Across this raging deep in darkness: A reading of Ether 6

It is already fairly well established that Moroni, lacking a Genesis for the Book of Mormon, crafts a reverse creation narrative into the Book of Ether, to wit:

Allusion	Reference
The Tower	Rather than confound the language of the Brother of Jared and his people, the Lord preserves it (Ether 1:33, Gen 11:9)
Noah and the Flood	The Lord commands the Brother of Jared to gather flocks, fowl, and bees and put them into boats (it would seem odd to put a focus on water travel here otherwise) (Ether 2:2-3, Gen 6:18-19)
Antidilluvian Wickedness	The Brother of Jared fails to call on the Lord, he discourses on the fallen nature of man (Ether 2:15, Genesis 6:3)
Expulsion	The Jaredites are “driven out” into the wilderness (Ether 3:3, Genesis 3:26)
Laying Hold on Things	Satan provides fruit to Adam and Eve, which they touch and fall (Gen 3:6) The Brother of Jared provides stones to God, which He touches and reverses the Fall (Ether 3:6)
God opens their    eyes, they are afraid, God asks 4 questions	Genesis 3:6-14; Ether 3:9-13
We Enter God's Presence
The Creation	God discusses the creation (“seest thou that yea are created in my image”) Ether 3:15. Genesis 1:27)

Grant Hardy summarizes it thusly: “Step by step, Moroni's account takes us backward toward creation, reversing the effects of the Fall and re-establishing communion between God and man” (Understanding the Book of Mormon 242).

But that is not all. Notice that Moroni places his Creation Story on a mountain (Ether 3:1, Mount Shelem) which evokes the primal mountain strand of creation mythology, rather than the garden strand. And after the Brother of Jared enters the presence of God – that is, he becomes unfallen – Moroni does not stop his project of going backward toward the beginning:

Allusion	Reference
The Pre-Mortal World	“Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image…Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit”
A view of human history	The Brother of Jared, from this position in God's presence, is provided a preview of all of human history, as would have occurred at the premortal council in heaven (Ether 3: 25)
All are invited to “rend the veil”	Ether 4:13-14

Now to the point of all of this. From our position within the veil, and narratively prior to the fall, Moroni picks up the Jaredites' story. He has the task of getting us back from the premortal world to mortality to resume his epic of the Jaredites. How is he going to do that?

First, he narratively joins the Brother of Jared within the veil, describing the missions given there to the three witnesses and Joseph Smith.

Then, quite cleverly, as Moroni is very clever, he positions the immediately following account of the Jaredite's voyage as both the narrative of an ocean journey, but also as a commentary on each human's decensus from God's presence, into and through mortality, and back to God like this:

Ether 6:2-12

Purport

[2] For it came to pass after the Lord had prepared the stones which the brother of Jared had carried up into the mount, the brother of Jared came down out of the mount, and he did put forth the stones into the vessels which were prepared, one in each end thereof; and behold, they did give light unto the vessels. [3] And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness. [4] And it came to pass that when they had prepared all manner of food, that thereby they might subsist upon the water, and also food for their flocks and herds, and whatsoever beast or animal or fowl that they should carry with them -- and it came to pass that when they had done all these things they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. [5] And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. [6] And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. [7] And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. [8] And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind. [9] And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord. [10] And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.  [11] And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water. [12] And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.

We begin in God's presence being prepared (the Heavenly Mount of pre-mortal existence). The Brother of Jared repeats this request of God three times: “suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness”. He has obtained light for his people. Now, the people are going to get into vessels, but these vessels will have lights. The raging deep is mortality. Of course. The vessels are the mortal body. The lights are the pre-existent human soul and the light of Christ, which will illuminate these vessels. Notice here that the stones do not give light to the Jaredites, they give light to “men, women, and children”- everyone. The great waters are, of course, mortality. The "darkness" is an interesting thing, unregenerate human souls are "darkness", look it up. Everything is prepared for them prior to the journey “that they may subsist upon the water”. Notice that “living on the water” neatly evokes the ancient near eastern image of “waters” equaling the waters of chaos. It also reminds us that mortality occurs outside of God's territory (Belial is the god of storms and water) but we are prepared. Going on this journey requires great faith in God. We leave God's presence and enter mortality. They are not left to drift in mortality, God “sends a furious wind” to drive us through the chaos of mortality “toward the promised land”. Mortality contains ups and downs, right? Despite adversity, they have a measure of protection, and can cry to the Lord for relief… This is probably a wise way to spend probation. The Monster and the Whale are authentic ancient images of the power of evil to destroy, see Job It would be interesting to know what the numerological significance of this 344 is...some hebrew numerologist somewhere could tell me… And finally they reach the end of mortality, having survived by faith in God, and His mercy.