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 receiving Moroni's excoriating letter Pahoran could have easily found cause for offense. Moroni had levied harsh and unfounded criticism against Pahoran at a time when Pahoran was facing turmoil of his own, and risking his life to put down an insurrection in the capital. Instead, he chose to forego pride and ego and focused on the challenge at hand. His first words to Moroni were not an attempt at self-defense or retaliation, but an expression of reassurance and empathy. "Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul" (Alma 61:2).
Pahoran chose to interpret Moroni's criticism as a symbol of his fervor and commitment to the nation instead of a personal attack. Pahoran knew that Moroni's words said more about Moroni than they did about him, and took the opportunity to clarify his position. "And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free" (Alma 61:9)
When we are recipients of criticism or disapproval, we can be curious and empathetic instead of defensive and indignant. Generally, criticism say more about the person offering the critique than the subject of it. We can decide what to do with the feedback we receive from others without damaging our sense of self-worth. Judgment from others only hurts if we believe it to be true.
Pahoran and Moroni were collaborative in their approach to ending the rebellion of the monarchists in the capital and defending Nephite territory from attack. Pahoran used Moroni's conviction and fervor to inform his decisions about how to deal with the crisis. "And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren" (Alma 61:19).
Ultimately, the two leaders determined to go to battle against the collaborators and opportunists in the Nephite capital. "And now, behold, we will resist wickedness even unto bloodshed ... We would subject ourselves to the yoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us so to do. But behold he doth not command us that we shall subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our trust in him, and he will deliver us. Therefore, my beloved brother, Moroni, let us resist evil, and whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, yea, such as rebellions and dissensions, let us resist them with our swords" (Alma 61:10, 12-14).
The evil of Moroni and Pahoran's day was the concrete threat of military destruction and death. The undercurrents of evil in our day may be more subtle but are no less dangerous. As we take action to resist the corrosive forces of hatred, selfishness, pride, lust, and cruelty in the world, we may imagine those standing on the other side of the issue to be the enemy. That's how Moroni saw Pahoran. But if we follow Pahoran's example we can avoid missing out on important allies--we can leverage the passion and energy of others' threats without internalizing them as attacks, we can use their counterproposals as sounding boards to refine our ideas, and we can quarry building blocks from their criticism to build improved solutions.
Application Questions
Can you think of a person or group with whom you fundamentally disagree? Even if they never change their stance, how could you see them as a potential ally?
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