Complete Destruction

These wars among the two sides of the Jaredites ultimately culminated in one final battle. They gathered all the people of the land together, either on the side of Shiz or the side of Coriantumr.

"Wherefore, they were for the space of four years gathering together the people, that they might get all who were upon the face of the land, and that they might receive all the strength which it was possible that they could receive." (Ether 15:14)

They fought day after day, reducing the size of their armies, pursuing and slaying one another until the armies had been destroyed and it was just Shiz and Coriantumr left.

"Wherefore, he did pursue them, and on the morrow he did overtake them; and they fought again with the sword. And it came to pass that when they had all fallen by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz, behold Shiz had fainted with the loss of blood." (Ether 15:29)

The battle had destroyed everyone. Shiz had fainted. Coriantumr had to lean on his sword before he could even kill Shiz to end the war. Ether had been in hiding (as he had been instructed by the Lord to do), observing the fulfillment of the prophecy that Coriantumr would live to see everyone else destroyed.

The words of the Lord will always be fulfilled. The Jaredites were wiped out, and Ether's record was basically all that was left, when the Nephites found them. This seems like it could have been a very poignant lesson for the Nephites to learn, because they had basically been given the same promise as the Jaredites: that if they kept the commandments, they would prosper, but if they didn't, they would be destroyed. The Nephites had been given the same guidance, but they didn't listen very well either and ended up being destroyed as well. It is at this point in the Nephite history, in fact, that Moroni, who abridged the plates of Ether and added them to the Book of Mormon record. The Nephites had all been destroyed by the Lamanites, and Moroni was in hiding, finishing up the record to be hid and then brought forth as part of the restoration in the latter days.

History can teach us, if we're willing to learn from its patterns and lessons.