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
Ether chapter 3 is one of my favorite chapters of the Book of Mormon. It came to life for me the first time when I was a missionary in Taiwan (2003-3005). As a missionary we would make plans, do acts of service, contact strangers on the street, knock on doors, teach English, and organize community events all with the intent that we might find people who were interested in learning about the gospel and helping them prepare to be baptized.
Touch These Stones
Reading this passage of scripture as a missionary taught me that all of my works, all of my efforts, all of my outward performances were dead. They did not hold any power of their own and were useless in affecting change in another person's heart. The brother of Jared had to find a way to light the barges that would carry him and his family across the ocean, and went to the effort to devise a plan on his own. He even "molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount" (Ether 3:1). But they did not emit any light.
When we put forth the work of our hands, no matter how capable and delicate, our efforts can only come to life when touched by the hand of the Savior. Nephi shared a similar sentiment about his efforts to teach his children the gospel: "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23). While God has given us commandments to help us exercise our faith, it is only by the grace and merits of Jesus Christ that we can have our sins forgiven and our lives changed. Only the power of His atonement can enable us to do good in the world. Only He can breathe life into our righteous efforts.
The brother of Jared understood this principle and prayed in faith for God's help. "O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea" (Ether 3:4). Whenever we working to overcome a challenge or to achieve something in the world (spiritually or temporally), God can enliven our efforts and help us succeed. In the case of the brother of Jared, "the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger" and caused the stones to glow (Ether 3:6).
He Could Not Be Kept from Beholding Within the Veil
Because of his faith in the Lord, the brother of Jared to saw God and his works, and gained untold treasures of knowledge. First, the brother of Jared saw Christ's spirit body. Christ explained, "because of thy faith thou hast seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood ... this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit ... and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh" (Ether 3:9, 16). The criteria for seeing God was for the brother of Jared to believe in his words: "And the Lord said unto him: Believest thou the words which I shall speak? And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him" (Ether 3:11-13). When we have faith and believe in the words of God that we receive through the scriptures, general authorities, and personal revelation, we can come to know God. This spiritual knowledge can be as deep and compelling as if we saw Christ in person.
Once the brother of Jared had a perfect knowledge of Christ, he was able to learn all things. The scriptures record that "because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil ... having this perfect knowledge of God ... therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him" (Ether 3:19-20). And "the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things" (Ether 3:26). Not only can we come to know God through faith, we can receive knowledge, inspiration, and guidance in any area of our lives when we believe in Christ.
Application Questions
What are you most focused on achieving in your life? Have you invited the Lord into your work? How is He already blessing and enabling you to succeed?
Do you know the promises God has made you and believe that they will come true?
What knowledge have you gained by faith through the Spirit?
Image Credit: Laci Gibbs, bookofmormoncentral.org
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