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 His initial visit the people, Christ reappeared to his disciples to answer their questions and reiterate certain aspects of the Gospel.
What Will Ye That I Shall Give Unto You?
Christ asked His discipes what they would have Christ give unto them. Surprisingly, they asked for clarification regarding the name of the church. There had been confusion and disagreement over the issues, and so they asked Christ to settle it. His response was that "whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name" (3 Nephi 17:7). Christ's commandment to his followers to take His name upon them extended to the name of the church. I assume a similar realization was behind President Nelson's recent affirmation of the name of the church. When speak or act in the name of Christ, we denote that what we say and do is in harmony with His will, and acknowledge Him as the source of all goodness. Using Christ's name denotes His ownership and gives the glory of our good works to Him who enabled our righteousness through His atoning sacrifice.
This Is the Gospel Which I Have Given Unto You
Often we think of the gospel as a conglomeration of all of the doctrine's of the church. But as Christ taught His disciples in America, the scope of the gospel is fairly narrow. Christ said, "Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me" (3 Nephi 27:13-14). In its purest, most basic sense, the gospel is that Christ atoned for our sins so that we can repent.
Our enjoyment of the blessings of the atonement are based on our faith, and entering into the covenant of baptism. As Christ explained, "no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end. Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day" (3 Nephi 27:19-20). As the Fourth Article of Faith summarizes, "the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, second, repentance, third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Yesterday I was able to attend the baptism of a friend's daughter. Before the baptism I had a pretty terrible morning. I was frustrated with the kids, I was feeling discouraged as a parent, and generally anxious about my progress in life. The baptismal service was held right before sacrament meeting, and as my friend greeted everyone before beginning her talk, she welcomed everyone by commenting "wouldn't it be nice if we could do this every week?" I felt a surge of hope and renewal as a I remembered the sacrament. While we are only baptized once, we do get to do this every week as we partake of the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants.
On particularly gloomy days, I can almost hear the Shirelles singing the familiar lyrics to the song "Mama Said" in my mind. They are right that "they'll be days like this." I'm grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and the new start that the sacrament affords each week. What I experienced yesterday was a chance at a fresh start. It really is as simple as humbly seeking the Spirit. The Spirit restores us and cleans away the tarnish of the week. I found renewed trust in that promise yesterday and was grateful to know that I can be consistently forgiven of my failings.
Even as I Am
Christ's warning that "no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom," can feel daunting. He also asked His disciples the haunting question, "what manner of men ought ye to be?" and answered "Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27). The miracle is that we no not have to be perfect in order to meet these high standards. Christ lived a perfect life and atoned for our sins. Through His sacrifice he enables all of us to be clean and to be more like Him.
Application Questions
What questions do you have for God? What do you most desire at His hand?
What is the role of the sacrament in your life? What can you do to make it a more meaningful experience?
How can you access the cleansing and healing power of Christ's atonement more fully?
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