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...
Alma's companion, Amalek reaffirms Alma's teachings and shares his own conversion story with the people of Ammonihah. But what prompted Amulek to do the will of the Lord and testify with the prophet Alma? Why did the Lord choose Amulek and what qualified him for the work? On the surface, Amulek does not seem like a likely candidate to become a mouthpiece of God. By his own admission, even though he was "a man of no small reputation among all those who know me," and had "many kindreds and friends," and "acquired much riches by the hand of my industry" he had not lived a life devoted to God (Alma 10:5). He claimed that he "never have known much of the ways of the Lord" (Alma 10:5). So in a city full of people, why would the Lord select a man who, by all external appearances, was not particularly interested in spiritual things? Not only that, Alma appears to have rejected earlier promptings and spiritual overtures from the Lord, "I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart" (Alma 10:6).
The difference between Almulek and the other citizens of Amonihah appears to be his humility. While he had not lived a particularly righteous or valiant life to that point, when the time came to testify with Alma he was willing to acknowledge the blessings of the Lord in his life, and conceded his own unworthiness. "I said I never had known much of these things; but behold, I mistake, for I have seen much of his mysteries and his marvelous power; yea, even in the preservation of the lives of this people" (Alma 10:5).
As we are all imperfect and occasionally uncommitted servants of God, I find the example of Amulek to be full of hope and encouragement. Haven't we all ignored promptings, or been distracted by worldly pursuits instead of working to love others and build God's kingdom. God can work with our imperfections and failings if we will humbly recognize his blessings and submit to his well.
Application Questions:
What promptings have you received that you have not yet acted on. Can you think of 5 reasons why now is the perfect time to act on them?
What "mysteries and marvelous power" can you see in your own life?
Image Credit: Unkwown
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