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
As a young boy, Mormon was called to be a prophet and keep the records of the Nephites. He lived in a time of unimaginable wickedness, and lived to bear record of the depravity and destruction of his people. While the scriptures do not record much about his background, they do offer a brief glimpse into his character.
Being Somewhat of a Sobermind
Mormon attributed his call to be a prophet to the fact that as a child he was "sober," and "quick to observe." The prophet at the time, Ammaron, came to Mormon when he was only ten years old, "and Ammaron said unto me: I perceive that thou art a sober child, and art quick to observe" (Mormon 1:2). Mormon also mentioned that he "began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people" (Mormon 1:2).
"Sober" is defined in the dictionary as "earnestly thoughtful character or demeanor," "unhurried, calm," "marked by temperance, moderation, or serious," and "showing no excessive or extreme qualities of fancy, emotion, or prejudice." Today sober has a slightly negative connotation and can be taken to mean "a bit of a downer." Its certainly not the first characteristic that I would think of in considering someone's qualifications as a prophet.
And yet Mormon mentions it twice in his brief introduction. "And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sobermind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus" (Mormon 1:15). Because he was a "sober" child and had been called of God as a prophet, he was personally visited by Jesus Christ. While we may not see Christ or be called to serve as a prophet in our early adolescence, we can draw closer to God by being thoughtful, temperate, and balanced.
Wickedness Did Prevail upon the Face of the Whole Land
Mormon lived in a time when "there were sorceries, and witchcrafts, and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land" (Mormon 1:19). Things were so bad that "the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people. And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief" (Mormon 1:13-14). The Spirit actually prevented Mormon from preaching to the people because they were so wicked.
In describing this wickedness, Mormon mentions in passing that this wickedness was "even unto the fulfilling of all the words of Abinadi, and also Samuel the Lamanite" (Mormon 1:19). While it must have been depressing to see the wickedness and downfall of his people, even at a very young age Mormon understood this wickedness in the context of revelation from God through His prophets. This development was known to Mormon. He anticipated this wickedness. When I am going for a run or doing a difficult workout, it I have done the trail before, or if I have some indication of how long the workout will last, I work harder and am much more likely to keep going. Plenty of people also warned me about the challenges of parenthood, which somehow makes it more bearable when kids are screaming or a watch gets flushed down the toilet. I wonder if Mormon had a similar experience in a spiritual context. He had read and understood the prophesies of Abinidi and Samuel the Lamanite. He knew the people would become wicked and be destroyed. Perhaps that gave him mental preparation to endure and observe the things that lay before him.
Application Questions
What does it mean to be "sober" and "quick to observe?" How can we emulate these characteristics and instill them in our children?
What prophesies have been made about our time? How can these prophesies give us confidence in difficult times and put the unrighteousness of our day in context?
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