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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 15 - After I Had Received Strength I Spake Unto My Brethren



After seeing the things which his father had seen in a vision, Nephi explains the dream to his brothers Laman and Lemuel. Before he was able to do so, though, he first sought and received emotional and spiritual strength to deal with his person grief and sadness. "And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren" (1 Nephi 15:6).

Lehi and Nephi had different reactions to seeing the destruction of their people in vision. After Lehi was shown the destruction of Jerusalem he exclaimed, "Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!" (1 Nephi 1:14). He rejoiced in the mercy that would be shown to the righteous despite the destruction of the wicked. 

Nephi, on the other hand, was deeply troubled to learn of the eventual destruction of his people the Nephites. He felt the weight of the loss of what the prophet Mormon would later call the "fair ones."  "O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!" (Mormon 6:17) Nephi explains  "I was grieved ... because of the things which I had seen, and knew they must unavoidably come to pass because of the great wickedness of the children of men. And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall" (1 Nephi 15:4-5).

Nephi doesn't talk about the source or nature of the strength he received, or what he did to seek it, but he does imply that it was a necessary prerequisite to teach and exhort his brothers. In order to help his brothers, he first needed greater capacity to deal with his own burdens. The scriptures do not indicate that his grief was taken away, only that Nephi "received strength" that allowed him to teach his brothers.

We all have many roles and responsibilities that others rely on us to fulfill. My roles as a father, husband, son, sibling, friend, employee, and church member regularly stretch me to the edge of my ability. Last night I felt pressed by the weight of these responsibilities and unable to meet the challenges. Even after a long and helpful conversation with my wife, I simply had to go to bed and hope for a brighter morning. While I wait on added strength, I'm motivated by Nephi's words to Laman and Lemuel. "Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you" (1 Nephi 15:11). 

As I've experienced more times than I can count, I know that God grants knowledge, strength, and comfort when I sincerely and patiently ask in prayer and continue moving forward in faith. He grants me strength to fill my most important roles and to serve others.

Image Credit: Isaac Tobin

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