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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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Mosiah 23 - The Lord Seeth Fit to Chasten His People


Chapters 23 and 24 offer a brief aside recounting the experiences Alma and his followers. Alma and his people fled from the wicked king Noah and established their own small society in the wilderness. The people asked Alma to be their king, but he declined stating, "it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king" (Mosiah 23:7). The rational behind his egalitarianism was that an unrighteous king wielded disproportionate power that could cause a whole nation to sin. He does not rule out monarchy as a system of government, but comments that people are not always likely to have righteous leaders, and therefore such a high concentration of power presents a lot of risks. Leaders at any level have commensurate responsibilities, and will be held accountable not only for their own decisions, but how they influenced the behavior of others. 

 As this principle relates to families, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith, "inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents" (D&C 68:25). Parent's are not responsible for the behavior of their children; they are simply responsible to teach. As stated in the second article of faith, "We believe that [people] will be punished for their own sins..." We are only accountable for our own actions and choices, but when we are in positions of authority making good choices comes with additional weight and greater risks if we fail. 

Alma reflected on his own process of repentance and conversion with gratitude that "after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth" (Mosiah 23:10). His peace of conscience and influence as a missionary came only "after much tribulation." Often we try to avoid discomfort and challenges with the assumption that experiencing pain is an indication that something has gone horribly wrong. But God has taught us, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so ... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one" (2 Nephi 2:11). When we resist unpleasant experiences or emotions we miss out on potential growth. Even mistakes of our own making can be consecrated for the welfare of our souls (2 Nephi 32: 9). 

 I love a line from the song Emmylou by First Aid Kit that alludes to this idea:

 Oh the bitter winds are coming in
And I'm already missing the summer
Stockholm's cold but I've been told
I was born to endure this kind of weather

 In this verse I read about our divine natures as children of God, and that even though the world we live in is fallen and harsh, we have it within us to thrive in difficult conditions. Alma organized the church to aid his people in coming to Christ by calling priests that "did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness" (Mosiah 23:18). Even though they were a righteous and industrious people, "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith" (Mosiah 23:21). Their good choices were not an impenetrable shield against trials, pain, and disappointment. The Lord regularly allows bad things to happen to good people. This is necessary to his overall plan for His children on earth; if we were immediately rewarded for good behavior and immediately punished for bad behavior there would be no need to live by faith and our decision making power would be stunted. But even more than that, chastening implies a refining and strengthening process. God allows bad things to happen to good people because He loves them and knows that the challenges can be instructive to the refinement of their souls. 

 Application Questions

 What is your circle of influence or stewardship? How do your actions facilitate the righteousness (or wickedness) of others?

 What natural talents and abilities have you been blessed with to help you face adversity?

 How have you been improved and refined by the difficult things you have faced in your life?
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