Questions for Review:

1. Why was Jacob so anxious to call his people to repent with such boldness? (Jacob 1:19; 2:2)

2. According to Jacob, under what two conditions is it appropriate to seek riches? (Jacob 2:18-19)

3. Many prophecies and teachings in the Old Testament are very difficult to interpret. Why were they pronounced in such a complicated manner? (Jacob 4:14)

Chronology: 55 years had passed since the departure from Jerusalem, and Jacob becomes the new record-keeper (1)

. By this time, Jacob was at most 47 years of age, whereas Nephi would be an elderly gentlemen at least in his mid- to late-60's

. Nephi must have not only great love but also great respect for his younger brother, Jacob. Notice how Nephi used a lot of space in his plates to engrave the teachings of Jacob; in fact, he gave Jacob's teachings the same treatment he had given to his father's
 

. That also brings us the insight that age is not a major consideration in the kingdom of God. Sam was older than Nephi, yet despite his being faithful he seems to have never exercised faith in the same manner as Nephi, whereas Jacob although much younger did exercise faith to the point of receiving the ministration of angels
. Of course, in addition to faith we must also take into consideration other aspects like: the will of the Lord, foreordination, individual gifts, disposition to serve, etc.

. They were able to enjoy many spiritual gifts

• Believe and come unto Christ
• Partake of his goodness
• Enter into his rest
. Unlike what some people ("couch potatoes" included) may believe, the "rest of the Lord" is the "fulness of his glory" (see D&C 84:24)   Does this definition shed additional light on what one is expected to do on the Sabbath?
• Not rebel against God or provoke him to anger
• View Christ's death
. To View - to examine carefully; to consider with earnest attention or with an attempt to gain wide or overall comprehension; to take under consideration
• Suffer his cross
. To Suffer - to submit to the inflictions or impositions of
• Bear the shame of the world

The law regarding material wealth (18-19)
 

• Before seeking wealth, seek the kingdom
• After receiving a hope in Christ, then one may obtain riches; however ...
• Seek riches to do good
. Material wealth should be seen as a stewardship.  Read D&C 104:13-18; 56:16-18
. Money and other valuable assets are a source of power in many societies. Those who have them in abundance face the tremendous challenge of not allowing themselves to believe that they "own" or "deserve to own" their assets. Such thoughts lead to the greedy rationalizations that prevent one from using material wealth to provide relief to others
. Those people who do not have an abundance of assets must also be careful with waste, greed, and idleness

Do not wound the daughters of the Lord (33)

. Have you noticed how the Lord is so strict in punishing those who abuse His daughters emotionally, physically, etc.?
. That should send a clear message to those who claim that the scriptures are "male-oriented"

Consolation for those afflicted by their enemies (1)

. Notice that the Lord is promising consolation, not instantaneous deliverance from the grasp of one's enemies. Why is that so? Being the Almighty, He could easily release us from evil plots, debilitating diseases, etc.-why doesn't He do that?

Overall, in Jacob's time Lamanite men had a stronger family orientation than Nephite men (5,7)

. We can also suppose that the Lamanite children had a strong sense of obedience to their parents. Their obedience and trust may have helped maintain their hatred towards the Nephites generation after generation.

. Time after time in the Book of Mormon we read about Nephite dissenters who defected to the Lamanite country. However, until the time of Ammon and his brethren (a few centuries later) we never read about Lamanite dissenters joining the Nephites.

. This is a special warning for those of us who have been members of the Church for a long time. Having 5 generations of members of the Church in our pedigree chart or being closely related to a General Authority does not make it any easier to gain a celestial salvation. A new convert baptized today in Lyon (France) or Pusan (Korea) stands as much a chance to gain exaltation as a life-long member.

It was difficult to engrave characters in plates (1)

. It is always good to remind ourselves of how much an effort had to be made by the Nephite-Lamanite record keepers in preparing this record for our benefit in our days. We must try to imagine not only how many hours or days, but also the physical discomfort, the social activities they may have missed, etc.

It is impossible for man to find out all the Lord's ways (8)

. No matter how much we know or think we know about the kingdom of God, its glories and privileges: in mortality there will always be an infinite amount of knowledge yet to be learned (see D&C 121:26-32)

Be reconciled with the Lord through the atonement (11)
 

The ancient Jews wanted difficult things ... and they got them, but not to their salvation (14)

. Can we "look beyond the mark" in our days? Are we in any risk of doing so?

Copyright © 1994-2006 - Marcus H. Martins
This web page was published only as a support for classroom discussion.
For more information, contact Dr. Marcus Martins at: martinsm@byuh.edu