Ether 2 Questions

1. Do I have any friends that I trust so much that I would uproot my family if they said I needed to? (Ether 1: 41, 2:1)
The friends and family of Jared and his brother left their homes following the revelation received by the brother of Jared. Perhaps these friends knew that Jared and his brother were men of revelation. If the Prophet told us that we needed to move (or do anything else) then I would believe him and we would go and do as he tells us to. This brings up another point. Perhaps the term "friends" meant those that were also God fearing people, and knew Jared and his brother through their faith. On the same lines, would that make us "friends" to the Prophet?

2. Why did the Lord make him ask twice?
In Ether 2:19 the brother of Jared asks about how to light the barges, and how to breathe in the barges. The Lord answers one of the two questions, but the brother of Jared must come back second time to ask again, "wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?" (Ether 2:22)

It is interesting that his second prayer included the phrase "I have done even as thou hast commanded me..." referring to his obedience to the answer to his first prayer. Was the brother of Jared being tested in obedience? Sometimes we to pray more than once to receive an answer.

3. Why did the Lord have the brother of Jared find his own solution to darkness?
The Lord answered quite clearly what he should do to allow for him and his family to breathe. (Ether 2:20) But he did not give a clear answer on how to have light in the barges. He returns the question back to the brother of Jared. "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23) Why? Perhaps the Lord knew that the brother of Jared was capable of thinking of a way.

4. Why didn't the Lord explain about the holes to breathe before or while the barges were being built?
Maybe it was necessary for the holes to be built afterward for stronger barges.
Maybe the Lord just left it for the brother of Jared to find the problem himself and inquire about it. The Lord leaves us puzzles all the time that we need to solve for ourselves, of course with the option to go to the Lord for help.

5. What would you have done to light your barges?
The Lord eliminates some choices for the brother of Jared. "ye cannot have windows... ye shall not go by the light of fire." (Ether 2:23) The Lord makes it clear in verse 25 that it was true that he needed light. I imagine those would have been the two methods that the brother of Jared would have thought of himself. He did not know about light bulbs or clappers. Somehow he came up with the idea of using stones (Ether 3). What sparked that idea? What would you have done to light your barges? Remember the Lord said, "...what will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23) So the Lord is willing to help, but it is up to you to come up with the idea.