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 Nephites gathered together, collected seven years of provisions, and fortified themselves in the city of Zarahemla. Through this strategy, they compelled the Gadianton Robbers to leave their strongholds in the wilderness, since "the robbers could not exist save it were in the wilderness, for the want of food; for the Nephites had left their lands desolate, and had gathered their flocks and their herds and all their substance, and they were in one body" (3 Nephi 4:3). Reading the notion that the robbers could not exist save it were in the wilderness caused me to reflect on how unrighteous, unethical, and wicked behavior takes root and spreads. Evil needs an environment in which to grow, and while we will never fully eradicated wickedness in this life, there are ways to starve unrighteousness by the boundaries we put in place and the behaviors we do and don't tolerate. By depriving the robbers of the conditions they needed to survive, they compelled the Gadiantons to come out in direct battle.
The Gadianton Robbers used war paint and armor to intimidate the Nephites. "They were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood" (3 Nephi 4:7). The robbers relied on their own strength, psychological intimidations, and war stratagems to gain an advantage over the Nephites.
By contrast, the Nephites prayed. "And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites, when they saw the appearance of the army of Giddianhi, had all fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God, that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies" (3 Nephi 4:8). The Nephites put their trust in God and sought His protection and blessing before engaging the robbers in battle. In short, "the Nephites did not fear them; but they did fear their God and did supplicate him for protection" (3 Nephi 4:10). That is not to say that the Nephites did not use every weapon and military strategy available to them. We read earlier that they fortified their city, prepared weapons, amassed provisions, but none of those things was the foundation of their confidence.
Over the course of years, the Nephites fought the Gadionton Robbers, and were ultimately successful in destroying the groups and executing two successive leaders of the band. "And it came to pass that they did break forth, all as one, in singing, and praising their God for the great thing which he had done for them, in preserving them from falling into the hands of their enemies. Yea, they did cry: Hosanna to the Most High God. And they did cry: Blessed be the name of the Lord God Almighty, the Most High God. And their hearts were swollen with joy, unto the gushing out of many tears, because of the great goodness of God in delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; and they knew it was because of their repentance and their humility that they had been delivered from an everlasting destruction" (3 Nephi 4:31-33). Their protracted war with the Gadianton Robbers helped them see evidence of God's care and protection in their lives. Through the Nephites' transformative experience of repentance, they gained the strength and help they needed to overcome an overwhelming enemy.
We all have weaknesses and personal failings that seem like a permanent part of who we are. We all face circumstances that leave us feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. The cost may be high and the timeline may be long, but taking action based on God's counsel makes it possible for us to overcome them.
Application Questions
What can you you to create conditions in your home, in your workplace, and in society that make it difficult for evil to succeed?
What are you afraid of? How can you rely on the Lord to overcome your fears?
How has God blessed and delivered you? What do you still need help to overcome?
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