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9 - 15 Mar - Learn With Joy and Not With Sorrow - Jacob 1 - 4

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...
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Ether 4 - That They May Become Sanctified in Me


One of the most important and counterintuitive ways that the Lord shows love for His children is by withholding information that we are not ready to receive. We are held accountable for the things that we know. If we are not prepared to keep the commandments He has given us and live according to the truth that we have, more knowledge would hinder instead of help us.  That is why God reveals truth "line upon line, precept upon precept." That is why Christ spoke in parables and why the cryptic words of Isaiah are so important. By requiring interpretation and discernment through the power of the Holy Ghost, God ensures that only those who diligently seek will be exposed to the increased responsibility of more knowledge.

 Part of the record of the Jaredites was sealed. Moroni explained that this part of the record, "shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord" (Ether 4:6). In the same way these sacred records will not be shared until the Gentiles have prepared themselves to receive them, there is spiritual knowledge waiting for us if choose to draw closer to God. God wants to teach us all of His truth and give us everything He has. But He knows that doing so too quickly before we are ready would do us a disservice. The amount of revelation we receive from God and the speed with which He shares it with us is largely up to us. 

 There are no short cuts to developing Christlike attributes. Having our natures changed is a spiritual gift that God grants based based on His will and our faith. "And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw" (Ether 4:7). If we want to know what he knew and see what he saw, we have to live as he lived. 
Application Questions 

 What spiritual knowledge or personal growth is most important to you right now?

 How can you show greater faith and ask God to grant you your righteous desires?
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