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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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2 Nephi 17 - They That Be with Us



I'm grateful that I have access to information about the scriptures. I'm grateful that I live in a time when thousands of years of knowledge is readily available to me. I live in a society that can sustain people getting PhDs in ancient scripture, and that companies have formed in an economy so nuanced that they can make money by publishing books about ancient scripture. God has orchestrated and overseen the process of societal advancement over millennia, and shepherded and inspired scholars to gain and share understanding of Jewish history and scripture so that I can sit in an air conditioned room in a comfortable chair reading their research and feel new things about God. 

 As I read the Book of Mormon, I have also occasionally consulted the book Verse by Verse - The Book of Mormon by D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew Skinner and today I learned something new and useful and would recommend the chapter on 2 Nephi 17.

 They talk through the secular history of this period and summarize the nations and rulers referenced in chapter 17:

 Nation                  Capital         Ruler
Judah                      Jerusalem      Ahaz
Israel/Ephraim     Samaria          Pekah, son of Remaliah
Syria                        Damascus      Rezin

 This historical background is foundational to see larger patterns of God's interaction with his people, particularly his chosen people. For example, in chapter 17, God speaks through his prophet to warn the king of Judah of danger, reassure him, and encourage him to rely on the Lord. Isaiah warns Ahaz, the king of Judah, that Israel and Syria have allied against him, but that he should not fear for "It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass" (2 Nephi 17:7). Isaiah also instructs Ahaz, "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depths, or in the heights above" (2 Nephi 17:11) While we often think of asking for a sign and sign-seeking or a lack of faith, Isaiah is seek the support and intervention of the Lord, "But Ahaz said: I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord,"  which ultimately leads to the destruction and exile of kingdom of Judah (2 Nephi 17:12). We experience similar negative consequences or spiritual damage when we disregard warnings from God, ignore his comfort and reassurance, or refuse to rely on his power. 

 In explaining why Ahaz should not be concerned about an imminent attack from Samaria, Isiaish states, "the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son" (2 Nephi 17:9). Isaiah's comment that the capital city of Ephraim is Samaria, and the king of Samaria is Remaliah's son, Pekah, highlights the fact that they are not led by God. They are led by man "whose breath is in his nostrils" and is limited in his power (Isaiah 2:22). It reminds me of the experience of the prophet Elisha who also faced overwhelming odds in combat, but understood the power of the Lord. "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

 Truly, when we rely on God and acknowledge that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them" we can face our challenges with faith and not fear. 

 Image Credit: Unknown

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