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...
As Lehi shares his final counsel with his son, Jacob, he explains "I have chosen the good part" (2 Nephi 2:30). The doctrines he teaches about the importance of opposition, the creation and fall of Adam and Eve, and the role of Christ in the plan of salvation truly are some of the best parts of the Book of Mormon, and are among the most foundational doctrines of the gospel.
Jacob's Righteousness
While we have not heard much about Jacob to this point, it is clear that he was a righteous person, and Lehi highlights some of the blessing's Jacob has received as a result. First, because Jacob had come to "know the greatness of God", Lehi promises Jacob that God "shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" (2 Nephi 2:2). One of the blessings of knowing God (through reading His word, communicating with Him, and trying to live like Him) is that the challenges you face, including your own sins, can be moments of learning and growth. In God's hands, our mistakes and trials enhance us, not diminish us.
Second, Jacob was redeemed. As Lehi explain, this was not a result of Jacob's goodness, but the power of Christ to heal. "I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer" (2 Nephi 2:3). We are redeemed not because of anything we have done, per se, but because Christ is faithful and perfectly completed his mission to atone for us. Christ overcame sin and death for all people, but to access the power of His atonement, we must believe in Him. "inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved" (2 Nephi 2:9).
Third, even though Christ had not been born yet, Jacob was "blessed even as they unto whom [Christ] shall minister in the flesh" because he had "beheld in thy youth his glory" (2 Nephi 2:4). Lehi explains that this is possible because "the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and forever" (2 Nephi 2:4)
What does it mean to "behold his glory"? To me, short of seeing Christ in person, it implies seeing the power of God at work in our lives. When we keep God's commandments, we see and experience miracles. We feel our hearts changed and cleansed, we see our circumstances improve, we see our capacities grow. These manifestations of the glory of God are predicated on our righteous efforts. God's glory is the "immortality and eternal life of man", and the more we participate in that work, the more apparent His glory is to us (Moses 1:39).
What does it mean to be blessed as they unto whom Christ ministered? Those unto whom Christ ministered received spiritual instruction at the hand of the Savior. They had their sins forgiven them and their physical infirmities healed. They were fed spiritually as with loaves and fishes. They were raised from the dead. They were prayed for by the Savior and blessed. They were challenges to preach the gospel, and they were given a sure witness of His divinity as they touched the nail prints in his hands and feet.
When we behold the glory of God by participating in His work, we receive these blessings by the Spirit. Spiritual knowledge is the most profound way of knowing, and is more persuasive than seeing something in person with physical eyes. The Spirit not only has instructive, but transformative power. The Spirit cleanses, sanctifies, and changes our hearts and nature through a process we sometimes call the "baptism of fire." Even more than comforting us, even more than teaching us, this is the Spirit's most important role.
This chapter is really so rich. I guess the rest will have to wait for the next post:
- Role of the Christ's atonement in the plan of salvation (2 Nephi 2:6-10, 26-27)
- The importance of opposition (2 Nephi 2:11-13)
- The council in heaven, creation, and the fall (2 Nephi 2:14-25)
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