Jacob 1-4

Jacob 1

Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother, takes over as head of the church and keeper of the records. He begins his portion of the record by re-emphasizing his purpose in writing and preaching, which was the same as Nephi’s:

 7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest…

 8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi.

Nephi anoints a new king, and the people choose to honor Nephi by naming all the kings after him Nephi 2, Nephi 3, Nephi 4, etc. Then Nephi dies. The people “loved Nephi exceedingly” because he was a good leader, teacher, and protector of the people.

Jacob tells us there are sub-groups amongst the Nephites and Lamanites called Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. But for simplicity, Jacob will call them all Nephites or Lamanites: “But I, Jacob, shall not hereafter distinguish them by these names, but I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites, or the people of Nephi.” (vs. 14)

Under the reign of the new king the Nephites begin to grow wicked—specifically Jacob tells us the men begin to be unfaithful to their wives, and the people begin to be prideful and focused on acquiring riches. The next two chapters are Jacob’s preaching to the people regarding these sins. These are some good chapters!

Jacob 2

It is interesting to me how Jacob begins his preaching to the people. He wants to share the comforting, uplifting word of God but instead he feels it is necessary on this occasion to reprimand the men for their sins and call them to repentance.

 6 Yea, it grieveth my soul…that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts.

 7 And also it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of speech concerning you, before your wives and your children, many of whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate before God, which thing is pleasing unto God;

 8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.

 9 Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds…

As I mentioned before, there are two primary sins that are prevalent amongst the Nephite men right now that Jacob speaks against. The first is the love of money and the pride that comes from it.

 13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.

 14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.

Jacob goes on to teach that riches are not bad in-and-of-themselves. It is the love of riches and selfishness, entitlement, and pride it leads to. Jacob teaches the proper attitude toward wealth & riches:

 17 Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.

 18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

 19 And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

After teaching the people that they must seek to bless others with their possessions, he moves on to sin #2 which he clearly states is a more serious sin than the first:

22 And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning this pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you. But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes.

 31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.

 32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

35 Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you.

The crime of which he is speaking is infidelity or adultery, and he will dive deeper into this topic in the next chapter.

Jacob 3

Jacob teaches the Nephite men that they are no better than the Lamanites, who don’t even believe in God but are good and faithful to their wives and children. The Nephites know better, and still they are more wicked than the un-believing Lamanites in this very important commandment from God.  

7 Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

The lesson in this is powerful for all of us. How often do we judge or look down on other people for their bad decisions or life styles… when we ourselves are living in ways we know we shouldn’t?

I also appreciate these comforting and uplifting words that Jacob slips in for those who were pure and just seeking for the strength  and healing of the word of God:

 1 But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

 2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.

Jacob 4

Good verses from Chapter 4! Each verse contains an important principle—I think it is especially important to remember verse 10.

4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.

 6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.

 7 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

 10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.