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...
King Benjamin's words to his people are filled with powerful teachings about humility and the atonement of Christ, the responsibilities of parents, and caring for the poor.
Humility and the Atonement
After King Benjamin addressed his people, they were filled with humility and received forgiveness of their sins. King Benjamin stressed the importance of acknowledging our nothingness before God as part of the repentance process. "And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God ... And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience" (Mosiah 4:3-4).
The humility of King Benjamin's people was based on their understanding of the plan of salvation. They recognized that they were in a fallen or carnal state that was different from their heavenly natures and origin. They felt humble because they understood where they were along their developmental path, not because they made a permanent judgment about their intrinsic value. When we are filled with humility, and even acknowledge that we are less than the dust of the earth, it does not mean that we lose sight of our worth, diminish our sense of value to God, or lose confidence. In fact, humility should be motivating. It should encourage, not discourage, action. When we are humble we do not fear how other people will judge our actions, and we do not resist experiencing discomfort or giving up what we currently have for something better. As the example of King Benjamin's people illustrates, acknowledging that we are less "than the dust of the earth" enables us to go boldly in pursuit of God's will for us.
Belief unto action, or faith, is another principle that King Benjamin commended to his people. "Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you; and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them" (Mosiah 4:9-10).
Responsibilities as Parents
King Benjamin taught about the great responsibility parents have to educate and instruct their children in righteousness. His word are an intimidating but critical measuring stick for me to assess how I'm doing as a father and ensure that I am focused on teaching my children the most important things: "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness. But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another." (Mosiah 4:12-15)
My greatest role as a parent is to provide for my children's temporal needs, to teach them to be righteous, and encourage them to love and serve each other.
Caring for the Poor
King Benjamin's sermon summarizes the actions we should take to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and the attitude with which we should do it. "Ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish" (Mosiah 4:16). King Benjamin's words are immense in my mind and unavoidable in how I consider my personal responsibility to the poor and the needy. He anticipates our hesitation to help and the questions we have about a person's worthiness for assistance: "Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy. And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another" (Mosiah 4:17-21).
Despite some of the political and programmatic complexity we create around serving the poor and the needy, God instructions through King Benjamin are clear. We are not to "suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain." He further explains that the reason we must help the less fortunate is "for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God" (Mosiah 4:26). We are obligated to the poor and if we fail to feel concern and try to address their needs, we cannot retain forgiveness of our own sins. Not only are we to address their physical needs, but King Benjamin teaches that we should serve "both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants" (Mosiah 4:26). I read the phrase "their wants" to mean "that which they lack," but I like that King Benjamin used the word "wants" instead of "needs." No one understands those lacks better that the individuals who feel them. Our efforts to help the needy can often be paternalistic and counterproductive when we do not consult those being served about what they need and how best to provide it. Trying to address not only immediate physical needs, but also to address the underlying spiritual challenges of the poor can feel like an overwhelming task, but I know God will assist us in our efforts to do good as we start with those immediately around us and offer whatever we can.
Application Questions
What is the difference between humility and self-deprecation? How can you be sure you you are actin in righteousness from a place of humility and not a place of fear based on a low sense of self-worth.
What can you teach your children to love and serve one another?
Given your circumstances and resources, what more can you do to serve the poor?
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