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 Alma finished offering counsel to his son Heleman, he spoke to his son Shiblom. Alma recounted his conversion story and emphasized the mercy of God in his repentance process. Despite Alma's incredible experiences with an angel of God and a lifelong ministry of preaching the gospel, he wanted his son to know that testimony or true knowledge can come only through the feelings of the Holy Ghost. "Now, my son, I would not that ye should think that I know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me which maketh these things known unto me; for if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things" (Alma 38:6). Alma implies that there are certain things we can only know if we have been born of God.
Since Shiblom was to continue in his calling to preach the gospel, Alma gave him practical advice for being a good missionary. He counseled him to be humble, to work hard, and to not be overbearing. He also instructed him to control all of his temporal desires so that he could experience love. "See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness" (Alma 38:12-13). A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. When bridled, a horse can be a mode of transportation or a source of labor. Similarly, our passions fuel our capacity for work and can be accessed as a source of energy, but need to be directed in order to be useful. Harnessing may feel restricting, but is necessary to be productive.
In the 19th century when Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, the word "passion" most likely referred to troubling movements of the soul—appetites, lusts, and desires. Passions were probably viewed as violent and self-regarding physical appetites (Thomas Dixon). While the connotation of the word "passion" is much more positive today, the principle taught by Alma is still relevant for all kinds of emotions and physical desires. The full range of human experience is ordained of God and part of His plan of happiness and growth for his children. Even our basest impulses and most uncomfortable emotions can benefit us during this mortal period of experience and testing. They are not to be ignored, squelched, or resented. Instead, all of them can be understood, harnessed and directed for good. When our emotional dimension is understood and leveraged, it allows us to be "filled with love." The main obstacle I experience to empathy, compassion, and caring is a preoccupation with my own emotional noise. Understanding how I think and feel, and being willing to feel any emotion without adding on layers of anxiety and shame opens up all sorts of mental and emotional bandwidth to care for other people.
Alma gave further advice to his son Shiblom on how to love and serve others: "Do not say: O God, I thank thee that we are better than our brethren; but rather say: O Lord, forgive my unworthiness, and remember my brethren in mercy—yea, acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times" (Alma 38:14). He encouraged his son to let go of comparisons between himself and others and to humbly acknowledge his dependance on the Lord. The key to humility is to care more about our standing before God than our standing among our peers. When we pray for others we increase our love for them and are better able to serve.
Application Questions
What spiritual experiences have confirmed your beliefs? Are they recent? How can you seek a confirmation from the spirit, even for things you already accept intellectually?
What emotions do you avoid or feel shame for feeling? How can you experience them without reacting to them?
When and in what ways do you compare yourself to others? How can you focus on your own progress and your relationship with God instead?
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