Book of Mormon open question

I'm reading the first chapters of Ether in the Book of Mormon, because I decided for once to actually do my reading assignment for Sunday School, and I've got a question that I'm hoping maybe one of my readers can answer. The study guide was distinctly unhelpful because out of all the good stuff in those chapters, it was entirely focused on the lighting of the stones.

My question is, couldn't Jared pray for himself? Why was he always cajoling his brother into praying for him?