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...
One of the most startling things about the record of the Jaredites is how quickly they descended from righteousness to wickedness and eventually into self-obliteration. As internal divisions and political strife increased, the Lord warned king Omer to flee: "the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land; wherefore Omer departed out of the land with his family" (Ether 9:3). The brief summary below shows just how turbulent the next few years were in the history of the Jaredites:
- Jared overthrew Omer
- Akish killed Jared
- Akish killed his heir son
- Nimrah (another son of Akish) fled to the land of Omer
- Other sons of Akish war with Akish until the people of Akish are destroyed (only 30 survive)
- Omer returns to his land
Equally apparent from this chapter is God's willingness to protect and uphold the righteous, even in dire circumstances. For example, "the Lord warned Omer in a dream that he should depart out of the land" with his family (Ether 9:3). And after his usurpers had destroyed themselves, "Omer was restored again to the land of his inheritance" (Ether 9:13).
Peace and prosperity were restored almost as quickly as they had vanished under the leadership of a righteous king. Emer succeeded Omer and "Lord began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emer did prosper exceedingly under the reign of Emer" (Ether 9:16). In another generation, Coriantum reigned "and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace" (Ether 9:22).
This period seems to be punctuated by intense wickedness and intense righteousness. From the destruction of a people, to the king seeing Christ in a vision, to three generations later the reemergence of secret combinations. Under the reign of Coriantum's grandson Heth"there began again to be an exceedingly great wickedness upon the face of the land, and Heth began to embrace the secret plans again of old, to destroy his father" (Ether 9:26). With this wickedness, prophets began to prophesy against the people, the land was stricken with droughts, and infested with poisonous serpents.
The people were compelled to be humble by their hardships and "when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine" (Ether 9:35).
I continue to see the blessings of the Lord in my life and in the world today. Despite the many challenges, sorrows, and wickedness of our world I see God in action bringing to pass His work. Even knowing that great calamities have been prophesied to occur, I am optimistic about my future and the world that my children will live in. I'm grateful for a loving and merciful God that blesses so abundantly when I show even the slightest inkling of a desire to do good. I know He stands ready to bless and reward us for even the smallest kindnesses and good deeds.
Application Questions
How can you cope with wickedness around you? How do you live according to your beliefs and values even when challenged?
What experiences have you had that have helped you to be humble?
Image Credit: www.rjgrune.com
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