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9 - 15 Mar - Learn With Joy and Not With Sorrow - Jacob 1 - 4

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...
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3 Nephi 2 - The People Began to Forget


3 Nephi chapter 2 describes in detail the wickedness of the Nephites, and the turmoil and affliction they experienced because of their unrighteousness. I wonder what lesson God would have me learn from the Nephites’ decline. The truism that “wickedness never was happiness” comes to mind, and I feel an added sense of gratitude to be surrounded by good people, to have a testimony of God and His church, and to live a life of privilege and comfort (Alma 41:10). Other than the obvious cautionary tale to avoid unrighteousness, this chapter teaches me to remember and hold sacred spiritual things.

 A major factor in the unraveling of the Nephites was that “the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven” (3 Nephi 2:1). An astonishment at signs and wonders seems related to gratitude and a recognition of God’s hand in all things. Sara McLachlan sings the song Ordinary Miracle, which speaks to this sense of wonder in seemingly commonplace events:
It's not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It's just another ordinary miracle today
The sky knows when it's time to snow
Don't need to teach a seed to grow
It's just another ordinary miracle today
Because the Nephites forgot the significance of the signs of Christ’s birth, they became “hard in their hearts,” and “blind in their minds, “Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts” (3 Nephi 2:1-2). When our lack of gratitude obstructs belief, we lose our insight into spiritual things and we are left to our own conjectures. The result is cynicism. This ossified condition of the heart prevents us from seeing and accepting evidence God has given us of His power and will. In the case of the Nephites, “the people did still remain in wickedness, notwithstanding the much preaching and prophesying that was sent among them“ (3 Nephi 2:10).

 For the Nephites, wickedness came with dire consequences and a violent war; “the Nephites were threatened with utter destruction because of this war” (3 Nephi 2:13). It is sobering to consider that even the horrors of war were not enough to inspire repentance among the Nephites. And so “thus were the people in a state of many afflictions; and the sword of destruction did hang over them, insomuch that they were about to be smitten down by it, and this because of their iniquity“ (3 Nephi 2:19).

 It’s easy to ridicule the foolish Nephites, but I rebel and close myself off to the spirit in ways that are just as nonsensical. Most of us only differ from grave sinners in the scale of our sins, but the nature of our blindness and frailties are qualitatively similar. I know that hesitating to follow God fully, and overlooking His hand in my life diminishes my happiness and well-being. Conversely, we can enjoy happiness and peace regardless of our circumstances when we humbly and gratefully yield to our creator.
Application Questions.

 What ordinary blessings in your life have you let go unnoticed or taken for granted? Do you ever try to explain them away in purely rational terms instead of acknowledging them as gifts of God?

 What burdens and hardships could you free yourself of through greater righteousness?
Image Credit: www.meltwater.com

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