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...
Speaking of Kind Benjamin's words the people declared, "we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually" (Mosiah 5:2). The greatest evidence we can have that the gospel is true is the change we notice in ourselves by living by its principles. Having no disposition to do evil does not mean that we don't continue to sin and make mistakes. It is a description of our orientation, not our outcomes. Having no disposition to do evil means that our nature and temperament willingly and humbly strives to do the right thing despite errors and setbacks.
The Holy Ghost is often described in the
scriptures as the baptism of fire. The Holy Ghost purifies our souls and
is the mechanism by which the power of Christ's atonement can change
our natures. When we undergo a change or heart, it means much
more than having the guilt of specific sins washed away in a transaction
manner. It represents a wholesale change of values, desires, and character to
be more aligned with the will of God.
The natural impulse of someone who's heart has
changes is to commit to remain a new creature. King Benjamin's people
describes their desire this way: "we are willing to enter into
a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his
commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our
days" (Mosiah 5:5). What is the value of making covenants and promises
with God? The power of commitment is not limited to a spiritual context and
brings confidence, certainty, and power to all aspects of our lives. When we
make decisions and commit, our brains can use their full faculties to plan and
work to achieve our desires instead of expending valuable energy
on vacillation and anxiety. Aside from the internal resolve we gain from
making commitments, when we covenant with God, we enjoy a closer association with
Him and are entitled to His aid. "Because of the covenant which ye have
made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his
daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say
that your hearts are changed through faith on his name" (Mosiah
5:7).
The promise of covenanting with God is freedom,
for "under this head ye are made free" (Mosiah 5:8). Given that the commandments of God are
strict, and His path is described as a "strait and narrow way," how
is adherence to His will liberating? Nephi taught that Christ secured our
freedom by giving us knowledge of good and evil, and empowering us to
chose good through the power of His atonement: "And
the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the
children of men from the fall. And because that they
are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever,
knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon" (2
Nephi 2:26). Without Christ we would not have the option of choosing righteousness
and returning to live with our heavenly father.
The Savior also liberates by empowering us to do
more than our natural abilities. He taught this principle when He invited all
that labor and are heavy laden to "Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am meek
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). When we are yoked with Christ
we enjoy the aid and support of His power to do our work.
By covenanting with God, our external identities change along with our internal natures. We come to be known by our association with Christ. King Benjamin promised his people that covenanting with God and following His counsel would increase their familiarity with Him "I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts ... for he shall know the name by which he is
called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ" (Mosiah
5:12, 9). "but
that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name
by which he shall call you" (Mosiah 5:12). During His intercessory prayer on behalf of the entire human population, Christ equated knowing God with eternal life. "3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (Jogn 17:3). It is not a matter of knowing about God, but of experientially knowing His nature and character by following his example. As King Benjamin asked, "For
how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a
stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?"
(Mosiah 5:13)
Application Questions
How are the experiences of your life helping you to know God?
Are the feelings of the Holy Ghost transformative in your life?
What challenges currently weigh you down or tie your hands? How can the atonement of Christ free you from them?
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