A third principle of revelation is taught to us in the brother of Jared’s request for the problem of air (v. 19). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the multitude to “ask, and it shall be given unto you” (Matthew 7:7; see also 3 Nephi 14:7). He had later taught the Nephite Twelve Apostles the same principle (see 3 Nephi 27:29). In the Old Testament time period, the principle was also taught among the Nephites. Nephi, son of Lehi, said: “if ye cannot understand [his words] it will be because ye ask not” (2 Nephi 32:4). It must have been taught on the eastern hemisphere during this time as well, but did not survive the loss of plain and precious things (see 1 Nephi 13:26–29).
The Lord’s answer to the air problem was undoubtedly simplified. Apparently, the barges were somewhat amphibious (see Ether 6:6–7). The holes at the top and the bottom may also have been some type of air exchange within the ship. Remember that the barges were built “according to the instructions of the Lord” (Ether 2:16, above). Nephi, son of Lehi, had also built a ship capable of crossing the waters “after the manner which [the Lord] shall show thee” (1 Nephi 17:8). When the unabridged records of both the Nephites and Jaredites are given to the earth’s inhabitants, we will learn more about these ships built by the master engineer, Jesus Christ.