The Jaredites were a significant ancient civilization arising from the lineage of Jared, whose narrative begins during the era of the Tower of Babel. In response to Jared’s pleas, the Lord mercifully preserved the language of Jared and his brother, along with their families and friends, permitting them to communicate amongst themselves when the languages of other peoples were confounded (Ether 1:33-37). Guided by divine direction, this group, known as the Jaredites, embarked on an extended migration to a promised land described as being “choice above all the lands of the earth” (Ether 1:42).
During their journey, they settled for a period in the valley of Nimrod and later traveled to and resided by the sea of Moriancumer for four years. Following the divinely ordained construction of barges, which were prepared for oceanic travel, the Jaredites crossed the great waters to their promised destination, a journey that lasted 344 days (Ether 2:1, 6:11-12). The land they inherited was bountiful, and they were instructed to serve the Lord in humility to avoid being swept away in iniquity (Ether 2:7-9).
Upon arrival, they established a monarchical government, initially rejecting the counsel against appointing a king. Orihah was anointed as the first king, which set a precedent for future generations (Ether 6:22-27). While periods of righteousness under benevolent kings brought prosperity and peace, times of wickedness led to instability, strife, and secret combinations threatening societal integrity. The Jaredite civilization cycled through prosperity and decline, with prophets consistently calling for repentance (Ether 11:1-6).
Their history was characterized by a series of political turmoil, secret alliances seeking power, and widespread violence that ultimately led to their tragic downfall. The people frequently rejected prophetic warnings, leading to their demise in bloody civil wars, fulfilling the pattern described by the Lord of being removed from the land when overcome by wickedness (Ether 13:1, 11:20-23). It was during the reign of King Coriantumr that the Jaredites faced such extensive destruction due to their unrepentant iniquities that only Coriantumr survived, marking the end of the Jaredite civilization (Ether 15:29-32). Their story stands as a sobering lesson in the Book of Mormon on the consequences of rebelling against divine mandates and the dangers of secret oaths and combinations (Ether 8:18-26).