Jacob 1 - That We Might Persuade Them to Come Unto Christ I'm taking an online economics class right now, which prompted me to think of the definition of economics in the context of the scriptures. Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources. In the case of Nephi and his successor Jacob, the plates upon which they engraved their record was a scarce resource. They were costly to make and difficult to engrave, and instilling a tradition of passing them through generations was surely cumbersome. Recognizing the great importance of spiritual things and the challenge of maintaining records, Nephi instructed Jacob to prioritize religious instruction saying, " if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people" (Jacob 1:4). This priority was not only reflecte...
The Book of Mormon begins with the prophet Nephi asserting that he had "been born of goodly parents":
"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
Tellingly, his brothers Laman and Lemuel did not share his assessment. They experienced feelings of frustration and resentment toward their father Lehi because they did not understand the things the Lord commanded their family to do. The scriptures imply they would have derogatorily referred to Lehi as a "visionary man."
"[Laman and Lemuel] did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart" (1 Nephi 2:11).
Nephi and his wayward brothers Laman and Lemuel had the same parents and were raised in the same household and were asked to make the same sacrifices, but had different views of their parents.
As my relationship with my parents has evolved over time, I have come to realize that my attitude toward them has more to do with me than it has to do with them. When I have been dissatisfied with the course or trajectory of my life, it has been easy for me to have unfair or critical thoughts about my parents; it was easier to blame them for my failings that to take responsibility for them. Conversely, when I feel hopeful and content with who I am and where I am heading, I am filled with immense gratitude for the goodness of my parents.
I have spent a lot of time pondering the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother" and how to actively keep this commandment. Having children of my own has opened a new universe of love and empathy for my parents. As I wrangle active toddlers in the grocery store, vacuum cracker crumbs out of the minivan, change diapers in the night, or cut the crust of another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I am struck by the countless sacrifices my parents made over the course of decades to give me the things I have and help shape the person I am.
In his musical "Into the Woods" Stephen Sondheim combines the plot lines of classic fairy tales and uses their experiences 'in the woods' as an allegory for the growth and knowledge that comes from life experience. In the closing song "No One is Alone," Cinderella asserts, "People make mistakes - fathers, mothers - people make mistakes ... Honor their mistakes, fight for their mistakes - everybody makes - one another's terrible mistakes." The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers the mistakes of well-intentioned and sincere parents, and consecrates them for the good of their children. Confidence is His healing power allows me to have compassion and love for my parents (and their failings), enjoy a richer relationship with them, and appreciate their legacy.
"I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.
Tellingly, his brothers Laman and Lemuel did not share his assessment. They experienced feelings of frustration and resentment toward their father Lehi because they did not understand the things the Lord commanded their family to do. The scriptures imply they would have derogatorily referred to Lehi as a "visionary man."
"[Laman and Lemuel] did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart" (1 Nephi 2:11).
Nephi and his wayward brothers Laman and Lemuel had the same parents and were raised in the same household and were asked to make the same sacrifices, but had different views of their parents.
As my relationship with my parents has evolved over time, I have come to realize that my attitude toward them has more to do with me than it has to do with them. When I have been dissatisfied with the course or trajectory of my life, it has been easy for me to have unfair or critical thoughts about my parents; it was easier to blame them for my failings that to take responsibility for them. Conversely, when I feel hopeful and content with who I am and where I am heading, I am filled with immense gratitude for the goodness of my parents.
I have spent a lot of time pondering the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother" and how to actively keep this commandment. Having children of my own has opened a new universe of love and empathy for my parents. As I wrangle active toddlers in the grocery store, vacuum cracker crumbs out of the minivan, change diapers in the night, or cut the crust of another peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I am struck by the countless sacrifices my parents made over the course of decades to give me the things I have and help shape the person I am.
In his musical "Into the Woods" Stephen Sondheim combines the plot lines of classic fairy tales and uses their experiences 'in the woods' as an allegory for the growth and knowledge that comes from life experience. In the closing song "No One is Alone," Cinderella asserts, "People make mistakes - fathers, mothers - people make mistakes ... Honor their mistakes, fight for their mistakes - everybody makes - one another's terrible mistakes." The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers the mistakes of well-intentioned and sincere parents, and consecrates them for the good of their children. Confidence is His healing power allows me to have compassion and love for my parents (and their failings), enjoy a richer relationship with them, and appreciate their legacy.
Very cool and new (for me) insight about the evolving views we can have about our parents. I'd never made that connection about how different children (e.g. Laman vs Nephi) viewed the same parents (Lehi & Sariah) so differently. I think you are onto something profound in saying that our views about our parents say more about us and our state of being than about them. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a profound and helpful insight about our attitudes towards our parents, and also embracing and accepting people with their mistakes. I'm totally sharing this post with my mother, she will love it! Thank you!
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