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 defeating the Gadianton Robbers, the Nephites enjoyed a brief and remarkable period of prosperity. As 3 Nephi chapter 6 describes, "there was great order in the land; and they had formed their laws according to equity and justice ... there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression." (3 Nephi 6:3-4). A careful observer is at risk of whiplash charting the soaring heights and plummeting depths of the pendulum of Nephite righteousness. Cycles between humility and pride, righteousness and depravity swing so quickly and dramatically that I often wonder if there is an element of hyperbole in the prophets' account of the people. More likely, it is a shocking testament to how quickly societies and individuals can change, for good or evil.
The Nephites re-established political stability, rebuilt, and began amassing wealth, but three short years after overcoming the robbers, economic inequality, education inequality, and class divisions led the people down a path of wickedness and destruction. It started when "the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches" (3 Nephi 6:12). With each passing year of adulthood, I become more acutely aware of my privilege. A few years ago, my sister-in-law introduced me to a construct developed by Kathryn Morgan for understanding privilege that has followed me ever since:
The first time I saw the chart above I traced my way along the "dominant" dimensions--the characteristics preferred by society--and found my position at the apex. In every measurable way, I am at an advantage in life. Caught up in my trivial first-world problems I had never really internalized the ramifications of being privileged, and have spent the years since struggling with the question of what to do about it. What responsibilities come with being given an unfair and arbitrary leg up?
When we judge the value of other people based on arbitrary characteristics that are almost entirely out of our control, we run the serious risk of personal and societal degradation. As was the case for the Nephites, because they began to "distinguish by ranks" "there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up" (3 Nephi 6:14). Giving weight to stereotypes and making judgments based on class and education led to the disintegration of the church. "thus in the commencement of this, the thirtieth year, they were in a state of awful wickedness. Now they did not sin ignorantly, for they knew the will of God concerning them, for it had been taught unto them; therefore they did wilfully rebel against God." (3 Nephi 6:17-18).
The seed of pride was a gateway drug that led the Nephites and the church to greater and greater depravity. Ultimately, some elements of Nephite society became so wicked that they killed the prophets who were sent to call them to repentance: "Now there were many of those who testified of the things pertaining to Christ who testified boldly, who were taken and put to death secretly by the judges" (3 Nephi 6:23).
Application Questions
Think about a time of personal spiritual renaissance in your life. What factors made it possible?
In what ways are you privileged? How can you use your position of power to help others and advocate for greater equity in the world?
In what ways are you oppressed? How can you use your testimony of God and understanding of the eternal worth of souls to overcome your societal disadvantages?
How can you guard against pride? What prideful thoughts, words, and actions can you weed out in your life?
Image Credit: Johnny Miller
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