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...
Knowing that the armies of the Lamanites would return to destroy the Nephites, Moroni understood major construction and fortification projects to project his people. Moroni rebuilt cities, instructed his people to build walls of dirt around their cities, and deployed his strongest troops to the weakest cities. Because of their numbers and their armor, the Lamanites assumed they would easily crush the Nephites, "but behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.
In defending and sustaining his chosen people, the Lord has a habit of using unconventional means that require faith and participation. I'm reminded of how Noah built an ark (Genesis 6:14-15), and Joshua conquered Jericho (Deuteronomy 6:2-5). In the Book of Mormon we read about how Nephi built a ship: "we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men (1 Nephi 18:1-2).
God instructions for our lives may sometimes seem counterintuitive and arbitrary. I wonder what Christ apostles initially thought when they had been fishing unsuccessfully for hours and the Savior instructed them to cast their nets on the right side of the ship. Surely the side of the ship on which they cast the net couldn't have made any practical difference. Their position in the water couldn't have dramatically changed. Peter was a fisher by profession, and yet he listed to the son of a carpenter. "And [Jesus] said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes ... Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken" (John 21:6, 11). John's particular mention of the nets highlights that Christ granted a miraculous blessing, but enhance the recipients' ability to receive it. Blessings can often be camouflaged as work and trials, and God can strengthen us to be equal to the growth and glory He has prepared for us. To draw in all the fish, the nets had to perform beyond their design specifications, and for us to receive God's blessings, we must become "new creatures" (Mosiah 27:26).
When the Lamanites attacked the Nephites, they were diverted and thwarted. "To their astonishment, the city of Noah, which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong" (Alma 49:14). Moroni hearkened to the warning voice of the Lord, and through his ingenuity and effort led the Nephites to safety. Today God gives us different instructions to protect us from harm and help us achieve our highest potential. He asks us to ready daily from ancient texts. He asks us to sit quietly and communicate with Him multiple times a day. He asks us to eat a small piece of bread and have a sip of water each Sunday, and to skip a couple meals the first Sunday of every month. He asks us to spend Monday nights with our families. He asked us to give away our time, talents, and resources to help others. It may not always be easy to see the immediate relevance of these things to our temperament, our self-reliance, or interpersonal relationships, to say nothing of God's promised notion of eternal life. But I know the power of these simple practices and the importance of following God's instructions for our life. I've felt what it is like to do these things and to not do things, and can attest to the difference it makes in my life.
Application Questions
Which commandment (i.e. something God has asked you to do) is most confusing or hard to accept? What can you do to learn more about it and conduct an experiment to feel it's importance for yourself?
What is your weakest area? How can you leverage God's power to fill your lack?
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