ETHER 2:4-5, 14—THE LORD SPOKE THROUGH
A CLOUD (OR VEIL)
At one point, the brother of Jared had
neglected to consult with the Lord for four years. The text explains in Ether
2;14 that the Lord came to him, and “stood in a cloud and talked to him.” The
Lord spoke to and chastened the brother for three hours. For the Israelites
going through the desert, the Lord was in a cloud at the tabernacle, protected
from their vision. They could only speak with the Lord, through the appropriate
authority of the high priest, in this case Moses. Their cloud appeared as a
pillar of fire at night, leading them both physically and spiritually. This
calls to mind the burning bus form which the Lord addressed Moses.
ETHER 3:6-13, 19-20—THE BROTHER OF
JARED IS ADMITTED INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD
In Latter-day Saint doctrine, we speak
of a symbolic veil that has two applications. In one case, the veil is a
mechanism that shades the memory as we transition to earth from our pre-earth
life. In a second, but related, application, the veil provides a protective
barrier to protect us from unauthorized interaction with the Lord in the
present. In each instance, the veil is penetrable under circumstances such as
the brother of Jared’s great faith that allowed him to see beyond it. (John W.
Welch, Inspiration and Insights from the Book of Mormon: A Come, Follow Me
Commentary [American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc., 2023], 290-91)
