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
The closing chapter of the book of Alma alludes to a figure and a group of people that we know almost nothing about. We are briefly introduced to Helaman's son, Shiblom, only verses before his death is recorded. One of the most fascinating things about the scriptures is what they do NOT record. The scriptures offer a narrow glance into the experiences of a small subset of God's children, yet are still deemed sufficient for our learning and salvation. The vast majority of God's children, and God's dealings with them, are not preserved in any kind of record. In Shiblom's case all we get is a few sentences, and this for a man who was a rule, prophet, and keeper of the records that would become the Book of Mormon. All we know is that "he was a just man, and he did walk uprightly before God; and he did observe to do good continually, to keep the commandments of the Lord his God" (Alma 63:2).
Perhaps this is all we need to know. This phrase perfectly summarizes my highest aspirations in life and reads like a beautiful epitaph.
Alma 63 also mentions a man named Hagoth who built a ship and led a group of people "to the land northward." "And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not. And it came to pass that in this year there were many people who went forth into the land northward. And thus ended the thirty and eighth year" (Alma 63:8-9). The fate of Hagoth and his people leaves room for fantastical speculation among church scholars and anthropologists. It's fun to imagine where they went and if/where/how their descendants survive today. While fascinating, these details are not important to the Lord's core purpose for recording Hagoth's travels. Hagoth and is people serve as another illustration that God loves all his children.
As Nephi explained "there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the atribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away" (1 Nephi 22:4). "But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren"
God's care extends to the entire human race; from the creation of the earth he has striven with all His children to teach and transform them.
Application Questions
What helps you humanize and empathize with people who seem radically different than you?
If you only had a sentence a two to tell your children everything important about you, what would you say?
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