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...
1 Nephi 8 - They Came Forth and Fell Down and Partook of the Fruit of the Tree
"I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit" ( 1 Nephi 8:12). Lehi's motivation to share the blessings of the atonement with his family was based in his personal knowledge of its sweetness. It seems obvious, but if I want to be more effective in teaching my children to know and love God, to repent and keep the commandments, and to love others I need to invest more in doing those things myself.
A little over a year ago I went to a leadership training meeting for church where the speaker encouraged leaders to use real and current examples from their own lives when they were teaching or speaking in church meetings. When we speak from personal experience we are more sincere in our words and more compelling in our message. Stories are the best surrogate for personal experience when we are trying to persuade or motivate others, because it is most likely to help the listener approximate the emotional experience of doing it themselves.
I think it is easy to assume that those who are outwardly happy or active in the church do not need guidance or nourishment. But we all need the help, instruction, and invitations of others to find and enjoy the full blessings of the atonement and the gospel. Nephi, Sam, and Sariah were all faithful and valiant, but when Lehi saw them in his vision, "they stood as if they knew not whither they should go" (1 Nephi 8:14). If personal vicarious narratives help motivate others to take action, clear instructions teach them what to do and how. In his dream, Lehi "beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit" (1 Nephi 8:15). Leading by example, especially at home, cannot be a the expense of explicit instruction. In order for Lehi's righteous family members to enjoy the blessings of the atonement, Lehi had to get their attention and tell them exactly what they needed to do.
Lately I've been studying for a math class I'm taking, and occasionally the girls will wake up early and see my sitting at the desk with my notebooks and laptop. I talk to them about what I am studying and why, and I hold a certain amount of hope that this will help them be interested in math in the future. But even if my children see me studying every day. Even if they frequently hear me talking about how interesting and important math is, they will never be able to use the chain rule to take the partial derivative of a multivariate function unless someone explicitly tells them how.
While many were lost in their pursuit of the tree of life, there were a few that "came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree" (1 Nephi 8:30). I love the added detail in this account that those who found the tree "fell down" and partook of the fruit. Elsewhere in the Book of Mormon, the phrase to "fall down" is almost always associated with worshipping Jesus Christ. Thinking of the tree as the love of God, Christ's atonement is the fruit or natural product of God's love. "For God so love the world that he sent his only begotten son that whosoever should believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). It is through worshipping Jesus Christ that we available ourselves of all the blessings the God has in store for us.
Click on the link to read my previous post on 1 Nephi 8
1 Nephi 9 - That There Should Be an Account Engraven of the Ministry of My People
I've never realized before that there is some ambiguity in Nephi's reasons for keeping two records--one a spiritual record and the other a political history. Whenever i've read 1 Nephi 9 in the past, I lumped the two together and assumed that Nephi was ignorant of God's wise purposes for the Book of Mormon in general. But taking a closer look, it seems like Nephi did know the reason he was commanded to keep the spiritual record. He said, "I have received a commandment of the Lord that I should make these plates (meaning the small plates, or the spiritual record), for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry of my people" (1 Nephi 9:3). Nephi had an intuitive sense that recording events in the spiritual ministry of his people would be valuable to future generations.
But when it came to "the other plates" or the political history, which "are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people," Nephi accepted the commandment on faith (1 Nephi 9: 4). "Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates (meaning the large plates, or the political history) for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not" (1 Nephi 9:5). I have been similarly confused about the value of recording battle scenes and political strife in the Book of Mormon. Getting through the war chapters of Alma always feels like a slog to me. But God's "wise purpose" for recording those things remains. As far as I can gather so far, the long arc of the Nephites' political history illuminates the pride cycle and highlights metaphorical lessons for us in our day. The struggles and eventual of the Nephites teach us to live righteously and have faith in God, to avoid materialism and pride, to care for the poor and the needy, and to insist on ethical government.
Click on the link to read my previous post on 1 Nephi 9
1 Nephi 10 - All Mankind Were in a Lost and in a Fallen State
Lehi recounted the many testimonies of the prophets that "the Lord God raise up among the Jews—even a Messiah, or, in other words, a Savior of the world" (1 Nephi 10:4). I found it interesting that he also spoke at length about John the Baptist and the scattering and gathering of Israel.
It seems obvious why the scattering of Israel would be relevant to Lehi and his family. Lehi's family was one of the scattered branches, and understood that "we should be led with one accord into the land of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth" (1 Nephi 10:13).
What is less obvious is why it was important for Lehi and his family to know about John the baptist. Lehi's posterity would never see or hear the words of John the Baptist directly. John's role to herald the arrival of the Savior was critical for the Jews in Israel at the time of Christ's life and ministry, but the people of the America's received many different signs to signal the coming of the Messiah. Why would it be important for the people of American to know that Christ would be preceded by John the Baptist who would baptize Him?
The common theme between the gathering of Israel and the role of John the Baptist is redemption. Lehi taught that not only would the Jews be scattered, but "all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer" (1 Nephi 10:6). Baptism is the first saving ordinance that helps us covenant with God and overcome the effects of the fall, and John was central in setting that example by baptizing the Savior. Lehi and his family did not need know about John the Baptist to point to the Christ's literal coming, but to his eternal saving power. The importance of this saving power transcends time and place and is relevant to all people, because we all have need of a Redeemer.
Lehi's revelation about the scattering of Israel came with a promise that "according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance" (1 Nephi 10:3). This promise is not only literally true for the House of Israel; it is figuratively true for every person who choses to come unto Christ.
Click on the link to read my previous post on 1 Nephi 10
Image Credit: Tree of Life, by Kazuto Uota of Osaka, Japan, 1990.
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