Day 11 - Jacob 6-7; Enos 1;, Jarom 1; Omni 1; Words of Mormon 1; D&C 41-44

[pam]

Discussion

[pam]

In Jacob 6:4 it discusses God stretching forth his hands. I recently read where this can have two meanings. Either stretching forth his hands to show his unending love for us or stretching forth his hands in judgment. In this scripture it is for the former.

Jacob 6:5. We have always learned that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, might and strength. The scriptures have taught us that Heavenly Father has no interest in those that come to him with reservations or qualifications.

John Taylor

“In regard to the work in which we are engaged, we all feel to a certain extent interested therein, and there are many points that it will be necessary for us to reflect upon. One is, that it is ‘not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’ And it is for us to square our lives according to the principles laid down for all of us…and for every man to magnify his calling with singleness of heart before God, and to feel that God demands of us righteousness, truth and integrity in our hearts; that we cleave unto him, observe his laws and keep his commandments; and if we do this, then the blessings of which we have heard are ours; if we do not we shall not possess them.” (Conference Reports, Apr. 1880, p. 30)

To me that clearly is contrary to those that say we must only "accept Christ" to be saved. We must also do His will.

Jacob 6:8 is describing the sons of perdition.

The language of this chapter is reminiscent of the language used in DC 76 to describe the sons of Perdition. To make a mock of the great plan of redemption is similar to the phrase in DC 76, having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame (DC 76:35). Both phrases describe a disdain for the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The reward for both groups is the lake of fire and brimstone.

Jacob 6:10

Here he talks about the lake of fire and brimstone.

The lake of fire and brimstone is so frequently talked about in the Book of Mormon that it would be a mistake if the reader thought this phrase is used literally. The interpretation is figurative as the teachings of Joseph Smith clarify.

Joseph Smith

“A man is his own tormenter and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.357)

After reading Joseph Smith' comment, it reminds me of what I've been taught since my youth. That knowing that we could have had a higher degree of glory if only we had repented and sought after the Lord will be an endless torment in the next life.

Edited July 12, 2009 by pam

[pam]

Jacob 7 describes the anti-Christ. In this chapter he talks about Sherem..one of the Anti-Christs during this time.

The Book of Mormon describes the actions and teachings of three anti-Christs: 1) Sherem, 2) Nehor (Alma 1), and 3) Korihor (Alma 30). The inclusion of their actions and teachings are instructive to us because so many of their false doctrines are prevalent today. Robert L. Millet describes the nature of an Anti-Christ:

“President Ezra Taft Benson has instructed that ‘the Book of Mormon brings men to Christ through two basic means’:

“First, it tells in a plain manner of Christ and His gospel. It testifies of is divinity and of the necessity for a Redeemer and the need of our putting trust in Him. It bears witness of the Fall and the Atonement and the first principles of the gospel, including our need of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and a spiritual rebirth. It proclaims we must endure to the end in righteousness and live the moral life of a Saint.

“Second, the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ. It confounds false doctrines and lays down contention. (See 2 Nephi 3:12.) It fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies, and doctrines of the devil in our day. The type of apostates in the Book of Mormon is similar to the type we have today. God, with his infinite foreknowledge, so molded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious, and philosophical concepts of our time (3; emphasis added).

“Jacob ends a lengthy recitation of and a brief commentary on the allegory of Zenos by pleading with his readers to receive and pay heed to the words of the prophets and traverse carefully that gospel path which is strait and narrow. ‘Finally,’ he concludes, ‘I bid you farewell, until I shall meet you before, the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the wicked with awful dread and fear’ (Jacob 6:13). This would appear to be a farewell statement, an indication to the reader that Jacob had initially planned to close his record at that point. Subsequently, however, he had an experience worthy of inclusion in a record which would come forth to a cynical and highly secular world--his encounter with Sherem the anti-Christ.

Portrait of an Anti-Christ

“There are certain characteristics of an anti-Christ, certain patterns of belief and practice which we might expect to find among those, like Sherem, who are bent upon overthrowing the doctrine of Christ. Some of these are as follows:

1) They Deny the Need for Jesus Christ…(Each characteristic is discussed in detail)

2) They Use Flattery to Win Disciples…

3) They Accuse the Brethren of Teaching False Doctrine…

4) They Have a Limited View of Reality…

5) They Have a Disposition to Misread and Thereby Misrepresent the Scriptures…

6) They are Sign Seekers…”

(Robert L. Millett, Book of Mormon Symposium Series, edited by PR Cheesman, MS Nyman, and CD Tate, Jr., 1988, p. 175-81)

[pam]

A tribute to Jacob from Jeffrey R. Holland:

Jeffrey R. Holland

“Jacob, the believer. Jacob, the foe of the anti-Christ. Jacob, the unshakable. By definition all Book of Mormon prophets had great faith and were unyielding in their convictions. All had a deep witness of the mission and divinity of Christ. But in a life only sketchily documented (Jacob’s teachings are limited to thirty-one pages in the Book of Mormon, and many of those are devoted to the quotations of other prophets), and although he considers his contribution to the Book of Mormon to be small (see Jacob 7:27), nevertheless this prophet comes to us in word and deed as absolutely rocklike, solid, invincible, unshakable.

“Indeed it is Jacob, at least as much as any other in the Book of Mormon, to whom Helaman’s great declaration applies: ‘Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall’ (Helaman 5:12)…

“Another element of Jacob’s steadfastness is the fact that such concern for the salvation of both immediate and extended family has created in him a kind of special sensitivity to-or more accurately a deep aversion to-the temptations of the world and the serious effects of sin. His forthright response is evoked even when the people were only beginning to labor in sin, when their ‘thoughts’ were unholy even though in behavior and performance they were still obedient to the commandments Jacob had given them (see Jacob 2:4–5).

“As one student of Jacob has counted, of the seventeen times such phrases as ‘grieveth me’ and ‘burdeneth my soul’ are used in the entire Book of Mormon, eleven of those utterances are by Jacob.” (Heroes From the Book of Mormon, pp. 33-38)

[pam]

Jacob 7:27 Brethren, adieu.

The student of the Book of Mormon should be aware that this translation by Joseph Smith has been frequently criticized. The detractor says, “how can Joseph Smith use this French word (adieu) in an English translation?” They use this as an example of a mistake in the Book of Mormon. It is ironic for them to criticize the last word of the book of Jacob when the rest of the book is filled with the words of Christ. If the doctrine of Christ wasn’t enough, the book contains the beautiful and obviously inspired allegory of the olive tree. For someone to read all these things and then complain about a term which was obviously used colloquially in Joseph Smith’s day is remarkable. These detractors probably sympathized with Sherem because they serve the same master.

“It is interesting to note that there is a Hebrew word Lehitra ‘ot, which has essentially the same meaning in Hebrew as the word adieu has in French. Both of these words are much more than a simple farewell; they include the idea of a blessing.” (Daniel Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Book of Mormon, p.163)

[pam]

Book of Enos. Here he talks about how he prayed mightily that his sins ube forgiven. He prayed all day and into the night.

Spencer W. Kimball

“How much do you pray, my young friends? How often? How earnestly? If you should have errors in your life, have you wrestled before the Lord? Have you found your deep forest full of solitude? How much has your soul hungered? How deeply have your needs impressed your heart? When did you kneel before your Maker in total quiet? For what did you pray-your own soul? How long did you thus plead for recognition-all day long? And when the shadows fell, did you still raise your voice in mighty prayer, or did you liquidate it with some trite word and phrase?

“As you struggle in the spirit and cry mightily and covenant sincerely, the voice of the Lord God will come into your mind, as it did to that of Enos, Thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blest. (Enos 1:5.)” (BYU Speeches of the Year, Oct. 11, 1961, p. 9)

[pam]

Interesting about the book of Omni.

Omni is the first “wicked man” to be custodian of the plates. His forefathers all kept the commandments of the Lord. The book of Omni is unlike any other book in the Book of Mormon. It is written by five different men: 1) Omni, 2) Amaron, 3) Chemish, 4) Abinadom, and 5) Amaleki. The first four authors write no more than 11 verses. Yet the book of Omni covers a time period of 230 years, from 361 BC to about 130 BC. This is the era of Nephite history which remains a great mystery. We know that they lived in the land of Nephi, that they had many wars and contentions, and that the kings kept the secular history on the large plates of Nephi (v. 11). But we don’t have any prophecies, history, social developments, missionary efforts, or new revelations to speak of.

[pam]

Words of Mormon:

The Nephites kept two sets of records, each called the plates of Nephi. On the large plates of Nephi they recorded their secular history, and on the small plates of Nephi they recorded primarily their sacred history (see 1 Nephi 9:2–4).

Nephi did not make the small plates until the Lord told him to do so, some thirty years after Lehi’s colony had left Jerusalem (see 2 Nephi 5:28–31). Nephi did not understand why he was to make a second set of records, but he had faith that it was “for a wise purpose in him [the Lord], which purpose I know not” (1 Nephi 9:5). Nearly a thousand years later, the prophet Mormon echoed words similar to Nephi’s when he testified that along with his abridgment of large plates of Nephi he was including the small plates of Nephi “for a wise purpose” (Words of Mormon 1:7).

Joseph Smith started the translation of the Book of Mormon with Mormon’s abridgment of the large plates of Nephi. He had completed 116 manuscript pages when Martin Harris pleaded with Joseph to let

him take the manuscript and show it to family members. Joseph pleaded with the Lord and eventually

Martin’s request was granted. The manuscript fell into the hands of wicked men (see D&C 10:8) and became known as the “Lost Manuscript.” The loss of the manuscript makes it apparent why the Lord commanded Nephi and Mormon to do what they did. Joseph Smith was told not to retranslate the portion he had already completed, but to translate the small plates of Nephi (see vv. 30, 38–45).

“The Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his

works among the children of men” (1 Nephi 9:6). The Lord inspired Nephi and Mormon to do the necessary things that would allow his work to be accomplished by Joseph Smith, even though they were all separated from each other by hundreds of years.

Edited July 12, 2009 by pam

[pam]

D&C 41:5

5 He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you;

Again as I mentioned in an earlier post..you can't just say you accept Christ and expect to be saved merely by that.

[pam]

D&C 42:30-35 discusses the Law of Consecration

“In this revelation the Law of Consecration is stated definitely as the law on which the New Jerusalem is to be built. This law is given for the benefit of the poor, for the building of Zion and the work of ministry. . . . Through this celestial law (Consecration the Saints are to become the covenant people of the Lord. We cannot enter into the fulness of the covenants pertaining to Zion until we have reached the point where we can live such a divine law.

Those who cannot abide the law of tithing cannot partake of this law of consecration, or the higher law and they will be deprived of an inheritance when the inheritances are divided.” (Smith,

Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:185; see also Enrichment L.)

[pam]

D&C 43 Some historical background:

Five months prior, the New York saints had been deceived by the false claims of Hiram Page (see Background for section 28). With the Prophet's arrival to Kirtland, he would find Satan trying to deceive the Kirtland saints with the imagined revelations of one Mrs. Hubble.

Joseph Smith

Soon after the foregoing revelation was received (D&C 42), a woman came making great pretensions of revealing commandments, laws and other curious matters; and as almost every person has advocates for both theory and practice, in the various notions and projects of the age, it became necessary to inquire of the Lord. (History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1: 154.)

John Whitmer

About these days there was a woman by the name of Hubble who professed to be a prophetess of the Lord and professed to have many revelations, and knew the Book of Mormon was true, and that she should become a teacher in the Church of Christ. She appeared very sanctimonious and deceived some who were not able to detect her in her hypocrisy: others however had the spirit of discernment, and her follies and abominations were made manifest. The Lord gave revelation that the Saints might not be deceived which reads as follows: (See D&C 43).

After this commandment was received, the saints came to understanding on this subject, and unity and harmony prevailed throughout the Church of God: and the Saints began to learn wisdom, and treasure up knowledge which they learned from the word of God, and by experience as they advanced in the way of eternal life.

[pam]

DC 43:3 there is none other appointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations

James E. Faust

The Prophet Joseph Smith stated that “it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church … to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves.”

In addition, some have claimed higher spiritual gifts or authority outside the established priesthood authority of the Church. They say that they believe in the principles and ordinances of the gospel and accept the President of the Church as the legal administrator thereof, but claim they have a higher order which the President does not have. This is often done to justify an activity which is not in accordance with the doctrines of the Church. There can be no higher order, however, because the President of the Church both holds and exercises all of the keys of the kingdom of God on earth. The Lord has said of the President of the Church “that none else shall be appointed [to receive commandments and revelations] except it be through him.”

[KeithLBrown]

O be wise; what can I say more? - Jacob 6:12

These words of great counsel from the prophet Jacob to the people of his day are also words of counsel to us as we go about our day-to-day lives in the world in which we live. "O be wise" are just three small words, but they are words that can help guide us in the direction that we should go as we are faced with trials, temptations, and decisions which we must make. Often the decisions that we make do not affect merely our own lives, but the lives of others as well.

Elder M. Russell Ballard gave an excellent talk based on Jacob 6:12 entitled "O Be Wise" during the October 2006 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What follows are a few excerpts from that talk (Ensign, Nov 2006, 17–20):

Those of you who are parents and grandparents have a sense of what Jacob must have been feeling at the time. He loved his people, partly because they were also his family. He had taught them as clearly as he could and with all the energy of his soul. He warned them in no uncertain terms what would happen if they chose not to "enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow" (Jacob 6:11). He couldn’t think of anything else to say to warn, to urge, to inspire, to motivate. And so he, simply and profoundly, said, "O be wise; what can I say more?"

The Lord in His infinite wisdom has designed His Church to operate with a lay ministry. That means we have been charged to watch over one another and to serve one another. We are to love one another as our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ love us. Our callings and circumstances change from time to time, providing us with different and unique opportunities to serve and to grow. Most of the leaders and teachers in the Church are anxiously engaged in fulfilling their responsibilities. Some are less effective than others—it is true; but almost always there is sincere effort to provide meaningful gospel service.

Occasionally we find some who become so energetic in their Church service that their lives become unbalanced. They start believing that the programs they administer are more important than the people they serve. They complicate their service with needless frills and embellishments that occupy too much time, cost too much money, and sap too much energy. They refuse to delegate or to allow others to grow in their respective responsibilities.

As a result of their focusing too much time and energy on their Church service, eternal family relationships can deteriorate. Employment performance can suffer. This is not healthy, spiritually or otherwise. While there may be times when our Church callings require more intense effort and unusual focus, we need to strive to keep things in proper balance. We should never allow our service to replace the attention needed by other important priorities in our lives. Remember King Benjamin’s counsel: "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength" (Mosiah 4:27).

Today is in many ways like Jacob’s day. My counsel is like unto his: "Repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you" (Jacob 6:5). Brothers and sisters, be wise with your families. Be wise in fulfilling your Church callings. Be wise with your time. Be wise in balancing all of your responsibilities. O be wise, my beloved brothers and sisters. What can I say more?

[Seanette]

I doubt I’ll get to day 12 today, but I still have enough steam for this reading (on 7/14). The cat seems to think I’ve done enough, too. He was good about letting me focus on the first two chunks I did today, but has been pretty pesky for this one.

Jacob 5 – Zenos’ allegory of the olive trees and the Lord of the vineyard. What really struck me most was that the Lord was ready to give up at several points, but the pleas of His servants persuaded Him to grant additional chances.

Jacob 6 – Jacob explains the allegory and urges repentance.

Jacob 7 – Sherem preaches against Christ, draws many away with flattering preaching, and seeks a confrontation with Jacob. Sherem has a great deal of worldly learning and talent for speaking. Jacob tells of Divine manifestations he has experienced. Sherem demands a sign and is smitten. The next day, dying, he repudiates his prior teaching and confesses to having been deceived by Satan. He dies, and the people he led astray repent. Brief mention of wars between Nephites and Lamanites (pretty much an ongoing condition in this time period). Jacob, knowing he is near death, passes the records to his son, Enos.

Enos – He spends a whole day and into the night praying for remission of his sins, and obtains it by his faith in Christ. He pleads with the Lord on behalf of the Lamanites. The Lord covenants with Enos that the records will be preserved to benefit the Lamanites in the future. The Lamanites at this time are savage and indolent, while the Nephites are industrious farmers. There are many prophets at this time, who must preach and prophesy of harsh things to reach a stiff-necked people.

Jarom – He receives the records from his father, Enos. The Nephites keep the Law of Moses while looking forward to Christ. More Lamanite wars. The Nephites prosper. Prophets labor to keep the people on the right path. Jarom passes the plates to his son, Omni.

Omni – The records pass from him to his son, Amaron, who tells of the destruction of the more wicked part of the Nephites. Amaron passes the plates to his brother, Chemish, who passes them to his son, Abinadom (who mentions more wars). Abinadom passes the records along to his son, Amaleki, who has more to say than any other contributor in this book. Amaleki tells of Mosiah, who fled the land of Nephi. He and his group found the land of Zarahemla. Mosiah has the brass plates of Laban. The people of Zarahemla had left Jerusalem during the reign of King Zedekiah, and having no Scriptural records, did not know of God. Mosiah taught them his language and the Gospel, and was made king when his group merged with the people of Zarahemla. Mosiah translates an engraved stone that tells of Coriantumr, the last of the Jaredites. Amaleki speaks of King Benjamin succeeding King Mosiah, and says that the new king is righteous, so since Amaleki has no heir, he plans to pass the records to Benjamin. Amaleki exhorts all to come to Christ. He mentions two expeditions to the land of Nephi, one failed, the fate of the other (including Amaleki’s brother) unknown. The plates are now full.

Section 41 – Elders are to govern the Church by the spirit of revelation. True disciples receive and keep the law, others will be cast out. Edward Partridge is called as the first bishop in the Church.

Section 42 – Another major section of the law of the Church. Elders are to preach, baptize, build the Church, and preach from the Scriptures. They must be called and ordained, to teach and prophesy by the power of the Spirit. The Saints are to abide by the Ten Commandments. The Law of Consecration is set forth. The sick are to be healed by priesthood administrations and by faith. The Scriptures govern the Church and are to be proclaimed to the world. The site of the New Jerusalem and the mysteries of the kingdom to be revealed at the appropriate time. Consecrated properties are to be used to provide for the full-time officers of the Church. Laws regarding major sins and confession are given.

Section 43 – Another time when the Lord had to explain to the early Church the line of authority for revelation and doctrine (seems that the Hiram Page affair would have gotten that point across). The Saints are sanctified by acting in holiness before God. The elders are sent forth to cry repentance and prepare the people for Christ’s return. The Lord calls on men not only by voice, but by the forces of nature as well. The Millennium and binding of Satan will come.

Section 44 – The elders are to assemble in conference, organize according to the laws of the land, and care for the poor.

Moses 5-6 – Adam and Eve begin having and raising children. Adam serves God (presumably Eve does as well). Cain rebels, and is angered when an improper sacrifice is rejected. He covenants with Satan, becomes Perdition, and kills Abel. Wickedness spreads. The Gospel was preached from the beginning of humanity. Adam and his posterity are literate and keep a book of remembrance in a pure and undefiled language. The righteous among Adam’s posterity preach repentance. God speaks to Enoch and calls him as prophet. Enoch preaches. Adam knew the Plan of Salvation, was baptized, and held the priesthood.