A surviving descendant of Heth named Shez became king and rebuilt the broken kingdom and ruled righteously. His oldest son—also named Shez—rebelled against him, but was killed by a robber who was after his extreme riches.
Sources:
• Ether 10:1-3
The people again spread out across the land and built many cities, and King Shez was succeeded by his son Riplakish. Riplakish did not do right in the view of Jesus, for he had many wives and concubines, and he put heavy taxes on the people and used the revenue to build many spacious buildings and an extremely beautiful throne.
Sources:
• Ether 10:4-6
King Riplakish also built many prisons where he put anyone who did not pay their taxes. The prisoners were forced to work at making the king finely-crafted items of gold. Those who refused to work were put to death.
Sources:
• Ether 10:6-7
After 42 years in power, the people rebelled against King Riplakish and he was killed in the resulting civil war. Several generations later, a descendant of Riplakish named Lib became king. Lib did what was right in the view of Jesus, and during the reign of King Lib, the poisonous snakes in the land were finally destroyed.
Sources:
• Ether 10:7-19
There could never be a people more blessed or who prospered more at the hand of Jesus than during King Lib's reign. They made mines and worked gold, silver, iron, brass, and all other types of metal. They used every kind of tool for farming and for working their beasts. And they made every kind of weapon of war with extremely fine craftsmanship.
Sources:
• Ether 10:23-28
Several generations later a descendant of Lib named Com was king. During the reign of King Com, there began to be robbers in the land again. These robbers adopted the ancient oaths and sought to destroy the kingdom.
Sources:
• Ether 10:29-33
Also during the reign of King Com, many prophets arose who prophesied that a terrible curse would come upon the land and the people. They warned that a terrible destruction—the likes of which no one had ever seen—would come upon them, leaving their bones piled in heaps across the land unless they would repent, turn to Jesus, and stop their murders and wickedness.
Sources:
• Ether 11:1-6
But the people rejected the prophets because of the wicked combinations. When one of Com's sons came to power, he had all the prophets who were prophesying the destruction of the people put to death.
Sources:
• Ether 11:5-7
And because of this, there came to be famines, and wars, and deadly, virulent diseases upon the land which caused a terrible destruction, the likes of which no one had ever seen anywhere on Earth.
Sources:
• Ether 11:7
Then Com's grandson Ahah became king. He did all kinds of wicked things during his short reign.
Sources:
• Ether 11:10
A descendent of King Ahah named Ethem became king, and he also did wicked things during his reign. Again many prophets arose and prophesied that Jesus would utterly destroy them off the face of the earth unless they repented of their wickedness.
Sources:
• Ether 11:11-12
Ethem had a son named Moron who succeeded him. King Moron also did what was wicked before Jesus. During his reign, secret combinations were striving for power and wealth and tried to overthrow King Moron, but he passed the kingship on to his son.
Sources:
• Ether 11:14-18
In the days of King Moron's son, many prophets arose who prophesied that unless the people repented, Jesus would utterly destroy them and bring a different people to America and let them possess it. But because of the secret society and wicked abominations, the people rejected all the words of the prophets.
Sources:
• Ether 11:20-22
NEXT:
The Rise of Shiz
[click image to continue]
Also from the creator of The Brick Book of Mormon:
