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
And All Jerusalem with Him
In the past I always assumed that King Herod was alone in his jealousy of the infant Jesus, but re-reading Matthew chapter 2 I noticed that not only was Herod "troubled" when he "had heard these things" when the wise men came seeking the king of the Jews, but "all Jerusalem with him" (Matthew 2:3). I'm curious to know how the city of Jerusalem came to know of the birth of the Savior, and what stirred their concern. Surely the Jews of Jerusalem would have been well-versed in Old Testament prophesies related to the Messiah, so they must have at least wondered or speculated that this child could be the promised Messiah for the visit of the Wise Men to capture such attention.
Of the wise men we read that "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy" (Matthew 2:10). I wonder why the Wise Men experienced this renewed sense of joy at seeing the star. The wisemen had already been following the star, which I presume was a constant, unmoving light in the sky, for nearly two years. Perhaps their joy stemmed from a sense that they had nearly reached their journey's end and would soon meet the child Savior? Regardless, this verse caused me to reflect on my reaction to the guidance and direction I receive from the Lord. When I hear the instructions of the living prophets, or feel the urging of the Holy Ghost, do I meet them with joy? The Wise Men travelled unknown distances at what I image was significant personal expense to pay tribute to the infant king. What did they hope to gain from their pilgrimage? Their purpose in seeking Him was simply too worship. They did not pose any questions or ask any blessing. To our knowledge they did not gain any earthly reward or advantage.
I find that my own relationship with God can sometimes feel transactional, as if the Creator of heaven and earth were a divining rod or a vending machine. Do I only seek him out when I need something? Is my only intent in offering prayers, reading scriptures, or attending church meetings to advance my own personal interests. It is so easy for my thoughts to fixate on my next career move, educational advancement, or financial growth. I frequently hear testimonies shared in church meetings that testify of how the Spirit prompted someone to take a job, make a move, or buy a house. Certainly these questions are worthwhile and appropriate to pray over, and God has certainly directed and inspired me in these temporal matters. I guess the disconcerting tendency I see in myself is to let these temporal considerations dominate my conversations with God, and edge out more important matters. What if instead my primary motivation in my interactions with God were to worship and serve Him? I would ask very different questions, and my intent in attending meetings and reading the scriptures would completely change.
I find that my own relationship with God can sometimes feel transactional, as if the Creator of heaven and earth were a divining rod or a vending machine. Do I only seek him out when I need something? Is my only intent in offering prayers, reading scriptures, or attending church meetings to advance my own personal interests. It is so easy for my thoughts to fixate on my next career move, educational advancement, or financial growth. I frequently hear testimonies shared in church meetings that testify of how the Spirit prompted someone to take a job, make a move, or buy a house. Certainly these questions are worthwhile and appropriate to pray over, and God has certainly directed and inspired me in these temporal matters. I guess the disconcerting tendency I see in myself is to let these temporal considerations dominate my conversations with God, and edge out more important matters. What if instead my primary motivation in my interactions with God were to worship and serve Him? I would ask very different questions, and my intent in attending meetings and reading the scriptures would completely change.
After delivering gifts to the toddler Jesus, the Wise Men "being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, departed into their own country another way" (Matthew 2:12). They were led by a star to find him, and they were warned in a vision to evade Herod. While it is clear that they were inspired and directed by the Holy Ghost, we don't actually know anything about their religious affiliation. While there is not a definitive answer in the scriptures, the Bible Dictionary and comments by Bruce R. McConkie quoted in the New Era magazine offer a useful perspective: "The term Wise Men, as used in the King James Version of the Bible, is translated from the Greek word magoi. Magoi, usually rendered as magi in English, is actually Persian in origin and refers to priests in Persia’s ancient religion. Given this use of the word magi, some scholars think the Wise Men were likely priests in a Persian religious sect. However, Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated in his Doctrinal New Testament Commentary: “To suppose they were members of the apostate religious cult of the Magi of ancient Media and Persia is probably false. Rather, it would appear they were true prophets, righteous persons like Simeon, Anna, and the shepherds, to whom Deity revealed that the promised Messiah had been born among men” (We Three Kings. New Era. December 2009). "The Bible Dictionary effectively summarizes our beliefs about the Wise Men: “They were righteous men sent on an errand to witness the presence of the Son of God on the earth. … It seems likely that they were representatives of a branch of the Lord’s people somewhere from east of Palestine, who had come, led by the Spirit, to behold the Son of God, and who returned to their people to bear witness that the King Immanuel had indeed been born in the flesh." - We Three Kings. New Era. December 2009
Until I Bring Thee Word
"Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word" (Matthew 2:13). Despite their faith in God and the miraculous manifestations they had witnessed, I imagine Joseph and Mary experienced a certain amount of anxiety regarding their circumstances in Egypt. While the instructions they received from the angel were clear, the timeline was not; they were instructed to stay in Egypt, "untilI bring thee word." This seems like the kind of faith God has asked me to exercise at times on a smaller scale when the ultimate destination and the next step are clear, but the intervening path is not.
Image Credit: Rose Datoc Call, Flight
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