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...
Helaman chapter 6 recounts an interesting role reversal in which the righteous Lamanites preach to the wicked Nephites. "And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him" (Helaman 6:34). Helaman explains that the increased spirituality of the Lamanites was a result of their openness to the teachings of the gospel. "And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words" (Helaman 6:35-36). We are taught and often assume that our ability the feel the Spirit is a result of our righteous actions. Certainly, making good choices puts us in circumstances and a frame of mind that makes it easier to feel the Spirit. But equally compelling have been the times in my life when I have been least deserving of the companionship of the Holy Ghost and felt his presence anyway. I'm convinced feeling close to God comes down to our desires. When we are humble, penitent, and sincere--when we want to reach out to God and do better--He reaches back. God meets us where we are even when we fail and make mistakes. Even at my worst, He's never been more than a prayer away.
It's fascinating to me to project myself into Nephite society during this time and imagine myself as a member of the church in a war torn nation rife with political upheaval and wickedness. "For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them" (Helaman 6:2). Even though the faithful were few in numbers, and their preaching was rejected, they were hopeful and resilient in their circumstances, and warmly welcomed converts of an enemy nation. "The people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy" (Helaman 6:3).
Despite recent wars and growing wickedness, the Nephites and Lamanites enjoyed a temporary peace. Helaman described in detail how ensuing peace and tolerance enabled the Nephites and Lamanites to become rich. Because "there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would, ... and the Lamanites did also go whithersoever they would ... ; and thus they did have free intercourse one with another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire" (Helaman 6:7-8). In politics the term "peace dividend" usually refers to public money that becomes available when less is spent on defense, but I love to think of this concept in more general terms and apply it to my own life. When I have unity with my coworkers, I free up mental and emotional energy to be productive and do my best work. When my marriage is healthy and I'm invested in relationships with my children home life is more enjoyable and rewarding. When I have positive feelings for members of my ward, I can work with them to plan activities or serve others. I would term all of these examples as a "peace dividend," or the additional benefits I realize when I'm committed to loving the people around me. Conflict is important, but sometimes is can be costly.
Peace and prosperity evaporated as quickly as it came. Two chief judges were murdered in succession on the judgement seat. The people became fixated on wealthy, and sought it unrighteously. A secret society called the Gadianton robbers murdered and stole with impunity. Ultimately, "they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God. And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction" (Helaman 6:39-40). The growing power of the Gadianton robbers seems inevitable, but was actually a result of the action and inaction of the rest of the people.
"And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites. And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations" (Helaman 6:37-38). Corrupt and evil influences may be powerful, even overwhelming, but they can be kept in check by the efforts and vigilance of the righteous.
Application Questions
Do you want to be close to God right now? How can you invite the Spirit to play a greater role in your life?
How do you find hope and confidence in a troubled world?
Is a tense relationship in your life getting in the way of what you want to accomplish? How could greater unity and harmony help you get more done?
Is there a conflict you need to raise, or injustice you need to challenge to achieve what's most important to you? What could be the negative consequences of your inaction?
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