Monte Nyman notes that Moroni abridged the record of the Jaredites from 24 plates of gold found by the people of Limhi (see Mosiah 8:8-9; Ether 1:2). The events of more than 30 generations of the Jaredites (see Ether 1:6-32) are abridged into just 31 pages in our present book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, and about 8 of those 31 are editorial comments by Moroni (see Ether 1:1-5; 2:9-12; 3:17; 5:6; 8:20-26; 12:6-40; 14:25). The full account of these 24 plates will be available when they are obtained. Moroni states that “whoso findeth them, the same will have power that he may get the full account” (Ether 1:4).
To have “power” to get the full account implies having the power of the Lord. Joseph Smith was given “power from on high, by the means which were before prepared, to translate the Book of Mormon” (D&C 20:8; see D&C 113:3-4). Since the 24 plates are in an unknown language, the translator must have the power of God to get the full account.
Another implication, although unstated, is that the translator will be led to find the plates. Moroni definitely led Joseph Smith to “find” the Book of Mormon plates (JS-H 1:42-54). Limhi’s people found the gold plates of the Jaredites (see Ether 1:2; Mosiah 21:27; 28:11) that Ether had hidden in a manner that they might be found (see Ether 15:33). Wasn’t the Lord involved in their finding those plates? We can expect that the Lord, in his own due time, will lead someone of his choosing to find the 24 plates. [Monte S. Nyman, “Other Ancient American Records Yet to Come Forth,” in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, vol. 10, num. 1, 2001, p. 58]