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
Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear One of the greatest manifestations of Christ's love is His use of parables to teach. Parables perfectly balance our level of understanding with our level of preparedness to accept greater accountability. We only understand what we are ready to know and act on. Parables possess nuance, complexity, and multiple layers of meaning. In order to understand parables, we must go through a process of seeking, enjoy a moment of discovery, and rely on the revelatory power of the Spirit. By studying and seeking to overcome our initial confusion when exposed to a new parable, we demonstrate faith and pay the price of admission for increased understanding and responsibility. When new understanding is granted, it is a gift from the Spirit. We remember things to which we attach emotional meaning, and the moment of clarity and discovery we experience when we finally crack the riddle of a parable, accented by feelings of the spirit, serves as an emotional mark