Then a great famine came upon the land and people started to die quickly, for there was no rain. Poisonous snakes came into the land and killed many people. Their flocks began to run from the snakes toward the southern land, (later called Zarahemla by the Nephites).
Many of the flocks died on the way, but some did escape into the southern land. The Lord caused the snakes to stop chasing the flocks, and to block the way, preventing the people from passing through.
The people who attempted to pass were killed by the snakes. The people followed their animals southward and ate the ones that had died along the way. When the people realized they would soon starve to death, they began to repent of their sinfulness and cry to the Lord.
After they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord, He sent rain. Again there was fruit in the northern land and in all the surrounding lands. The Lord had shown His power to the people by ending the famine.
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.
