# Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/Ether/Chapter 10

​Generations of wickedness... (compare Ether, chapter 10)
Heth and his entire household died in the famine. His only surviving descendant, Shez, began to build up the broken people.
Shez remembered the destruction of his fathers and built up a righteous kingdom. He remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the ocean. He walked in the ways of the Lord, and he had sons and daughters.
His oldest son, also named Shez, rebelled against him, but he was killed by a robber because of his great riches. His death brought peace again to his father.
​Shez built up many cities and the people began to spread out over all the land again. Shez lived to a very old age and had Riplakish, who reigned after he died.
Riplakish sinned in the Lord's sight by having many wives and mistresses. He also placed heavy taxes on his people in order to build many spacious buildings. He had a very beautiful throne, and he ordered many prisons to be built.
Those who refused to pay his taxes, or could not pay them, were put into these prisons. Those in prison were made to work constantly, and anyone who refused to work was put to death. He had all his fine things and fine gold made by those in prison. The whole kingdom was afflicted by his immorality.
After reigning this way for forty-two years, the people rebelled against him, bringing war into the land once again. During this war, Riplakish was killed and his descendants were driven out of the land.
After many years, Morianton, a descendant of Riplakish, gathered an army of outcasts and fought the people, gaining power over many cities. This war became very sore and lasted for many years. Eventually Morianton gained complete power and made himself king over all the land.
After this, Morianton gained the favor of the people by easing their burdens, and they anointed him king. Morianton did justice to the people, but not to himself because of his adultery, which cut him off from the Lord's presence.
He built up many cities and the people became very rich under his reign, having many buildings, plenty of gold and silver, and an abundance of grain, flocks and herds.
​Morianton lived a very long time and then had a son, Kim, who reigned for eight years prior to his father's death. Kim did not reign in righteousness, so he was not favored of the Lord.
Kim's brother rebelled against him and brought him into captivity, where he remained for the rest of his life. Kim had sons and daughters in captivity. In his old age he had Levi and then he died.
Levi served in captivity for forty-two years and then made war against his uncle, the king of the land, and obtained the kingdom for himself.
Levi did what was right in the sight of the Lord and the people prospered in the land. He lived to a good old age and had sons and daughters. He anointed his son, Corom, to be the next king.
Corom also did what was good in the sight of the Lord all his life. He had many sons and daughters and also lived a long life. Kish then reigned in his place.
After Kish passed away, Lib reigned in his place. Lib also did what was good in the sight of the Lord.
During Lib's lifetime the poisonous snakes were destroyed. Then the people went to the southern land again to hunt for food.
The southern land was full of animals of the forest, and Lib became a great hunter. His people built a great city near the narrow neck, where the sea divides the land.
Lib's people preserved the southern land as a game wilderness for hunting, while the whole northern land was covered with people. They were very industrious, buying and selling from one another in order to profit.
​They created great mounds of dirt as they dug for ore--gold, silver, iron, brass and copper, with which to make all kinds of fine things.
They made silks, linen and all types of cloth. They made all types of tools for plowing, sowing, reaping, hoeing and thrashing, and tools to work their animals.
They made their weapons and many other things with very fine workmanship. No people were more blessed or prospered by the Lord than they. And they were in a land that was more choice than any other, for the Lord had spoken it.
Lib lived for many years and had sons and daughters. His son, Hearthom, reigned in his place. After reigning twenty-four years, the kingdom was taken from Hearthom, and he served in captivity for the rest of his life.
These next four generations following Hearthom also lived in captivity throughout their lives: Heth, Aaron, Amnigaddah and Coriantum.
Coriantum's son, Com, was born in captivity, but he drew away half the kingdom. Com reigned over that half of the kingdom for forty-two years and then went to battle against King Amgid for many years.
Finally, Com gained power over the rest of the kingdom.
In the days of Com, robbers came into existence again. They adopted the old plans, administered the oaths of the ancient people and sought to destroy the kingdom. Com fought the robbers but did not prevail.