“He Began to Remember”

When Ether approached Coriantumr with a sobering prophecy, Coriantumr was not receptive. He “repented not, neither his household, neither the people; and the wars ceased not; and they sought to kill Ether” (Ether 13:22).

Coriantumr was knowledgeable and intelligent. He had “studied…in all the arts of war and all the cunning of the world” (Ether 13:16). Both before and after Ether’s prophecy, he had ups and downs, military victories and defeats. The victories were frequent enough to keep his hopes alive. But eventually the defeats became more catastrophic, and Coriantumr began to regret his rejection of Ether.

After a battle in which he “lost his blood, fainted, and was carried away as though he were dead” (Ether 14:30), Coriantumr “began to remember the words which Ether had spoken unto him” (Ether 15:1). “He began to sorrow in his heart” (Ether 15:2).

He began to repent of the evil which he had done; he began to remember the words which had been spoken by the mouth of all the prophets, and he saw them that they were fulfilled thus far, every whit; and his soul mourned and refused to be comforted.

Ether 15:3

His change of heart is reminiscent of the sorrow felt by the Nephites in the time of Moronihah, after suffering great military losses to the Lamanites (Helaman 4:21-24) and later, when they saw that they were about to starve to death in the midst of a famine (Helaman 11:7). It’s also similar to Enos’s and Alma’s recollection of the words of their fathers during their moments of personal spiritual crisis. (See Enos 1:3-4, Alma 36:17-18.)

It’s sad but true that we often ignore warnings until their wisdom has become painfully obvious. When we finally recognize that we can’t simply wish away the consequences of our poor decisions, we may be desperate to do everything we can to rectify the situation. Obviously, there is spiritual value in repenting, early or late. But as Coriantumr discovered, late may be too late to avoid some outcomes which might have been avoidable earlier.

Warnings come in many forms, including advice from family and friends, indications that projects are not going according to plan, and inspired messages from church leaders. When we hear those warning voices, how quick are we to listen and adjust?

Today, I will pay attention to warnings. I will strive to listen and respond early, recognizing that prompt course corrections can minimize the consequences of unwise decisions.