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
But Notwithstanding All Our Fortifications
At only 16 years old, Mormon was placed in charge of a Nephite army embroiled in battle with the Lamanites. His soldiers were scared and fled after the city they had fortified was overtaken by Lamanites. Talking about the fortifications, Mormon said, "And it came to pass that we did fortify the city with our might; but notwithstanding all our fortifications the Lamanites did come upon us and did drive us out of the city" (Mormon 2:4). Contrast this experience to previous successes of Captain Moroni, who fortified cities and repelled the Lamanites with the help of the Lord.
The essential factor was not the fortifications, but the divine assistance. When Jesus spoke to His disciples He offered peace and reassurance with the phrase "which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature." But this phrase also reminds us that we are powerlessness without God, and that even our best efforts will ultimately fail if we rely solely on our own strength.
My Sorrow Did Return Unto Me Again
The real tragedy of the Nephites was not their military defeats, but their unwillingness to repent. Mormon recorded, "notwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people, they did not repent of their evil doings" (Mormon 2:8). Even when faced with imminent destruction, they would not change their ways. I wonder how often I make poor decisions, even when I know the outcome will be bad for me. A trivial example this week for me was over-eating. Even knowing that I would feel gross and that it would not be good for my body in the long run, the parade of pie and cake and brownies and cookies and street food was never ending. I did it because I was afraid that if I didn't eat those things, my enjoyment of the holiday would be diminished, or that I would miss out on good times with friends. We always do things because of how we believe they will make us feel, which is why faith in Christ is so important. Our beliefs about our life and our future shape the things we do.
At first Mormon was optimistic that the military defeat of his people would lead them to change, but his hope was in vain. "And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would again become a righteous people. But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin" (Mormon 2:12-13).
What is the difference between righteous sorrow and the sorrow of the damned? Christ taught that "by their fruits ye shall know them" to help His disciples know how to spot and avoid false prophets. We can use the same measuring stick to evaluate philosophies and ideas. What does your sorrow (or any idea or emotion) do for you? The answer will tell you if it is righteous sorrow, or something else. Is it motivating and empowering? Does it energize you to move forward and make good choices? Does it fill you with gratitude and hope for the future? The "fruits" of an idea are the feelings you feel and the actions you take when you dwell on and entertain it. An idea is just a sentence in your head, and you are affected by the ones you choose to focus on and repeat.
Twice Mormon laments, "my sorrow did return unto me again" (Mormon 2:15, 27). At first blush it feels like a bad idea to be emotionally affected by the bad behavior of another person or group. But Mormon chose to be emotionally vulnerable and feel a sense of loss for his people. There is nothing wrong with sorrow as an emotion, and it can spur us to action, but sometimes we take it on needlessly, or for the wrong reasons. If you have a wayward spouse or disobedient child, you may want to feel sad about that. Are you clear about your reasons? Do you like your reasons? Do the actions you take as a result align with your values and what you imagine to be the best version of yourself? Is it because you feel like a bad parent or a failure? Is it because it embarrasses or inconveniences you? Is it because you love them and mourn the blessings they are missing out on?
Mormon was sad because his people would not repent. Nearly a thousand years before him, Lehi rejoiced when he learned that the people of Jerusalem would be destroyed (1 Nephi 1:14). How could two prophets have such different emotional experiences when faced with the annihilation of their people? Lehi focused on the mercy of God to him and his family and all "those who come unto [God]." Mormon focused on the wickedness and abominations of his people. Both were righteous men having legitimate responses to unimaginable circumstances.
While we will not likely be faced with the obliteration of our societies, all of our loved ones will make bad choices. We get to choose how we want to feel about it.
Application Questions
What foolish choices to you make even though you know they are not good for you? Why?
When and why do you feel sad about the bad decisions of others? Do you like the reason that you feel sorrow?
Image Credit: www.todayschristianwoman.com
Comments
Post a Comment