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...
One of the most well-known accounts in the Book of Mormon, Alma 57 records the miraculous victory of Helaman and his 2,000 young warriors. After taking the city of Antiparah, and conducting a successful siege of the city Cumeni, Helaman turned his attention to the large population of Lamanite prisoners in his custody. The captured soldiers had become too numerous to guard, and revolted regularly. Helaman sent a portion of his army to transfer the prisoners to Zarahelma, but his army returned the next day without the prisoners, who presumably had either escaped or been slain by Helaman's soldiers. The soldiers returned just in time to help Helaman deflect a counterattack by the Lamanites. Helaman recounts that in the heat of the battle "the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted. Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them" (Alma 57: 20-21). The 2,000 young soldiers of Helaman were obedient, courageous, and faithful because of their mothers' teachings.
But even the brave, courageous, and obedient are not immune to the perils of battle.
These young soldiers had been miraculously preserved, but had all received "many wounds." "And it came to pass that there were two hundred, out of my two thousand and sixty, who had fainted because of the loss of blood; nevertheless, according to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish; yea, and neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds" (Alma 57:25). How often do we wrongfully assume that we can avoid sin and trials by being more careful? That if do everything right we will never have to repent or suffer? For me the story of Helaman's stripling warriors is a metaphorical reminder that "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). None of us makes it through life unscathed, but through the miraculous power and healing mercy of Jesus Christ we can all be saved.
Speaking of his young soldiers, Helaman observed, "And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually" (Alma 57: 26-27).
Helaman attributed their salvation to God, and highlighted the importance of believing in Him, casting out doubt, having firm and faithful minds, and trusting Him. After another victory in battle, Helaman praised God, and reemphasized His singular role in saving His people. "And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us" (Alma 57:35). I know that God is real and is mighty to save, which means He is able and willing to help us in any area of our lives. By His love, power and grace, we can enjoy rich blessings if we choose to follow His will.
Application Questions
In what ways have you been buffeted and wounded by sins and trials? How has God saved and preserved you despite your mistakes and challenges?
Image Credit: Walter Rane
Helaman attributed their salvation to God, and highlighted the importance of believing in Him, casting out doubt, having firm and faithful minds, and trusting Him. After another victory in battle, Helaman praised God, and reemphasized His singular role in saving His people. "And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us" (Alma 57:35). I know that God is real and is mighty to save, which means He is able and willing to help us in any area of our lives. By His love, power and grace, we can enjoy rich blessings if we choose to follow His will.
Application Questions
In what ways have you been buffeted and wounded by sins and trials? How has God saved and preserved you despite your mistakes and challenges?
Image Credit: Walter Rane
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