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...
In rapid succession, Moroni experienced the joy of victory and the sorrow of defeat. This brief chapter provides insights into the emotional life of a prophet of God and can show us what to do with the feelings we feel. In 13 short verses, Moroni experienced joy, sorrow, doubt, and anger. Not only that, his emotions were influenced by his circumstances and the people around him. He chose to be affected by the wants, needs, welfare, and disappointments of others.
His joy came from Helaman's success on the battlefield in reclaiming previously lost territory. "After Moroni had received and had read Helaman’s epistle, he was exceedingly rejoiced because of the welfare, yea, the exceeding success which Helaman had had, in obtaining those lands which were lost. Yea, and he did make it known unto all his people, in all the land round about in that part where he was, that they might rejoice also" (Alma 59:1-2).
Moroni declared the victories of Helaman to all his people to give them hope and cause for celebration. He viewed Helaman, Helaman's armies, and the Nephite people as part of his team. Because they were united in a common purpose of protecting themselves from the Lamanites, they shared equally in the joy of making progress. Are ability to be happy for others depends on our definition of who is on our "side." The wider we can draw that circle, the more likely we are to be sincerely happy for others without envy.
Shortly after receiving the good news of Helaman's success, Moroni learned that other cities had fallen to the Lamanites. "When Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren. Now this was the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people" (Alma 59:11-12).
Moroni used this failure to explore the reasons for the Nephites' military loss. His diagnosis was that the wickedness of the people had contributed to their downfall. Our failures and the failures of those we love may bring sadness, but they also provide opportunities to reflect. The song "Happy People" by the group Little Big Down echoes the conventional wisdom that "happy people don't fail, happy people just learn." Sorrow is a useful signal as long as it doesn't override our capacity take constructive lessons from our failure.
Moroni used this failure to explore the reasons for the Nephites' military loss. His diagnosis was that the wickedness of the people had contributed to their downfall. Our failures and the failures of those we love may bring sadness, but they also provide opportunities to reflect. The song "Happy People" by the group Little Big Down echoes the conventional wisdom that "happy people don't fail, happy people just learn." Sorrow is a useful signal as long as it doesn't override our capacity take constructive lessons from our failure.
In the same way that sorrow can move us to reflect, anger can motivate us to action. Moroni saw the fall of the Nephite cities as a failure of the Nephite government to adequately provide provisions and military reinforcements. "And it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country" (Alma 59:13). As we will read later, this anger prompted Moroni to write a fiery letter to Pahoran, the governor of the land. Eventually, Pahoran and Moroni developed greater understanding for one another and worked together to resolve military and political challenges.
Regardless of what happens to us, our emotions are created by our thoughts and beliefs. Moroni felt joy, sorrow, and anger because he was deeply invested in the causes of his people. There will be times when we need and want to be sad and angry, such as in response to our own mistakes, or injustice in the world. The important thing is to make sure we are carefully choosing our thoughts and beliefs, and using our emotions in constructive ways that bless ourselves and others.
Application Questions
What is your response to the joys and sorrows of the people around?
Who is on your team? How can you expand the sphere of people you care about?
How can your feelings of anger be harnessed and put to a productive purpose?
Image Credit: upliftconnect.com
Regardless of what happens to us, our emotions are created by our thoughts and beliefs. Moroni felt joy, sorrow, and anger because he was deeply invested in the causes of his people. There will be times when we need and want to be sad and angry, such as in response to our own mistakes, or injustice in the world. The important thing is to make sure we are carefully choosing our thoughts and beliefs, and using our emotions in constructive ways that bless ourselves and others.
Application Questions
What is your response to the joys and sorrows of the people around?
Who is on your team? How can you expand the sphere of people you care about?
How can your feelings of anger be harnessed and put to a productive purpose?
Image Credit: upliftconnect.com
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