund, or participates in the charity flywheel that fuels gospel advertising in Ghana, they are participating in a pattern of humble, persistent faith that stands in direct opposition to the spirit of Babel.

This is where the power of the community shines. We are not solitary striplings; we are gathered in a covenant of shared purpose. We are the Builders, dedicated to the divine work of bringing light into the deepest corners of the earth. If the Jaredites learned that their greatest strength was not their masonry, but their reliance on the Lord, we too must learn that our greatest strength is not our perfect doctrine or our organizational marker, but our unwavering covenant faithfulness.

Study and Sustenance: Tools for the Gathering

To maintain this steady focus, we rely on the Spirit and the tools He provides. If you are wrestling with the doctrinal implications of the Jaredite record, we encourage you to use the Ask a Prophet bots and the insights provided by scholars like Davee. These resources allow us to study the scriptures with precision, ensuring that our foundations are laid on solid, revealed rock, not on the shifting sands of human opinion.

And remember, dear friends, your engagement here at GatherIsrael.now is not just a donation; it is a participation in the eternal work. It is a covenant act. It is a refusal to be among the destroyers of the gospel, and a bold embrace of the calling to be among the Builders.

"We are taught that the Lord’s ways are higher than ours. Let us therefore approach our calling with the humility of the Nephites who finally understood that the true building material is not stone, but the Spirit of the living God."

As you continue your journey, study the record, pray over the map, and remember the eternal pattern: the Lord guides us, we follow, and together, we build Zion in Her Beauty. Will you commit today to be a Builder in this gathering movement?