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...
Considering the beauty and importance of the final words of Moroni in the Book of Mormon, it is strange to think that they were an afterthought. After completing his abridgment of the record of the people of Jared, Moroni confessed, "I had supposed not to have written more" (Moroni 1:1).
Our lives can, and frequently do, take unexpected turns. Depending on our circumstances, we could all make statements similar to Moroni like, "I had not supposed to still be single," or "I had not supposed to struggle with depression," or "I had not supposed to have a career in engineering" or "I had not supposed that I would spend 1/6 of my life in Asia," or "I had not supposed I would have a child with a disability." Each and every one of us will experience things that we had not predicted or "supposed."
Some our most significant and divinely appointed work happens when we grapple with the things in our lives we didn't plan. This was certainly the case for Moroni. And even though he could not have predicted that he would still be alive at this point, the Lord had a purpose for him to fulfill. "Wherefore, I write a few more things, contrary to that which I had supposed; for I had supposed not to have written any more; but I write a few more things, that perhaps they may be of worth unto my brethren, the Lamanites, in some future day, according to the will of the Lord" (Moroni 1:4).
Application Questions
What aspects of your current life could you have never planned or predicted? How are these parts of your life benefiting you and others?
What things have you done or accomplished after you thought you were already finished?
What can you do in your current unexpected circumstances that "may be of worth unto your brethren?"
Image Credit: Walter Rane history.lds.org
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