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...
Ammon, the leader of the search party who found King Limhi and his people in bondage to the Lamanites, taught king Limhi about the role of a prophet. Limhi had found a record that he could not read or interpret, and Ammon offered that there was a seer among his people that could. "I can assuredly tell thee, O king, of a man that can translate the records; for he has wherewith that he can look, and translate all records that are of ancient date; and it is a gift from God" (Mosiah 8:13).
Ammon further explained that "a seer can know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come, and by them shall all things be revealed, or, rather, shall secret things be made manifest, and hidden things shall come to light, and things which are not known shall be made known by them, and also things shall be made known by them which otherwise could not be known. Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings" (Mosiah 8:17-18).
I believe that God communicates with His children on earth today. I feel strong emotions and compelling thoughts that confirm to me that God is real, and that He loves me. I experience almost daily insights through these feeling that prompt me to love and to serve others, and to try to improve myself. I attribute these nudges to messages from God communicated through His spiritual messenger, the Holy Ghost. Having this spiritual dimension to my life and sense of direction is one of the most precious gifts I possess. By extension, I am confident that God similarly loves all His children and is eager to bless them if they seek Him.
While I enjoy this rich private relationship with God, I also know that God has specifically chosen certain people to organize and lead his Church. This structure is transformative and is an important part of our practicum on earth to practice being more like our Creator. Prophets hold priesthood authority, or God-given responsibility to receive instructions from God not just for themselves, but for all people. On of the gifts that prophet possess is to "know of things which are past, and also of things which are to come." He can warn, direct, and inspire us according to this foreknowledge. He receives revelation about spiritual realities of our existence "which otherwise could not be known."
I'm convinced that the man picture above, Thomas S. Monson, was prepared and selected to fill this role today. His guidance and instruction as a prophet has "provided a means that [I], through faith, might work mighty miracles." For me these miracles have been miracles of personal transformation. I have been inspired by President Monson's gift more serving individuals and ministering to others one-on-one in concrete ways. His prophetic instruction in April to read the Book of Mormon crystallized my desire to write this blog and I have benefitted immensely from the process. The gifts that President Monson has been given, and the privileges that I enjoy, are not granted to be squandered on ourselves, but used that we become "a great benefit to [our] fellow beings."
I will probably always be a little insecure about blasting these thoughts on the internet and wonder how others judge me, but I am equally motivated by the thought that maybe someone else will benefit from and enjoy this journey through the Book of Mormon.
Application Questions:
What things have you learned spiritually that you could not know otherwise?
How can you take the knowledge and gifts you possess and use them to be a "great benefit to [your] fellow beings?"
What teachings of President Monson have had the greatest impact on you?
If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or you are unfamiliar with Pres. Monson's teachings, what sources of guidance and inspiration are most useful to you in becoming the best version of yourself? How can you more fully embrace those promptings to do good?
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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