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...
I find it telling that the first and most important truths that Aaron chose to teach king Lamoni's father centered on the creation, the fall, and the atonement. The scriptures record, "that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king--how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen. And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name. And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king" (Alma 2:12-14).
When king Lamoni's father understood the creation, the fall, and the atonement of Jesus Christ he had a strong desire to receive eternal life. He was willing to give away all his worldly possessions to have his nature changed, to feel the joy of the spirit, and be saved: After Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy" (Alma 22:15).
Aaron further explained that the way to "receive the hope which thou desirest," was not through giving up his earthly kingdom, but through sincere prayer and faithful repentance. To feel an interest in spiritual things and have a desire to life righteously, we need to understand and internalize the plan of salvation. Only in the context of the creation, the fall, and the atonement is the search for truth and the desire to be saved compelling. While these doctrines are the foundation of our motivation, our ability to be transformed is based on our familiarity with prayer and repentance. And so king Lamoni's father prayer, "O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day" (Alma 22:18).
As Christ explained in his great intercessory prayer, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Eternal life is not to know about God, it is to know him. We can learn about God through reading the scriptures, listening to talks and lessons about his attributes, and learning about his plan in the temple. But these righteous acts are insufficient if they are not coupled with a determined effort to internalize and apply righteous principles in our lives. To know God is to become like God. We come to know God by thinking as he thinks, speaking as he speaks, and doing as he does. Our efforts to change our behavior and live the gospel are important, but even our best efforts to emulate God are insufficient. To know God is a spiritual gift. Only through the atonement and the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost, the baptism by fire, can we become new creatures. To know God is not simply to erase our mistakes, but to have our natures changed. To know God is a spiritual gift wrought by the power of the atonement, and offered in exchange for the submission of our will. We place humble hearts and contrite spirits on the alter in exchange for a transformed and elevated character.
When king Lamoni's father prayed, "I will give away all my sins to know thee," it was more that a statement of his desire; it was a statement of fact. King Lamoni's father understood that the only way to know God is to give away all our sins.
Application Questions
Why are the doctrines of the creation, the fall, and the atonement so essential to our knowledge and testimony of the gospel?
What sins could you give up to grow closer to God?
When have you felt the cleansing and enabling power of the atonement in your life?
How are you different now than you were 5-10 years ago because of your testimony of Christ?
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