Ether 7:5-7

Brant Gardner

As a distant parallel to the Nephite/Lamanite division, Corihor not only leaves his father’s lands and founds a new people, but he comes against his father in war. Unlike the Nephite stories where they are victorious until the end, the Jaredites will have multiple times where the rulership of the lands will change.

We are also introduced to a new concept in the Book of Mormon, one that does not appear anywhere except the Jaredite record. We have a captive king who is kept alive but imprisoned. The reason is not given. Some ancient societies believed that the person of the king was sacred, and should not be harmed, even if defeated. That could be the case. It certainly was not the case among the Nephites, as the Gadiantons murdered rulers in order to advance their cause.

In Kib’s old age, he begat Shule. Shule, therefore, is Corihor’s younger brother. When we return to the genealogy in Ether 1:31-32, that genealogy goes directly from Kib to Shule. Corihor is not mentioned.

Book of Mormon Minute

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