The Book of Ether begins with a genealogy that descends in reverse chronological order from Ether to Jared. Such a long genealogy is unusual for the Book of Mormon, but it was likely written this way because it serves as a template for the rest of the book of Ether. Throughout the book, each king is discussed in exact reverse order to the way they appear in the list, never missing a name or getting them out of order. Seeing how the author structured the Book of Ether allows us to understand him, and the book, better.