Book of Mormon Story:
Jared and His Brother

Families are very important to Heavenly Father. That is why He made it possible for us to be sealed to our families in the temple for eternity. He loves us, His spirit children, and He wants us to love each other. He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to set the example for us.

Jesus Christ showed us how to love one another by being kind and by being helpful, and that is how we should be to the members of our families.

Long ago, all the people on earth spoke the same language. Many of the people of the city of Babel decided that they would build a tower that would reach into heaven. They couldn’t have done it, of course, but they thought that they could and thus be equal to God. Heavenly Father was not pleased, so He decided to confound (mix up) their language so that they could no longer understand each other. When that happened, the people were scattered and gave up trying to build the tower.

Some righteous people lived there, too, and they didn’t want their language to be confounded. Jared was one of these people, and he asked his brother to pray to the Lord on behalf of their families, that they might be able to understand each other and stay together.

Heavenly Father answered the brother of Jared’s prayer by not confounding their language. Then Jared asked his brother to pray for the same blessing for their friends and their friends’ families, and that request was granted too.

Jared next asked his brother to ask the Lord if He was going to drive them out of the land, and if so, where they would go. When Jared’s brother prayed about this, the Lord told him: “Go to and gather together thy flocks … and also of the seed of the earth of every kind; and thy families; and also Jared thy brother and his family; and also thy friends and their families, and the friends of Jared and their families.

“And when thou hast done this thou shalt go at the head of them down into the valley which is northward. And there will I meet thee, and I will go before thee into a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth.

“And there will I bless thee and thy seed [children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so forth].” (Ether 1:41–43.)

Jared and his brother loved the Lord. One way they showed Him their love was by loving their families and each other, and by helping each other. Heavenly Father blessed them for this, and He blesses us when we show our love for Him by being kind and helpful to the members of our families.