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...
After King Mosiah ascended to the throne, a small party went to search for a group that had splintered off years before. When they found them, the group was in bondage to the Lamanites and forced to pay heavy tributes. Limhi, the leaders of this group, attributed their bondage to they wicked choices, and hope the people of Mosiah could help deliver them.
Lima explained "For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a stumbling block before them. And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison" (Mosiah 7:29-30). Clearly in this life, many wicked people are allowed to enjoy personal, financial, and professional success. And yet God has said that they will not prosper, and that their doings shall be a stumbling block. A stumbling block to what? Imagining a strait and narrow path that leads us back to the presence of God, our unrighteous actions are obstacles that distract and derail us from our purpose of becoming more like Him. We may not see immediate negative affects of sin, but we certainly will, and even before we do, unrighteous obstructs us. Unrighteousness is a spiritually lethal poison.
Limhi celebrated being the arrival of the search party, declared his faith in God, and his hope for deliverance. "Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them. And again, that same God has brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, and has kept and preserved his people even until now; and behold, it is because of our iniquities and abominations that he has brought us into bondage" (Mosiah 7:19-20). God is good and has cared for his children from before the creation of the earth. His dealings with ancient people are a model for how He can and will help us today.
While our mistake threaten to distract and delay us, committing to God helps us overcome our weaknesses. We can access God's power and enjoy freedom and peace from serving and following him. "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage" (Mosiah 7:33).
Application Questions
What do you feel in bondage to? How can you rely on the Lord to find a way to escape, the strength to bear, or the peace to accept your circumstance?
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