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9 - 15 Mar - Learn With Joy and Not With Sorrow - Jacob 1 - 4

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...
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1 Nephi 14 - Rememberest Thou the Covenants of the Father Unto the House of Israel?


In chapter 14, Nephi is shown the events of the last days, likely to include the Revelation of John (1 Nephi 14:18-27). But before the angel revealed "wars and rumors of wars among all the nations" and things "concerning the end of the world" the angel asked "Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel?" (1 Nephi 14:8).  
(To learn more about the seed of Abraham (Hebrews), the House of Israel (Israelites), and the Tribe of Judah (Jews), see Daniel Ludlow's article, Of the House of Israel in the January 1991 Ensign.)

 The angel is drawing a clear and important connection between the chaos and turmoil of the last days, and the eventual victory of good over evil wrought by the Savior. Like Nephi, when we think about the war, natural disaster, and political conflict that define our time, we are invited first to consider and bear in mind the great work and power of God, and the things that he will do through is covenant people.

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory" (1 Nephi 14:14).

When Nephi was asked if he remembered the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel, he responded, "Yea" (1 Nephi 14:8).  So what are the promises that God has made to the Israelites? 

The Abrahamic Covenant

In a February 1990 Ensign article, The Abrahamic Covenant: A Blessing for All People, Kent P. Jackson outlined the promised made to Abraham and his descendants:
  • Promise 1: A Promised Land
    • “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
    • “For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen. 13:14–15.)
  • Promise 2: A Great Posterity
    •  “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.” (Gen. 13:16.)
  • Promise 3: Priesthood and Gospel Blessings
    • “I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” (Gen. 17:7.)
  • Promise 4: A Mission of Salvation
    • “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” (Gen. 22:18.)
    • Abraham’s covenant children have received a calling to take the gospel and its blessings to the rest of God’s children.
Jackson further explains that "those who accept the gospel and join in the Abrahamic covenant become members of the family of Israel, even if they are not Abraham’s literal descendants. The Lord taught Abraham concerning the nations of the earth who would not be his physical offspring: 'I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father.'" (Abr. 2:10.)

 Speaking of the the covenant people of the Lord, the angel prophesied that they would be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory" (1 Nephi 14:14). When I was baptized, I made a promise to remember Christ and to keep his commandments. I became part of the covenant people of the Lord. The angel's prophesy causes me to reflect on how I am trying to live righteously, and how I am letting the power God work in my life and the lives of people around me. I feel the power of God in me today, right now, as I read these scriptures and type my thoughts about them. I felt the power of God last night as I tucked my girls in for bed, sang them to sleep, and thought about the things I want for them in their lives. I feel the power of God when I try to do the things He has asked me to do, whether that is serving in the church, praying, working on this project, being patient with my children, or helping my wife. While special blessings are reserved for those who make covenants with God (such as baptism) I know that this connection with God is available to all people who do good and seek to know Him. 

 Wherever you are in your life or relationship with God, please seek Him. Seek Him more. It is so, so worth it.

Image Credit: Grant Clawson

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