Why Trials Exists: Part I

Understanding the Big Picture

The first place to start when it comes to understanding the purpose behind trials, is to keep the “big-picture” in mind. To do this, let’s look at Moses 1. There, the Lord declares, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Here, we learn that God’s work (and glory) is bringing about our immortality and eternal life. Thus, whatever God does will be connected to this end. Moreover, the end can only be achieved by knowing Christ, since he is the mediator between us and God. 

To bring about this work requires three things: First, that we have been born of God; second, we have to overcome the world by faith; third, we need to be purified, and forth, we need to acquire wisdom (light and truth).  

Born of God 

In order for God to bring about his “work and his glory”, God has to first remove the “natural man” that is within us. As the Book of Mormon teaches us, “the natural man is an enemy to God and has been since the fall of Adam.” Ever since the fall of Adam, man has been an enemy to God. This is the  natural condition and starting place for humans. This condition will last unless we submit to God. God has to break us from this. He does this by breaking us insomuch as to break our selfish desires.

The question then is how do we submit? The answer is by allowing the Lord to break us. For instance, consider the Lord’s instruction to the Nephites when he visited them. In setting forth the requirements for putting off the natural man, he declares, 

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost”

Note that the Lord uses the word sacrifice when speaking of what is required of us. The word sacrifice is fitting because it implies the idea of giving up something of value. Further note that the sacrifice required of us is that of our broken heart and contrite spirit. Thus the Lord requires us to give him a broken heart and contrite spirit. If we do that, he will baptize us with fire and with the Holy Ghost. 

But to fully understand the implications of this passage, we first need to understand two things. First, we need to understand what it means to have a “broken heart and contrite spirit.” Second, we need to understand what it means to be baptized of fire, since this an often misunderstood concept.

Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit

When it comes to understanding what the phrase “broken heart and contrite spirit mean,” it’s first important to consider the culture we’re dealing with in the Book of Mormon.. Here the Lord is speaking to the Nephites. Although the Nephites are living in the Americas, their language and culture derives from Hebrew. Because of this, the Lord would be speaking to them in terms associated with the Hebrew culture. Therefore to fully grasp the meaning of what the Lord is saying, we must turn to Hebrew. 

Having established the need to look at Hebrew, the first thing to note is the meaning of “heart” in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word heart (Lev) often connotes more than just an organ. Instead, the word heart refers to the essence of a person, the core of who one is. Thus, when the Lord says that he will only accept a sacrifice of a broken heart, he essentially is saying that he requires our core self to be broken. 

In furthering understanding this phrase, it’s helpful to consult a dictionary. For us, we want to know what “broken” and “contrite” mean. However, modern dictionaries won’t work because the English of the Book of Mormon is 19th century English, not 21st century. We can, however, consult Webster’s 1828 dictionary for the meaning. Doing so, we get the following definitions.

Broken: Parted by violence; rent asunder; infirm; made bankrupt. 

Contrite: Literally, worn or bruised. Hence, broken-hearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God; humble; penitent

In both definitions, the connotations are clear. To have a broken heart and contrite spirit requires a painful process. To have a broken heart means that our core self must be “rent asunder”-- to be divided into two.

Baptism of Fire

In order for our spirit to be contrite, requires a wearing or bruising of our spirits. This is what the Lord requires of us in order to fully receive the Holy Ghost. The baptism of fire is the mechanism used to provide enough of a wearing or bruising for us to give up our old selves, the natural man/woman, to God. The result of passing through the fire is to fully receive the Holy Ghost.

I say fully receive the Holy Ghost because although we, as LDS members, believe that we’ve received the Holy Ghost after we’ve been baptized, this is not accurate. Elder Bednar, in his talk Receive the Holy Ghost, explains what confirmation and laying on of hands represents. 

The ordinance of confirming a new member of the Church and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost is both simple and profound. Worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders place their hands upon the head of an individual and call him or her by name. Then, by the authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of the Savior, the individual is confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this important phrase is uttered: “Receive the Holy Ghost.” 

The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts.

The key part of this quote is the bolded section. There, Elder Bednar indicates that the gift of the Holy Ghost does not automatically occur once hands are laid upon our heads. Instead, the laying on of hands is merely a priesthood injunction giving us authority to seek to actually receive the Holy Ghost--the real thing. This means that we have to seek it. And, as outlined above, to obtain it requires us to sacrifice to the Lord a broken heart and contrite spirit.

Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost are not interchangeable, but are separate events [Notice that the Lord, in 3 Nephi 8, says baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost]. Before we receive the Holy Ghost, we must endure the fire. The breaking of our hearts -- the breaking of the natural. Fire in the scriptures represents purification. But it also represents trials and challenges. These two work together. The challenge/trial is the thing that purifies us.

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3). 

Thus baptism of fire is baptism through trial. And this is because the trial, which humbles us, is able to purify us. And the reason we have to go through a trial by fire is so that our will is broken. And by being broken, the Spirit of God can inhabit us. Trial (of whatever kind) causes us to forget ourselves so that we can recognize that we are nothing compared to God. (see Mosiah 4 & 5). And by doing so, the Spirit is then able to fully occupy our body. 

But before concluding here, I want to address another aspect of what Elder Bednar said -- the “attendant spiritual gifts.” In the quote above, Elder Bendar said that we are to live so that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost and its attendant spiritual gifts.” This means that when one truly receives the Holy Ghost, the reception is manifested through spiritual gifts. The question for us is what are spiritual gifts that attend receiving the Holy Ghost? Since having those gifts would be a helpful indication to know whether we have received the Holy Ghost or not. 

Attendant Spiritual Gifts

Doctrine and Covenants 84 tell us what these gifts are. It states that the following signs shall follow them who are baptized of fire. 

1. Do many wonderful works (v. 66) 2. Cast out devils (v. 67) 3. Heal the sick (v. 68) 4. Open the eyes of the blind and cause people to hear (v. 69) 5. Won't be hurt by poison (either by men or from serpents) (v. 71-72)

Additionally, another sign of receiving the Baptism of Fire is that whatever we ask for will be given to us. (see Moses 6:52). 

Based on this, the one way to know whether you’ve received the Baptism of Fire is to determine whether you have any of the mentioned gifts and whether whatever you ask for in prayer is given to you. 

The significance of being baptized by fire and receiving the Holy Ghost is that we become new creatures -- born again. Having giving up ourselves, our desires, and joys, for that of God, we have now relinquished the natural man (or in Pauline terms “the flesh’) and receive the Spirit. Our desires and interests have changed from the world, to that of heaven. This is what it means to be a son of God. 

If you haven’t, this trial could be just the thing to break you so that you can receive the Holy Ghost. If you have, then your trial is not pushing to break you but to sanctify you through faith. This leads to the next purpose of trials -- increasing faith. 

In the next part, I'll explain how trials increase our faith, purify us, and grant us wisdom.

Commentary for Book of Mormon: Enos - Words of Mormon

The Book of Enos 

Intro to the Book of Enos

Throughout this blog series, I've sought to show how the Book of Mormon teaches us how to come unto God. This is not to discount the Bible. But the Bible's weakness comes through its alterations that has removed the plainness of the gospel from its pages. The Book of Mormon's value comes by how plainly and clearly it teaches the principles of the gospel. This is why a careful study of it is so crucial.

Although we read and discuss it in church, many of the discussion are either too superficial (e.g., focusing one verse out-of-context) or the interpretation of the passage is incorrect. And because we haven't taken a deep study of the Book of Mormon, we ignore these mis-readings and often adopt the interpretation into our own understanding. Thus as time progresses, we continue to adopt misinformation into our understanding of the gospel, thereby missing out what the Book of Mormon is trying to really teach us.

The writers of the Book of Mormon have a different status from the vast majority of us -- they saw and interacted with God. Thus their writings come from their experience with the divine. Their writings strive to teach us how we can have the same relationship as they did. But we can only do that if we correctly understand what they are saying. If we misinterpret, we may miss the necessary principles that will give us greater access to the divine.

The Book of Enos is one of those books which we misinterpret time and time again. Most interpretations I've heard tend to gloss over the significance of Enos' experience. They read about his receiving a remission of his sins and assume that he simply asked for forgiveness. The interpretations then lightly touch on Enos' change of heart after his experience -- never getting past the surface.

Thus the purpose of this commentary of the Book of Enos is an attempt to dig deeper into what Enos is trying to teach us. By doing so, hopefully we can better comprehend our attitude as we seek to walk back into God's presence.

Verse 1: My Father Was A Just Man. Enos explains to his reader that his father is a just man.

Verse 2: The Wrestle With God

Enos teaches us about how he received a remission of his sins. He writes,

2 And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
3 Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart.
4 And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

Let's break down what Enos is teaching us.

The Wrestle and Hunger 

Enos tells us that he had to wrestle with God before he could receive a remission of his sins. Recall the post on the Doctrine of Christ. In that post, we learned that the remission of sins occurs when a person has been baptized of fire.

17 ... For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. (2 Nephi 31)

Enos describes this experience as a wrestle. Of course Enos is using this term metaphorically. But it's a worthwhile term to explore. To wrestle implies a struggle. It implies work and effort. It also  suggests for Enoch that the thing he was wrestling with God for was not easy to obtain. And so it is when we seek after God. Many people are under the impression that they're saved because they keep the commandments and try and do good things. But Enos' account suggests that seeking after God requires much effort and work. It requires us to serve him with our "heart, mind, and strength", leaving nothing on the table.

Enos sought for his baptism of fire. In order to receive it, he had to struggle through it. This is because the only way to receive one's baptism of fire and thus a remission of sins, is to exercise complete and absolute faith in the Lord. We have to be willing to give our entire lives to him. Showing to God that we are willing to give up our lives is not easy. And God will not be mocked. Instead, he will see how badly we want it.

Do we want God as much as we want air? That's the question we must ask ourselves. Are we really committed to serve God in all things? Our we willing to have his Spirit enter us and radically shape how we view the world? Are we ready for our false reality to be expose -- piece by piece? This is what is required. And to get there is a wrestle.

In verse 4, Enos describes his desire as a hunger. This description is apt. His hunger for the Lord was accompanied by dedicated action. He "cried...in mighty pray and supplication for his own soul...all the day long" even until night.

Like a person who is hungry and who will not stop until his hunger is satisfied, so too is the person who is seeking after God. David's statement in the Pslams is worth considering:

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” (Pslams 62: 1) 

Despite David’s own shortcomings, the imagery of thirst in a desert is a fitting one. When one is thirsty, satisfying one's thirst is the primary objective--every other concern falls to the wayside.  Thirsting for God is the same thing: our sole objective, pun intended, is to seek after God with all effort until our thirst is satisfied. For he as promised, all who seek after him shall find him.

Until we have this attitude and this kind of desire, we will never find him and receive what he has promised to give.

To further stress this point, consider Psalm 42

1 As the hart [deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? (Pslams 42: 1-3)

The duration of the wrestle depends on the person. Some, like Enos, had the endurance to pray all night until he received a remission of his sins. Alma's took about 3 days. Others might take longer. And the reason for this is that God has to change your character first, before you can receive him. It might be that your desires are too much on the world and not on him. If so, God may first have to remove your stumbling block before he can grant you a remission of sins. But regardless of the reason, the key is to push forward until you receive it.

This is what Enos did. And according to the Lord's promise, he received a remission of his sins. The same conditions apply to you.

Verse 5: There Came A Voice to Me

Enos' knew that he received a remission of his sins, because he received a witness of it. This is how God works. There is no guessing. Although the experience for each person will vary, the person who is baptized by fire and receives a remission of sins will know that something has happened. For some, the experience might be like the Lamanites in Helaman 5 who were literally surrounded by fire. For others, it could be more akin to Enos who hears the voice of the Lord.

Joseph Smith taught:

The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure intelligence. (TPSJ, pg 149-150). 

 The Encyclopedia of Mormonism teaches

The baptism of fire, ministered by the Holy Ghost, is manifested through a set of personal sensations, impressions, and insights that constitute a spiritual witness from deity that one has received a remission of sin https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Baptism_of_Fire_and_the_Holy_Ghost 

Verse 9 - 10: When I Heard These Words 

One of the greatest indicators of knowing that one has been baptized of fire is that one's desires for the welfare of others increases. After Enos received a remission of his sins, his heart turned towards the Nephites and did pray for them, struggling in spirit.  Enos does this because this is the natural result of being born again.  When we are born again, we receive of God's spirit, which Spirit is love.  This infusion of love fills us with God's love and in turn we desire for other's to experience it as well.  After all, love must be shared for it to be truly enjoyed. 

As a side note: notice how Enos' has described his interactions with the Lord thus far. Each interaction is a struggle. A wrestle of some sorts.

Verses 11-15: Prayed With Many Long Strugglings

Progressive Change of Heart 

As Enos' desire for the Nephites increases and as he prays for them, he then turns to pray for the Lamanites -- his enemy. A careful reading of this passage shows that Enos' praying for the Lamanites didn't happen overnight. Instead, it was a growth and process. He first prayed for the Nephites and received a promise from the Lord, making his faith unshakable. And after some time of praying for the Lamanites with many long struggling, he received further answers from the Lord according to his desire.

Enos explains that his desire was for the Lord to preserve a record of the Nephites so that the Lamanites might receive it and be saved.

This is the purpose of the baptism of fire. Having received his baptism of fire, he received the Holy Ghost, which cleansed his spirit allowing him to receive a remission of sins. Being a clean vessel, the Holy Ghost is able to dwell with him. As the Holy Ghost dwells with him, he changes Enos' heart overtime, making him more compassionate and interested in the welfare of others. Enos' first desire was for the Nephites. But over time, as Enos' prayed and sought for more, the Spirit changed his heart to turn his attention to the Lamanites. Enos is now beyond most people. He is now praying earnestly for his enemies and their welfare.

Increase of Faith 

In addition to his progressive change of heart, Enos also grows in faith. Enos' faith grows through these verses as he receives more promises from the Lord.

Enos' faith becomes unshaken after he prayed to the Lord in behalf of the Nephites (verse 10). He received a promise that the Lord will visit the Nephites according to their diligence. Having this promise, Enos now has greater confidence that the Lord will respond to him. Based on this confidence, he beings to pray and labor diligently so that he might receive more promises. And this he gets in verse 12. The promise in verse 12 is that the Lord will grant unto Enos according to his desires.

Having this promise, Enos then knows that the Lord will grant him according to Enos' desire. Knowing this and having an assurance, he then desires for the wellbeing of the Lamanites. He prays "that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation..."

Enos knows that the Lord can do preserve the records because he knows that the Lord will grant him whatever he desires. And Enos desires the records of his people to be preserved. Praying unto the Lord, Enos now receives a covenant (not a promise) the Lord would bring the records forth to the Lamanites in "his own due time."

And because the Lord covenanted with Enos, Enos could rest. For the covenant would be honored.

Verse 19: Testifying of the Things Which I Had Heard and Seen. Those who are converted and receive witnesses from the Lord are then expected to testify of what they've witnessed.

Verse 22: Exceedingly Many Prophets Among Us.

Today we believe that there are 15 prophet, seers, and revelators. But can/are there be more? Remember that those who are witnesses of Christ are prophets. The answer then is yes. Those who are witnesses of Christ are prophets. They might not be leaders of the Church, but being a prophet doesn't necessarily mean that one is a leader or General Authority. It simply means that one bears witness of his or her [Deborah, the flame bearer from  Judges, was a prophetess; same with Isaiah's wife] actual knowledge of Christ.

Moreover, if there were only to be 15 prophets, and nothing more, then why does Enos' say "exceedingly many prophets"? 15 is clearly not an exceedingly high number. For an amount to be exceedingly means "to a very great degree; in a degree beyond what is usual; greatly; very much." Exceedingly many then would have to be more than 15.

Enos is telling us that there were many during his time who were witnesses of Christ. If so, what blessing it was to have been alive in this period. I imagine that many prophets went about teaching and testifying of Christ, sharing their witness of him and helping others to receive the same.

The Book of Jarom 

Jarom, Enos' son, is the next person in line to record his account.

Verses 3-4: This people.

Jarom discussed two different categories of people. The first category, mentioned in verse 4, are those who have a stiff neck and blind mind. The second are those who receive many revelations and do not have a stiff neck. It's worthwhile to explore these two groups in depth. Below I break them down

The Stiffnecked Group

Let's track each description that Jarom uses. Each description he uses is intentionally done to point out a defect in their spiritual character.

• Heard heart: In 1 Nephi 12, we learned that hardness of heart comes from succumbing to temptation. Succumbing to temptation darkens one's spirit, making it harder to accept light. Having a hard heart means that one is resistant to the light God communicates. 
• Deaf Ears: Ears in the scripture are associated with obedience. In fact, the Hebrew word "ear", as in give ear to the word of the Lord, often refers to obedience. One obeys the Lord by giving "ear" to his instructions. Those with deaf ears disobey the Lord. 
• Blind minds: The mind is the gateway to accessing and acquiring light and truth. For one's mind to be blind means that they can't perceive the light. Paul taught that the Satan kept the people from seeing the light because he "blinded" their mind. When Jarom using this expression, he is saying that some of the Nephites could not perceive the light. 
• Stiff necks: To have a stiff neck means that you are not willing to turn you head. A person with a stiff neck is stubborn, unwilling to yield to a different perspective; unwilling to listen -- to turn--to others. 

The Non Stiffnecked Group

The next group are those who receive many revelations. Notice that Jarom says those who are in this category are those who don't have stiff necks. Thus, like Jacob and others, Jarom sees an either or distinction. You either have a stiffneck or you don't. There is no middle ground. For those who don't have a stiffneck, they receive many revelations according to their faith. And this is because they have communion with the Holy Spirit. To have communion is to have a "fellowship; intercourse between two person or more." To be in a state of "state of giving and receiving."

Verse 8: Might Men of Faith. 

Jarom attributes the Nephites ability to withstand the Lamanites to have their having righteous kings and leaders who were able to teach the Nephites the ways of the Lord.

The importance of having righteous leaders is illustrated in the Old Testament. Consider the following verses

2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.
3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.
4 And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 

The Lord tells Jeremiah that he will remove the Jews because of the unrighteousness of their king, Manasseh. The thing that Manasseh did in Jerusalem was re-instituted idol worship, removing the reform and efforts made by his father Hezekiah. The wickedness brought by Manasseh is imputed to the people.

It's also illustrated in the example of King Noah

1 And now it came to pass that Zeniff conferred the kingdom upon Noah, one of his sons; therefore Noah began to reign in his stead; and he did not walk in the ways of his father.
2 For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.
...
5 For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts.
6 Yea, and thus they (the priests) were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.
7 Yea, and they (the people) also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak flattering things unto them.

We'll break these verse down when we come to King Noah. For now, it's worth considering Mormon's account. King Noah's wickedness spread out and infected his people. It's worth pondering why this happens.  

Verses 10-12: Did Labor Diligently.

The work of saving souls requires an all out effort. Often this effort will force us to sacrifice our own interests for the benefit of others. This may mean having to decline a promotion, which although leading to more pay, may lead to more work and less time teaching others. It may mean giving up on a career path so that you can serve others more. As we learn from Sherem's account, the Devil works and labor diligently to lead souls astray. If we expect to have any success, we must do at least what he does if we expect to have any success.

Verses 5 - 12: 238 Years Had Passed Away. Verses 5 through 12 encompass a span of 38 years.

The Book of Omni 

Verse 1: Commanded by my father. Jarom is Omni's father. Jarom gave commands to Omni to record in the plates. As a reminder, records we are readings are recorded on the small plates of Nephi. After Nephi passed, Jacob recorded his account. Enos was next, followed Jarom and Omni. 

Verse 2: Wicked Man. Omni's account is interesting because unlike his progenitors, who were just and holy men, Omni was wicked. Omni further remarks that his life there were "seasons of peace" and "seasons of serious war and bloodshed." Omni passes the record to his son, Amaron. At this time, 282 years had passed away since Lehi left Jerusalem. 

Verses 5-6: More Wicked Were Destroyed. 

Amaron's account that the more wicked part of the Nephites were destroyed is the fulfillment of the Lord's promise to Nephi that those who would not keep the Lord's commands would be destroyed. Further note, that those who were destroyed were the "more wicked part of the Nephites." 

6 For the Lord would not suffer, after he had led them out of the land of Jerusalem and kept and preserved them from falling into the hands of their enemies, yea, he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land. (Omni 1) 

When the Lord judges a people, his judgment is typically reserved for the more wicked part. Why? Because they are past the point of repenting. This doesn't mean that they can't repent. It means that they won't repent. For this group, there is nothing that the Lord can do to help them. Therefore, he must remove them. 

Zeno's allegory in Jacob 5 is helpful for understanding why the Lord does this. It's because wickedness is contagious. And gross wickedness, left without correction, will poison all the other fruit in the vineyard. The Lord's act then of removing the more wicked (those who are ripe in iniquity) is, in all reality, and act of love. After all, if the Lord permitted the more wicked to remain, they would affect the righteous and also affect the wicked population. They would be a cancer to the body of Christ. And just like physicians seek to eradicate malignant cancer from one's body, so it is with the more wicked in society. Allowed to stay, their influence will metastasize and destroy the body. The Lord can't allow this. 

And the reason why the Lord will preserve the righteous, is because the Lord wants righteousness to flourish. Removing the righteous, would allow wickedness to flourish. Nevertheless, this is not to say that the righteous are always preserved on the earth (a la City of Enoch), but the generally approach of the Lord is to preserve the righteous on the earth so that goodness can flourish. 

Verses 8-12: I did deliver the plats unto.... 

Amaron delivers the small plates of Nephi to his brother Chemish. And in verse 12, Chemish delivers to plates to his son, Abinadom. And Abinadom passed them on to his son Amaleki. Amaleki dedicates his portion of the record to Mosiah. 

Verse 13: The People of Mosiah. 

The Lord commands Mosiah to flee "out of the land of Nephi" into the wilderness. Only those who obeyed the Lord followed Mosiah into the wilderness. In the scriptures, the wilderness appears to serve a metaphor for God's testing. To avoid being killed by Saul, David fled into the wilderness. Lehi and his family fled into the wilderness. Likewise, after being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus went into the wilderness, where he was tempted. 

In each of these instances, the wilderness served as testing ground. David's character was shaped while living in exile from Jerusalem. Likewise, the character of Lehi and his righteous sons were shaped during their time in the wilderness. And Jesus passed one his hardest test in the wilderness. 

With this in mind, it appears that Amaleki is carrying on that pattern. Mosiah and his people fled into the wilderness. They entered into their moment of testing. Important for us, it that Amaleki explains how the people passed their test in the wilderness -- they were lead by preaching, prophesying, and the admonished by the word of God. 

Each of us with face his or her own wilderness. Some may already have. The way we pass our test in the wilderness is by adhering to God's word. This word will lead us by admonishing us. Scriptures are God's word. Our reading of the scriptures and study of God's word should inevitably lead to correction. 

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works

Paul teaches that all scriptures is given for
1. Doctrine
2. Reproof
3. Correction
4. Instruction 

Scriptures then should challenge us. They should challenge our understanding. They should cause us to revaluate what we thought we knew. Moreover, the teachings we hear every Sunday should do the same. All fall short of God's glory. Because we do, we should seek into God's word to see where we fall. It is by correcting our shortcomings that we are able to pass the tests God places in our lives. Using the word of God allows us to do this.

Verses 14-17: Discovered a people.

At the end of the journey through the wilderness, the people of Mosiah discover another group of Jews who had been living in the Americas. This group had been lead out after Lehi and his family. Where Lehi and his family were led out of Jerusalem before Babylon's took over, this group were lead out of Jerusalem after the Babylon's took over ("the time that Zedekiah...was carried away captive into Babylon).

This group refers to themselves as the people of Zarahemla. And like Lehi and his family, they journeyed through the wilderness and were lead by the "hand of the Lord" across the great waters and settled in the land of Zarahemla.

However, unlike Lehi and his family, the people of Zarahemla had no records and their language (Hebrew) had been corrupted. They also denied God's existence and the people of Mosiah couldn't understand them.

Here, we can see why it was important for Lehi and his family to obtain the Brass Plates. According to Amaleki, he seems to see a relationship between having records of God's word and the preservation of language and belief in God. Thus for this example, we can see that the importance of the Brass Plates, and the scriptures in general, is to provide us an account of God so that we might remember and believe in him. The scriptures are a constant reminder of his existence. Having this reminder, we are able to build our belief and faith in Him.

Verses 20-22: Large Stone. 

The large stone contains the record of the Jaredites. Mosiah interpreted this writings by the "gift and power of God." Coriantumr was the last living among the Jaredite nation. Interestingly, he was discovered by the people of Zarahemla and lived with them for 9 months.

21 And they [the engraving on the large stone] gave an account of one Coriantumr [descendant of Brother of Jared] and the slain of his people. And Coriantumr was discovered by the people of Zarahemla; and he dwelt with them for the space of nine moons.
22 It [the large stone] also spake a few words concerning his fathers. And his first parents came out from the tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people; and the severity of the Lord fell upon them according to his judgments, which are just; and their bones lay scattered in the land northward.

In Ether we learn that Coriantumr was not killed, but instead fainted from loss of blood. It appears that the Jaredite nation lived up until the time the people of Zarahemla inhabited the land. It's almost as though once the Lord destroyed the Jaredites for their wickedness, he brought another righteous group (or at least more righteous group) to settle in the Americas.

Verses 23-24;25. King Benjamin. Mosiah son, King Benjamin, reigns in his father's place. Verse 25 tells us that King Benjamin was a just man before the Lord. This means that as a just man, King Benjamin was righteous and his will was fully aligned with the Lord.

Verses 25-26: Come unto Christ.

Amaleki concludes his record by exhorting the reader to come unto Christ. And he explains how to do this:

• Believe in prophesying 
• Believe in revelations 
• Believe in the ministering of angels 
• Believe in the gift of speaking with tongues
• Believe in the gift of interpreting languages
• Believe in all good things  

The Words of Mormon 

After Amaleki concludes the Small Plates of Nephi, Mormon inserts his commentary many years after Amaleki. Thus at this point in the Book of Mormon, we are now reading Mormon's words, having skipped into the future. After Mormon provides his commentary, he will then start give the account of King Benjamin. Moreover, at this juncture, we have concluded the small plates of Nephi. What remains to be read are the abridged records of Mormon. 

Verses 3-9: A Wise Purpose. 

In verse 3, Mormon explains why he has included the small plates. Mormon explains that after he abridged Nephi's record from the larger plates, he discovered a set of small plates which contain the writings of Nephi, Jacob and down to King Benjamin [the writings that make up the first part of the Book of Mormon]. Mormon chooses to included these in the end of his record. He does this because the writings contained in them are worthwhile and according to the direction of the Spirit, for a wise purpose.

Verse 10-11: Plates Handed Down to King Benjamin. 

In verse 10, we learn from Mormon that Amaleki, conferred the plates to King Benjamin, Mosiah's son. King Benjamin stored the small plates from Amaleki with the other, larger plates, that contain a record of the kings, which were handed down generation to generation up until the time of King Benjamin. And those plates -- small and large -- were handed from generation to generation from King Benjamin until the Mormon obtained them.

Mormon tells us that our of these plates -- which includes the Book of Mormon -- the people of the world will be judged. Thus the Book of Mormon is the measuring stick God will use to judge the world. This is another reason why reading and understanding its message is so important, otherwise we run the risk of incurring God's judgment. God is merciful to the ignorant. But he won't be to those who have the Book of Mormon and don't take advantage of learning from it.

Verses 17-18: A Holy Man 

King Benjamin was a just and holy man. These adjectives are meaningful. First, to be just means that King Benjamin had fully reconciled himself to the Lord. To be fully reconciled means that one is obedient to the Lord in everything he is aware of. Second, to be holy means that King Benjamin has been sanctified. To sanctified means that one as ascended into the Lord's presence by separating himself from the world. A sanctified person is redeemed from the fall and now abides in the presence of God often and frequently.

We also learn that there were many holy men. Many men (humans?) alive testifying of their witness of Christ and through this witness having the power and authority to speak the word of God. 

Commentary for Book of Mormon: Jacob 5 - 7

Chapter 5 -- The Allegory of the Vineyard

Introduction 

Chapter 5 features a beautiful allegory of the Lord's work in the scattering and gathering of Israel. Yet despite it's depth and acuteness in illustrating the Lord's ultimate work of gathering, some (or even many) my find it dense, boring, and difficult to read. And as a result, opt to either skip or skim through it. This is a shame, because the allegory provides important insight into the Lord's purposes -- particularly when it comes to the gathering of Israel. Understanding the Lord's purposes will help you understand how the Lord is working in you life to bring about his purposes. And it will also help you to understand the Lord's most important objective -- to bring about Zion.

It's likely quite apparent now, after having read these commentary posts, that Zion is a major emphasis throughout the first pages of the Book of Mormon. Nephi quotes Isaiah whose prophecies point to the final gathering of Israel, where peace and harmony reign. Nephi, in his own words, further stressing this concept of the end-time Zion. And Jacob does not skip a beat. To continue his emphasis, he quotes from the prophet Zeno's allegory of the vineyard. Thus keeping in line with the theme established by Nephi.

Yet, this theme of establishing Zion is not just a Nephi or Isaiah thing, but it's a scripture thing -- whether this be in the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants. In each of those pages, Zion is at least present in the background. The writers of the Old Testament offer commentary about the failing of men and the lost hopes of bringing back Eden. For the Old Testament writers, the purpose of humanity, through Israel, was to bring about Zion. Jesus' parables, moreover, in the New Testament point to establishing Zion (The Kingdom of God) on earth. Lastly, Doctrine and Covenants is about God's efforts to establish Zion through the Gentiles.

Yet despite the writing about seeking for Zion, the scriptures reveal the sad reality that except for the city of Enoch, Zion was never realized. The Israelites failed to bring in Zion. Instead they followed after the example of their pagan neighbors. Likewise, the Jews rejected Christ during his ministry and Christ's disciples, despite their best efforts, failed to bring about Zion. And the early church of the Latter-Day Saints also failed to bring it about. Since Zion is the Lord's primary objective, the establishing of Zion rests upon our shoulders -- if we choose to accept.

This is meaningful because if we choose to rise to the calling, we are the servants of the vineyard in the final days to reap and sow, gathering and preserving the good fruit.

The Passages 

For this chapter, I will provide a copy of the relevant passages that I've annotated. The purpose of this is to give an overview while also tracking through the difficult parts of the passage. However, I encourage you to re-read the entire passage again to have fuller and more complete understanding.

5:3-9 -- The Tame Olive Tree

2 Hearken, O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me, a prophet of the Lord.

3 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive tree [Israel], which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay [Zenos will "liken" the House of Israel ("Israel") to a tame olive tree]

4 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard [the Lord ("the master")] went forth, and he saw that his olive tree [Israel] began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not.

5 And it came to pass that he [the master/the Lord] pruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it according to his word.

6 And it came to pass that after many days it [the tame olive tree -- Israel] began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish.

7 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard [the Lord] saw it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree [the tame olive tree -- Israel]; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive tree [a different tree, representing the Gentiles], and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches [main branches of the tame olive tree] which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them [tame olive tree] into the fire that they may be burned.

8 And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these young and tender branches [the young and tender branches from the tame olive tree], and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches [the young and tender branches from the tame olive tree], and I will graft them whithersoever I will.

9 Take thou the branches of the wild olive tree [Gentiles], and graft them in, in the stead thereof (in place of the main branches of the tame olive tree); and these which I have plucked off I will cast into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my vineyard. [the Lord destroys the main branches, representing the wicked population of Israel]

10 And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the branches of the wild olive tree [the servant grafts the Gentiles into the Israel].

Question to consider from verses 1-9

• Why does Zenos mention the time frame between the growth of plants. What might that tell us about the Lord's working among us? 
• Since this allegory is representing events, what event might 

5:10; 13-14

10 And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the branches of the wild olive tree [Gentiles].
...
13 And these [referring to the young and tender branches, which represent the remnant of Israel] will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree [the Lord plants the natural branches in far area of the vineyard so that he can preserve the natural branches by cultivating good fruit]; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.

14 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches [the young and tender branches -- the remnant] of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure.

The Remnant of Israel

The Bible teaches us that even though the nation of Israel is numerous, only a small portion of the group actually believes in God. This group is referred to as the remnant.

Isaiah discussed the prospect of the remnant in Isaiah 10:

20 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

Although this passage refers to the end-times, is nevertheless is relevant for our purposes. In these verse we learn that the gathering of Zion is marked by the returning of the remnant that escaped from Israel and Judah. The focal point of the gathering of Israel is to reclaim the remnants who were led out of Israel and Judah by the Lord.

Consider the followoing statements by Nephi and Jacob, respectively

3 Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations.
4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away.

And

21 But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.
22 For behold, the Lord God has led away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.

The three trees represent the remnants. Based on this understanding, which remnant group might the third tree represent? Who might the other trees (1) and (2) represent?

Questions to Consider

• In verse 14, why does Zenos or the Book of Mormon use the word "hid"in describing the manner in which the Lord is planting the branches? Why not use the verb "to plant"? What does this tell us about the Lord's motives?  

5:15; 17-20; 23-27

15 And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard.
...
17 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted [the tame olive tree that had the "Gentile" branches grafted into it]; and it [the tame olive tree with Gentile branches] had sprung forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit. [The grafting of the branches of the wild olive tree, at least at this point, has proven beneficial by yielding fruit]

18 And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of the wild tree have taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit. [The master of the vineyard explains why the grafting was successful] Now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self.

19 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard [the part of the vineyard where the young and tender branches were planted], and behold if the natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self.

20 And it came to pass that they went forth whither (where) the master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these [referring the the young and tender branches]; and he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good. And he said unto the servant: Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self; for behold, said he, this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit.
...
23 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self.

24 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit.

25 And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.

26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire.

27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.

In these verses, we learn that the Lord planted three different plants from the young and tender branches. The first branch was planted on poor ground, but still yielding much fruit. The second was planted on even poorer ground, and it also brought for much good fruit. The third, however, was planted on the best, but it brought forth a mix of tame and wild fruit. 

Here is a diagram to illustrate the state of the vineyard so far:

5:29-30; 32; 35; 37

29 And it came to pass that a long time had passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near, and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit against the season, unto mine own self.

30 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off [the tame olive tree that had the branches of the wild olive tree grafted in], and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree. [The tame tree has produced much fruit]
...
32 But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good [Even though the tame olive tree brought forth much fruit, all the fruit is bad]. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree.
...
35 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: The tree [tame olive tree] profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit.
...
37 But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the roots thereof [the master explains the reason why the tame tree did not produce good fruit -- the branches of the wild olive tree (Gentiles) overan the roots]; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it.

5:38-40; 43; 45-46

38 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit.

39 And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard [the part of the vineyard where the young and tender branches were planted]. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first and the second and also the last; and they had all become corrupt. [All of the trees from the young and tender branches are not producing good fruit]

40 And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died.
...
43 And behold this last [the third tree], whose branch hath withered away, I did plant in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above all other parts of the land of my vineyard.
...
45 And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit, and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have overcome the good branch that it hath withered away. [Failure to remove the wild fruit meant that the wild fruit overcame the good fruit]

46 And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them.

5:48; 52; 54-63

48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?
...
52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of my vineyard [branches from the three trees], and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came [the tame olive tree]; and let us pluck from the tree [the tame olive tree] those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead thereof [The master will remove the wild fruit from the tame olive tree and in its place, graft the branches from the three trees].
...
54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them [the roots] also for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree [the tame olive tree], and I will graft them [the branches from the three trees] in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard. [The master aims for the roots of the tame olive tree to be strong enough to give nourishment to the branches from the three trees that have been grafted in]

55 And it came to pass that they took (the branches) from the natural tree which had become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had become wild.

56 And they also took of the natural trees [the three trees] which had become wild, and grafted into their mother tree.

57 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter; and in them ye shall graft according to that which I have said.
...
65 And as they begin to grow [referring to all the olive trees in the vineyard] ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I lose the trees of my vineyard.
...
67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural tree;

68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one. [The master will combine the branches into one tree]

69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.
...
75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken.

77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.

Question to consider

• Is there a difference between pruning the vineyard and burning it? When does the master say he'll prune and when does it say that he'll burn the vineyard? 
• In verse 77, what does it mean that "evil fruit shall again come into" the vineyard? What events could that be referring to? Is such an event before or after Zion. (see Revelation 20) 
• How does the Lord go about grafting in the good branches? Does he do it all at once or incrementally? Why does he either do it all at once or incrementally? What might this say about how the Lord's judgment works? 

Chapter 6 

Chapter 6 consists of Jacob explaining the key theme of Zeno's allegory: in a future day, the Lord will gather all of the "branches" into one. Jacob's explanation also provides clarification on certain points. What follows are explications of those points:

6:3 -- The world burned with fire. Perhaps some of us believe that the imagery of fire is metaphorical. That is, the image of fire is being used to indicate the degree of the Lord's judgment, instead of the kind or type of the Lord's judgment. Jacob's statements here, joined with Zeno's, strongly indicate that the world will literally be burned with fire.

6:4 -- How merciful is our God.

Jacob teaches that God is merciful and his mercy is shown by having his hands stretched forth "all the day long" to the House of Israel. This statement is particularly insightful when we take a broad view of the Israelite's behavior throughout their existence. From the beginning of their status as a nation, which started humbly from the seed of Jacob, the Israelites failed to humble themselves and fully receive God. And despite this, God pursued the Israelites over and over again, giving them multiple chances to repent and come unto him.

Consider the Lord's statement

8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. (Hosea 11:8-9)

Here, Hosea portrays God's anguish and hesitation in bringing judgment on Israel. Can you feel the tension?

Consider the Lord's remark through the prophet Jeremiah:

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.
19 ¶ My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

The Hebrew word for bowels refers to the internal organs, usually digestive organs such as intestines or stomach. Metaphorically, the term is used to describe the person's inner being (similar to how word "heart" is used in the scriptures). Thus God's remark of "my bowels, my bowels" reveals that the Lord is deeply pained in the coming judgment to be unleashed on Judah. He feels the pain deep within himself.

6:4-5 -- Come with full purpose of heart.

And although the Lord loves everyone, those who don't harden their hearts are saved. And only those people are saved. To avoid having a hard heart requires that one repents and is fully reconciled with God. To repent, however, is more than just saying sorry. But it means to "come with a full purpose of heart" AND to "cleave unto God." To cleave is to adhere to, or to unite or to be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment. Thus repentance requires us to not only have our hearts right, but that we strongly adhere to him. This means that God is our focus.

Moreover, notice that this type of cleaving grows over time. Jacob states that we are to cleave to God as God "cleaveth unto his." This means that our relationship with God will progressively grow more and more intimate, with each step leading to further devotion and adherence to God.

Last, we are to cleave unto God now, before it's too late. Notice that in verse 4-5 Jacob refers to the Lord's hand being unto the people all the day long. Is there a significance for why Jacob uses the word "day"? I think so. And here's why. In verse 5, Jacob exhorts us to come unto God while God's "arm of mercy is extended" towards us in the light of day. In other words, Jacob is saying that we should come unto God while it's still day -- while there is still time. This means then the Lord’s hand of mercy will not be outstretched for forever. His hand it only stretched out during the "day". When the "night" comes there is no more time to repent.

6:8-10 -- Will Ye...?

Jacob asks the following question to the wicked. Will they

1. Reject these words, words of the prophet, and all the words which have been spoken about Christ
2. Deny the good word of Christ and the power of God
3. Quench the Holy Spirit

To me, it seems that Jacob is outlining the progression of wickedness. First, the wicked reject Christ's teachings. Second, as a consequence of rejecting his teaching, they then deny the world and the gift of the Holy Ghost. And a result of deny the reality of the Gift of the Holy Ghost, they quench -- silence, extinguish -- it from their existence. 

Here's an illustration of how this progression of wickedness might occur: 

Many people, even those who are members, reject the words of Christ on a daily basis. This rejection is often the result of people allowing worldly beliefs to influence how they approach scripture reading. For instance, people develop a certain conception of who God is and box God into that conception. Instead of allowing the scriptures to teach them about God's character, they choose to twist and distort the text's meaning to match their own philosophy. This approach is tantamount to rejection, as they intentionally choose to ignore what the scriptures are trying to teach. 

As a result of rejecting the scriptures, many people are on the path to denying the good word of Christ and the power of God. Having rejected the light and truth contained in the scriptures, God's power is lessened over time until it's nonexistent. Even if God shows his power, such manifestation are explained away by modern "science". As a result, the person witnesses less and less of God's power. 

The final step is to quench -- to extinguish God's power. Having denied manifestations of God's power for so long, the person is now to at the point of extinguishing any semblance of the supernatural. Here the plan of salvation (redemption) is mocked, because it as does not affect a person. God's effort to save the person have been frustrated by his or her unwillingness to hearken to God. 

The result of this incrementally rejection of God until the power of God is quenched is that the perosn guilty of doing this will have to "stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God" and be cast off into hell -- "whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lack of fire and brimstone is endless torment."

Let us make sure we are not guilty of doing any of these. But since it's still "day" there is still time to repent.

6: 11 -- Enter at the Strait Gate

Jacob concludes this theme with the ultimate truth. To avoid the lake of fire and brimstone, we must repent. And we repent by entering in at the strait gate, which gate is baptism of both water and fire. 

Chapter 7 

7: 1-5 -- Characteristics of Shem 

Some year later after Jacob spoke to the Nephites at the temple, we learn that a man, called Sherem, came "among the people" to teach false doctrine and lead many astray. The following are Sherem's characteristics. 

• Declare unto the Nephites that Christ is not coming 
• Falter the people in order to overthrow the doctrine of Christ 
• Labored diligently that he might lead many away 
• Learned and education inasmuch that he had a "perfect knowledge of the language of the people" which allowed him to lead many of the Nephites away through flattery. 

From this list, are a few notable points. First, those who seek to lead us away from Christ work hard to do so. Their efforts are long and hard, and they are relentless to disprove God and lead people away from Christ. This inversely means that those who seek to bring others to Christ, must also work hard to bring people unto Christ. If the devil does't sleep (so the speak), then we shouldn't either. 

7:5;12 -- Characteristics of Jacob 

Juxtaposed to Sherem's characteristics is that of Jacob, who Sherem desires to lead away from Christ. Yet, Jacob explains why his faith was could not be shaken: 

• Received many revelation concerning Jesus Christ 
• Seen angels
• Hear the voice of the Lord speaking 

And in verse 12, Jacob writes that he has "heard and seen" 

As stated in a previous post, Jacob's experiences are available to all. This is important to realize because it also is the key to not losing one's faith. A significant number of LDS people are leaving the church due to information they have learned online. Part of this responsibility restx on the Church, who naively assumed that it could just ignore the tough parts of Church history, and who emphasized following the prophet, instead following God through personal revelation. The other part, however, is on the members themselves. Instead of seeking out manifestations (witnesses) from heaven like Jacob, members were content going through the motions. Lacking of these manifestations resulted in many having a weak faith that could be easily swayed. 

There is not doubt that there are a good number of church history that is difficult and hard to understand. But the answer to not losing you faith is to seek for God and witnesses of his existence. If you've obtained witnesses of his existence, then it what happened in church history doesn't matter, since it's all about knowing God. This is not to say that researching and reading into church history isn't helpful. Sometimes it's good to be acquainted with the ickier parts. But what I do mean is that researching and reading church history won't be enough if you don't have witnesses of God's existence. 

Jacob's faith was able to withstand Sherem's attack because Jacob knew of God's existence. If we expect to maintain our faith, we should follow Jacob's example. 

Commentary for Book of Mormon: Jacob 1-4

Chapter 1 

1:1-2 --Write the Things Most Precious 

Jacob begin his record stating that Nephi had giving up the commandment concerning the small plates. Of particular note is Jacob's statement about what he intends to write in the plates. 

2 And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi.

Using the work precious, Jacob signals to the reader that his writings are thematically going to focus on this idea of preciousness. Throughout his record, Jacob mentions how the Nephites sought for worldly riches instead of heavenly riches, mistaking seeking after the riches of the earth, instead of the richness and  wealth instead of heaven. Jacob's focus then is to show how the Nephites we seeking and desiring the wrong kind of preciousness.

In verse 4, Jacob further states that nothing was recorded on the small plates of Nephi (as a reminder, the small plates of Nephi are referred to as "these plates"). Thus what Jacob (and others) have recorded are the things most scared from their experience. This means that, at least in regard to Nephi's small plates, everything recorded was considered sacred.

1:4 -- Recording of Revelation in the Small Plates 

The fact that Jacob says revelation is significant. Although we tend to blend the terms revelation and inspiration into meaning the same, they are different. Revelation refers to the direct and express communication of God's will to man (or women--see Judges 4-5). Inspiration refers to one's opinion about a topic based on study and thought. Because the revelation is God's mind and will, it is binding upon us unless there is a superseding revelation. The prime example of this is the Law of Moses.

God revealed the Law of Moses to the Israelites. This law came through revelation. Thus it was binding on the Israelites. This authority lasted until the Gospel came along. The Gospel was a superseding revelation. Since it was superseding, it's authority overrode the Law of Moses.

I take this detour so that you can understand the meaning of revelation and how it works. This is important because when Jacob says that revelations (in addition to sacred things) were recorded, this means that much of what is being said is directly form the Lord and is thus binding on us. Ignoring what is taught or treating it lightly will result in us losing light. Since what ever the Lord reveals is light and truth (see Doctrine and Covenants 93).

One way to know whether something is revelation is that the person giving the revelation will attribute the revelation to the Lord -- or angel who is delivering a message from the Lord (see Mosiah 3)

When it comes to Jacob's message to the Nephites from chapter 1 to 4, this message is revelation. How do we know? Because Jacob directly attributes his words to the Lord

15 And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son.
16 Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride.
17 Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord. (Jacob 1)

By stating that he obtained his errant from the Lord, Jacob is declaring that the words he will speak are from the Lord. Jacob therefore is not inserting his opinion on the topic, but is delivering the words of the Lord. This is role of the prophet. Yet, the prophet only speaks for the Lord when the prophet attributes his words to the Lord.

Consider the selected verses from various Doctrine and Covenant passages

• Doctrine and Covenants 1:1 --  Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high,
• Doctrine and Covenants 3:5 -- you have been entrusted with these things, but how strict were your commandments; and remember also the promises which were made to you, if you did not transgress them.
• Doctrine and Covenants 6:2 -- Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words.
• Ezekiel 1:6 -- 1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

As you can see, a person does not have to say "Thus saith the Lord" for it to be revelation. But he will attribute the revelation to God in some way." The scriptures, especially the Bible, does not only consist of revelations. Some of the writings are inspired and some are revelations. We get tripped up when assume that everything being spoken is revelation. Because of this possible confusion, we should carefully read the passages to determine whether what's being spoken is revelation or inspiration. 

Nevertheless, just because something is inspiration doesn't mean that it doesn't have any significance or importance. Sometimes what is an inspired opinion contains truth. We just have to search out what parts are true and what parts are not. The best example is this blog. Despite being instructed by the Lord to do a commentary series on the Book of Mormon, my thoughts are inspired. And although I've received personal revelation on certain parts, I do not have authority to speak for the Lord. This means that it's up to each person who reads this blog to study, pray, and ponder about what is true and what is false. After all, I'm only a man -- and men do err. 

Nevertheless, for those who would like to improve their ability to access truth and to learn how to better discern between truth and falsehood, I recommend reading the book The Glory of God is Intelligence: Acquiring and Disseminating Light and Truth. You can purchase the hard copy here. The author also has a free PDF copy available on his website. You can find that here. 

1:6 Spirt of Prophecy 

Jacob states: 

6 And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.

We hear the spirit of prophecy used often. This terms was used to describe the sons of Mosiah before they embarked on their mission to reclaim the Lamanite. Revelations also uses the expression, as else where in the scriptures. But was does it mean?

Our answer is found in Revelation.

10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Our answer: the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. But now we need to answer what does it mean to have the testimony of Jesus. Is believing in Christ the same as having a testimony of Jesus? We bear our testimonies in fast Sunday, is that what John means?

Since Revelation was written in ancient Greek, our first place should be looking up the Greek word translated as testimony. The Greek word for testimony is martyria. In the King James Version, martyria is translated as witness, record, and testimony.

Thus the same world used for testimony is the same word used for witness and record. And in cases when martyria is used as witness, the word conveys an actual sense of knowledge, much like a witness in a court room. A courtroom witness is present because he or she can attest to a fact in the case. This idea of attesting to a fact is how the world martyria is being used in the New Testament and Revelation. One who has a witness as actual knowledge of truth or fact. And when martyria is used for record, it's used in a sense of recording a truth.  Thus, the meaning of record is more akin to account or legal record, instead of a story.

Seeing, then, that the word martyria denotes the meaning of actual knowing of a something, this means that to have a testimony of Christ is to have actual knowledge of Christ, sufficient enough to bear witness -- to bear actual knowledge of his existence. In fact, we could translate verse 10 to say the "witness of Jesus" is the spirit of prophecy. Prophets throughout all ages are given this gift. And this is because those who see Christ and know, not just believe, that he lives, are then called to bear witness of him.

. . if I be a true teacher and witness, I must possess the spirit of prophecy, and that constitutes a prophet. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 269). 

This is done so that others might have faith in Christ. The only way we know that Christ lives is through the accounts of those who have seen him and preserved their record in scripture. If we didn't have that, there would be no way to know.

As we can further see, the type of testimony John is discussing is more than the testimonies we give every fast Sunday in church. Although we call them testimonies, they are, in all reality, more akin to expression of belief. Although we say we know that Christ lives, we really don't. To bear witness of his existence means that we know with our own eyes that Christ lives.

Consider Oliver Cowdrey's charge to the twelve apostles:

When the proper time arrives, you shall be able to bear this testimony to the world. When you bear testimony that you have seen God, this testimony God will never suffer to fall, but will bear you out; although many will not give heed, yet others will. You will therefore see the necessity of getting this testimony from heaven. 

Never cease striving until you have seen God face to face. Strengthen your faith; cast off you doubts, your sins, and all your unbelief; and nothing can prevent you from coming to God. Your ordination is not full and complete till God has laid His hand upon you. We require as much to qualify us as did those who have gone before us; God is the same. If the Savior in former days laid His hands upon His disciples, why not in latter days?

Gaining the Spirit of Prophecy 

Yet, the spirit of prophecy is not only for those who are leaders of the church. We all have the privilege of knowing that Christ lives and thereby obtaining a witness for ourselves.

Consider these passages

• Statement by Moses in response to others, besides him, prophesying in the camp 

27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

• Paul's instructions to the Corinthians 

The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. (1 Corinthians 4-5) (ESV). 

• Jospeh Smith 

God in his superior wisdom, has always given his Saints, wherever he had any on the earth, the same spirit, and that spirit, as John says, is the true spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 300).

And why does prophesy build up the church? Consider this explanation from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

It is through the spirit of prophecy that God's continuing revelations are brought to the people of the earth, not only through his ordained prophets but also through all those who have received a testimony of Christ. The gospel cannot be taught on the earth without the spirit of prophecy or a testimony of Christ, because it is only through testimony received by revelation that Christ's teachings are validated in the heart and mind of the person taught. One who preaches the gospel and denies the spirit of prophecy is, according to Joseph Smith, an "imposter" 

More importantly, not only is it a privilege, but it's also required for salvation.

Re-Reading Alma 17 

Now that we have learned that the spirit of prophecy is the witness of Jesus Christ, let's read Alma 17, where Mormon describes the characteristics of the sons of Mosiah:

2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.
3 But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.

Part of the reason for their success was that they had the spirit of prophecy. They knew Christ, knew his will, and they were approved of him. Therefore they were able to teach with power and authority of God.

1:7 -- Enter into the Rest of Christ 

Having the spirit of revelation and prophecy, Jacob concludes

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, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.

From connecting verse 6 to verse 7, Jacob teaches that because he and others (Jospeh) had both the spirit of revelation and the spirit of prophecy, "wherefore [they] labored diligently among [their] people" that they might believe in Christ and enter into his rest.

The rest of the Lord is the operative phrase in this verse. If we understand what it means, then we can understand more fully the goal of Jacob and others. We also can get a better understanding of the gospel as a whole. Unfortunately, using a dictionary is not going to be helpful because this is a phrase unique to the gospel. Thus our best way of understanding it's meaning is to look how its used throughout the scriptures.

Meaning 

Alma 13: 12 gives us an idea of what it means to enter into the rest of the Lord:

Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

Here we learn that being sanctified is the triggering condition to entering into the rest of the Lord. Thus those who enter into the rest of the Lord are sanctified. To be sanctified is to become holy. To be holy is to be set apart from the world. Becoming holy is a process that occurs after one has received the full gift of the Holy Ghost. When once has received the full gift, the Holy Ghost becomes a part of their life and begins to sanctify them.

Ultimately then, those who are able to enter into the rest have received the full gift of the Holy Ghost and have lived their life in such a way that they have become holy.

Significance 

The goal of missionary work extends beyond bringing someone back to church, but in ensuring that they are able to enter into the rest of the Lord. Coming to church and being active is a step, but it's only a step. Moreover, attending the temple is great and there are wonderful things to be learned in its ordinances, but it is also a step. The purpose of the temple is to teach us the way back into God's presence. After all, the endowment ceremony begins with being cast out of the the garden and the working our way back into God's presence.

Yet the steps we take in the endowment are merely symbolic of the actual steps we have to take in our lives. To think that performing rituals leads to salvation is to make the same mistake the Israelites made when it came to the Law of Moses. The rituals of the Mosaic law were pointers to teach the proper way to approach God.

Since the temple or church activity is not enough, our goal is for both us and others to enter into the Lord's rest. To follow the pathway to salvation.

Jacob 1:7

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...

Alma 16:15-17

15 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout all the land. And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites.
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—
17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.

Chapter 2

2:2-3 -- Weighed Down With...Anxiety For a man (or woman) of God, the most painful and hardest experiences are seeing the suffering of others. A man of God seeks for the benefit of others and the wellbeing of others over his own. 

From Moroni 7:45

And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

A man of God has fulfilled the having a love, not only of God, but all men.

2:9 -- Strict Commandment..From God. Jacob is not speaking from his own opinion, but what the Lord has commanded him to speak.

2:9-10 -- Daggers Placed to Pierce Their Souls.

The Word of God is not always pleasant. Sometimes it requires bringing up the harsh and difficult truths in order so that we can properly repent. It likely that many people listening to Jacob speak might have felt negative feelings of having to hear harsh words spoken to them. But these feeling of negativity doesn't necessarily mean that what's being said comes from Satan. Negativity arises because of the false beliefs that we hold and cling to as a basis of our identity. Since the belief is so tied into our identity, extricating if from us will inevitably be a painful process.

2: 11 -- Thus Came the Word Unto Me.

Recognizing the growing sin among the Nephites likely prompted Jacob to pray to the Lord for guidance and direction. As a result, Jacob is commanded by the Lord to speak to the people from the Nephite temple. Moreover, the Lord will give him the words to speak.

Since Jacob is speaking on behalf of the Lord, the words Jacob speaks are what he is speaking if the Lord were present. This fact tells us that while the Lord is love, he may not be the type of love we imagine. Love, after all, is a loose word, and used very loosely in English. We have valentine's love, we have love of movies, we have love of food, we have love of a dog.

We use the same word, but that word doesn't mean that same thing. I don't love my spouse as much as I love my dog (I actually don't have a dog, but that's besides the point). But the word love doesn't convey that. Thus when we say that the Lord is love, what do we really mean? Does this type of love mean that God accepts us no matter what we do. Does it mean that God will not be harsh or direct with us?

Based on Jacob's statements in chapter 1-4, it appears that God is more than love and that his love is  can be, in everyday parlance, tough love.

2: 13-17 Lifted Up In Pride Because of Wealth 

Jacob explain thats because some Nephites have obtained more abundantly than other, they have become "lifted up in pride." As we go through other scriptures, we'll notice that the warning that wealth can cause us to depart from God and also persecute others. In societies throughout the world, wealth has been used as the measure of status and worth. This is ever present in our society today. Being a wealthy individual affords one the opportunity and privilege that those who aren't wealthy can't afford.

These opportunities and privileges come in different packages, but they often give the person a status different from others. For instance, wealth can often be the difference between attending a prestigious school and not. Wealth affords many to live in safer areas than others. And wealth provides one with a more comfortable living. In addition to these, wealth also serves as a network to link a person with other wealthy individuals thereby expanding their influence and earnings. And though these things, a person's status can, and often does, increase.

Status is different from identity. Where identify refers to how a person views themselves, status refers to how a person is viewed within the community. Because wealth increases one's status, this increase in status can lead to a person viewing themselves better than others. After all, the wealthy individual lives in a nicer home, drivers a nicer car, and can travel to places others can't. These opportunities, however, can lead to a distortion that one is better and one's status actually matters. When this happens the concern for others is blunted and diminished. Instead of thinking on others and their concerns, the prideful person thinks about his needs and concerns -- even at the expense of others.

Hence the reason Jacob exclaims:

14 ...do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing (having pride because of one's statuts)? 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 2)

In verse 15, Jacob later remarks about the effects of pride as leading to "iniquity" and committing "abominations," which effects ultimately lead to the destruction of our souls.

2: 17 -- Be Familiar and Free With Your Substance

So is wealth bad? No. Wealth is wealth. Instead, wealth becomes a problem if the person uses that wealth, and the status it provides, to inflate their view of themselves and in the process lose their focus on others. In his response to the scribes, Jesus encapsulated of what life is all about: To love God and love our neighbor. And, per Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, our neighbor is anyone and everyone. Moreover, we learn from Mosiah the principle that our actions toward our neighbor reflect upon God:

17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Those who have been blessed with wealth can be a blessing to others. Jacob notes how that blessing can happen, when he explain the following to the Nephites:

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...[and with your wealth you will have the opportunity] to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted."

The first thing those with wealth can do is to be "familiar and free with your substance" The word "familiar" may seem unclear. However, one definition for familiar according the 1828 Webster's Dictionary is "easy or unconstrained". The other definition of familiar according to 1828 Webster's Dictionary is to be accustomed or intimate with. But based on the context of the verse above,  the definition of easy or unconstrained make the most. Thus we could rephrase of Jacob's statement could read "be easy/unconstrained and free with your substance."

Based on this phrasing, Jacob is instructing the wealthy Nephites to be relaxed and free with their money. Or in other words, to stop being stingy.

This instruction makes sense when we understand our duty as Christians. Although Paul speaks many years after Jacob, Paul's instructions are fitting. Speaking to the Jews in Rome  he counsels:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15). 

Those who have wealth are put in a position to serve and help others. For as Jacob explains:

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. 

If we obtain riches it's for the purpose of helping others -- not to our own gratification and comfort.

2:23 -- Begin To Wax In Iniquity. Jacob links the Nephites "waxing in iniquity" to not understanding the scriptures. The scriptures are a blessing, but if we misinterpret them, then they can be very destructive because we create a false belief system, and by so doing excuse ourself from sin.

2:25-26 -- Raise Up A Righteous Branch. The Lord, through Jacob, explain that his tolerance with the Nephites is low. While he loves them, he will not permit them to practice the false traditions of those in Jerusalem. The Lord's purpose in calling out Lehi and his family from Jerusalem was for him to preserve a righteous branch (remnant/group/people) for himself. But if people will not hearken to him after receiving this kind of mercy, then his judgments are strict -- leading to the "curs[ing] of the land" (Jacob 2:29). 

2:31-32 -- I Hear The Cries. Although the Lord, at times, may seem distant, he is actively involved in our affairs and is aware of the suffering of the righteous, pure, and innocent.

2:34-35 -- Come Unto Great Condemnation.

The Lord explains that because the Nephites were aware of the command to only have one wife and no concubines, and the Nephites disobeyed that commandment, they are under the greater condemnation. This is simply because they know better.

As the Lord taught in the Doctrine and Covenants

3 For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation.

What's the implications for us, as LDS? We clearly have been given greater light than most people today. We not only have the Bible, but we have works brought forth through Jospeh Smith, which are the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Do we avail ourselves of opportunities to read and study from them. Those in the LDS church (as well as other Mormon denominations, which are many) have access to so much light and truth.  Unlike other Christians, we have a greater understanding of God's plan for us as well as life after death. We also have scriptures that teach the plainness of Christ's gospel and other principles of salvation.

But what are we doing about it? Do we value the Book of Mormon, which contains the fullness, more than worldly possession and interests? Do we deliberately set time aside to read and study from them, or are they just a side-project. In following the curriculum, do you use the extra hour to study from them?

Consider what Orson Pratt observed about the church during his days

“I am fully aware that there are in the Church … many persons who are very careless about reading the Book of Mormon. … How many there are of the Latter-day Saints who suffer this book to remain upon their shelves, week after week, without ever reading a page of these precious things.”

Or what Joseph Fielding Smith surmised,

“I could make a guess, and I do not think I would be too far out if I did say that one-half of the members of the Church have not read the Book of Mormon.” 

And what Ezra Taft Benson stated:

Has the fact that we have had the Book of Mormon with us for over a century and a half made it seem less significant to us today? Do we remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon? In the Bible we have the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word testament is the English rendering of a Greek word that can also be translated as covenant. Is this what the Lord meant when He called the Book of Mormon the “new covenant”? It is indeed another testament or witness of Jesus. This is one of the reasons why we have recently added the words “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” to the title of the Book of Mormon.
If the early Saints were rebuked for treating the Book of Mormon lightly, are we under any less condemnation if we do the same? The Lord Himself bears testimony that it is of eternal significance. Can a small number of us bring the whole Church under condemnation because we trifle with sacred things? What will we say at the Judgment when we stand before Him and meet His probing gaze if we are among those described as forgetting the new covenant? 

...

I reaffirm those words to you this day. Let us not remain under condemnation, with its scourge and judgment, by treating lightly this great and marvelous gift the Lord has given to us. Rather, let us win the promises associated with treasuring it up in our hearts. 

Finally, the Lord taught and warned

13 Therefore, having so great witnesses [referring to the Book of Mormon and scriptures], by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter come to a knowledge of this work.
14 And those who receive it in faith, and work righteousness, shall receive a crown of eternal life; 

We are judged from the scriptures. And unlike other people who could claim ignorance, we won't be able to make that excuse.  Choosing not to read something when it's within you reach is tantamount to rejecting it, and by consequence rejecting the greater light. And as we read, those who reject the light receive the greater condemnation.

Consider what the Lord declares to Joseph Smith bout the end-times.

24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

When the Lord finally judges the world, his vengeance and judgment will first come upon his church. After all, the LDS is the Church that professes to know his name.

Chapter 3

In this chapter, Jacob focuses on three different categories of people: 1) the pure in heart; 2) the not pure in heart; and 3) the Lamanites

3:1-2 -- The Pure in Heart. 

In verse 1, we that the the pure in heart are those who 1) look unto God with firmness of mind and 2) pray to him with exceeding faith. Those who satisfy this definition are promised that the Lord will

1) "console [them] in [their] afflictions; 

2) plead [their] cause 

3) and send justice upon those who seek [their] destruction.  

Moreover, it is the pure in heart, and only the pure in heart who shall

• see God (Matthew 5:8); 

• ascend the hill/mount of the Lord (Pslam 82); 

• inherit the earth (D&C 56:18); 

• see the kingdom of God "coming in power and great glory" (Id.)  

• live in Zion (D&C 97:21)

Seeing that being pure in heart is significant, we should inquire as to whether we display the foregoing characteristics. First, do we have a firmness of mind?

Firmness of Mind

In Alma 57, Helaman describes the 2,000 Stripling Warriors as young men whose "minds are firm, they do put their trust in God continually." Thus having a firm mind is linked to always trusting in God. In other words, those who have unshakable faith.

In Moroni 7, Mormon explains that angels minister to those who have a "firm mind in every form of godliness." Although this doesn't define firm mind, it does show us how uncommon it is to have a firm mind, since most people, even in the LDS church, are not ministered to by angels.

Moreover, in verse 2 of Jacob 3, Jacob teaches us that those with a firm mind will "feast upon" God's love forever.

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.

Exceeding Faith 

In Mosiah 4, receiving a remission of sins is linked to having exceeding faith. Remission of sins occurs when one receives the full gift of the Holy Ghost. For those not familiar with what the difference is between receiving the Holy Ghost and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, see my post here.

In Alma 19, the phrase exceeding faith is used to describe the faith of King Lamoni's wife who believed on Ammon's word that her husband, King Lamoni, would rise again.

In Alma 57, Helaman uses that expression to describe the faith of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors.

In Alma 60, Captain Moroni, in his letter to Pahoran, links having exceeding faith to being able to bear one's trial with patience.

In Ether 3, the Brother of Jared, who walked into the presence of the Lord, is described by the Lord has having "exceeding faith."

3:3-4 --- The Not Pure of Heart

Jacob declares,

3 But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you even unto destruction.
4 And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you.

Those who are not pure of heart will be destroyed, either by the Lamanites historically, or in the future when the Lord comes to judge the inhabitants of the earth. The outcome for this group if they don't repent is the same, and always will be.

Notably, however, is that there is no middle ground -- a person either is pure of heart or is not. I'm not aware of any passage of scripture that indicates inhabiting a middle ground is viable or even possible. We are either on the right hand or left hand of God.

3: 5-10--The Lamanites 

Us v. Them 

As members of the covenant, it's easy to look outside ourselves and view others as lost, fallen, or sinful. This is further exacerbated when we hear the we are the true Church of Christ. Not only is this a bold claim, but it leads to drawing lines between those in the "in group" and those in the "out group." Moreover, when these lines are drawn it's easy to assume that those who are not in the "in group" are less righteous than we.

Although this happen to only group who feels special, this mindset is particularly dangerous in a religious context, because we give ourselves a false sense of righteousness. We believe that because of the select status of our group, we are special and unique in God's eyes. And by feeling this, we believe that as long as we remain loyal to that group and its teachings, then our unique status with God will remain. But Jacob's teachings show this righteousness is about keeping God's commands, not about our group status or identity.

For the Nephites (defined to include the Jacobites, Ishamelites, etc) it's they seem to have felt superior to the Lamanites because of their blessings from God. (see verse 9). These blessings included both spiritual and temporal. Unlike the Lamanites, who live idly in the wild, the Nephites are blessed with a temple to worship and industry to create enterprise. Moreover, the Nephites had prophets to teach them God's word.

Yet, besides all these blessings, Jacob poignantly remarks: "the Lamanites...are more righteous than you." Reading further, we learn why: because "they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord" to have only one wife and no concubines, and to not commit any whoredoms.

Thus, despite being cursed by God, the Lamanites were able to obtain a greater standing with God because of their obedience to His commandments -- especially the commandment pertaining to fidelity to a spouse.

While the Lamanites still struggled with other sins, the fact that they kept this commandment over the Nephites, despite the blessings the Nephites have received from God, they showed to be more righteous than the Nephites. Thus the Nephites status without repentance and obedience, did nothing to earn favor in God's eyes. Instead it was the obedience of the Lamanites to God's command that elevated their statuts in God's eyes.

In verse 8, Jacob tells us that one's identity doesn't mean anything if he or she doesn't repent.

The Importance of Marriage and Fidelity 

Continuing reading from verse 5, we learn something important in verse 6. Because the Lamanites were loyal and faithful to their spouses, the Lord will preserve their seed. For Jacob explains:

6 ... because of this observance (in having only one wife and no concubines), in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them (Lamanites), but will be merciful unto them (Lamanites); and one day they shall become a blessed people.

Jacob reemphasizes the reason why

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?

From this we can see how great a commandment it is to love one's spouse. A person could be sinful in many ways, but if he or she loves his spouse, the Lord is merciful and gracious to them.

3:9 -- Revile Against Them No More. The Nephites filthiness came from doing intentional sinful acts. The Lamanites filthiness came about by the their fathers' tradition.

3:10 -- Bring Your Children Unto Destruction.

Jacob remarks,

10 Wherefore, ye shall remember your children, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the example that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.

Here, Jacob teaches a important principle -- we our held accountable for our examples to our children. Each parent is accountable before God in how they rear and raise their children. Each parent who has the knowledge of the everlasting covenant, it expected to raise his/her child in light and truth.

Consider the Lord's rebuke to Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Fredrcik G. Williams (the First Presidency)

I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.

41 But verily I say unto you, my servant Frederick G. Williams, you have continued under this condemnation;
42 You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction.
43 And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house, for there are many things that are not right in your house.
44 Verily, I say unto my servant Sidney Rigdon, that in some things he hath not kept the commandments concerning his children; therefore, first set in order thy house.
45 Verily, I say unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., or in other words, I will call you friends, for you are my friends, and ye shall have an inheritance with me—
46 I called you servants for the world’s sake, and ye are their servants for my sake—
47 And now, verily I say unto Joseph Smith, Jun.—You have not kept the commandments, and must needs stand rebuked before the Lord;
48 Your family must needs repent and forsake some things, and give more earnest heed unto your sayings, or be removed out of their place.

There is much to be extracted from these verses. First, we learn that the Lord has placed a duty on parents (particularly the father) to instruct their kids in light and truth. Second, we learn that some of the afflictions wee experience as a result of our kids is due to our lack of diligence in teaching gospel principles. By failing to teach light and truth, Satan gains power over our family. This can lead to heartache and affliction of our own making.

Some of this heartache is manifesting itself today. As I've been following the news, I've noticed that the rising generation are increasingly more interested in the world's standards than the Lord's. Why might this be? Could it be that they were not sufficiently instructed in light and truth? Did instagram, snapchat, facebook, etc occupy their lives and minds more than the things of heaven? Were their nightly prayers replaced by nightly "snaps"? And as consequence did they conform their image after the manner of the world, instead of God?

Kids come into this world trailing clouds of glory. They come into the world, vulnerable, teachable, and curious. Thus they come prepared to learn of God. It will be a shame to later learn that many of these kids turned to sin because they weren't adequately instructed, and if the they had been, how different their lives would have become.

3:11 -- Shake Yourself. This message was not more truer during Jacob's time than it is today. Consider Enoch's vision of Satan's control:

24 And there came generation upon generation; and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and of the Son of Man; and behold, the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth.
25 And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice saying: Wo, wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth.
26 And he (Enoch) beheld Satan; and he (Satan) had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced. (Moses 7)

If you haven't received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so that you can speak with a tongue of angels, then Satan still has control over you. You need to shake yourself and wake up -- plead with the Lord to reveal what the world is really like. Plead with him to show you the truth and then, walk into the light unflinchingly.

Chapter 4

4:4 -- For This Intent.

Jacob explains the reason why he and others are keeping a record of their writings:

• The people will know that his people knew of Christ 
• They had a hope of his glory (long before Christ's coming)
• That the prophets also had a hope and knew of Christ

Moreover, the purpose of the law of Moses is to point the people to Christ. Despite its strictness, it's holy because it directs the people to Christ. This is especially true of the ritual commandments. The law of Moses breaks down into three categories of commandments: 1) Rules; 2) Covenant; and 3) Ritual. 

The ritual commandments prescribed how the Israelites were to worship God. These included instructions on sacrifices, use of blood, and maintaining the tabernacle. A careful study of the rituals will reveal and teach us much about the meaning of Christ and his atonement. 

4:6 -- Our Faith Becometh Unshaken 

In the age of technology and the internet, it's not hard to come across anti-Mormon material. Moreover, as the world grows more wicked, it's likely that attack of Mormonism will ratchet up. This attacks and the increasing degree of attacks may cause many to lose faith and doubt God's existence. Some may believe the antidote is to trust in the leaders and the church. 

But this suggestion won't help. This is because no matter a person's standing with God, all humans are fallible. Human leaders will fail us at times by making mistakes or by intentional deception. The Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah, were clear that one reason for the Israelites and Jews wickedness was the trust they placed in their leaders. They esteemed their leaders so highly that the could not discern between false and true doctrine. 

Thus if relying on leaders is not the answer, what is? Jacob gives us the answer -- obtain witnesses. The only way you'll be able to endure the trials to your faith is to gain witnesses from God to the truthfulness of your faith. Many people spend their time researching polygamy or the Book of Abraham in order to receive some reassurance. But while it may be good to know some of the history, it's not the best place to dedicate your time. Instead, the focus should be on obtaining witnesses from him about his existence. 

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.

Jacob states that through the witnesses they have received through revelation and prophecy, they obtain a hope (confident expectation) and their faith becomes unshaken.

4:14 -- Because They Desired It.  

14 But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.

Jacob teaches the important principle that the Lord will give to us what we desire. The Jews desired to receive things which they could not understand. The Lord gave it to them, and it led to their fall. We too, moreover, must be careful what we desire. For the Lord grants unto men according to their desires. If wealth is a greatest desire, then the Lord may give it to us, but it won't be for a blessing, but a curse. Moreover, if we desire the pleasures of the flesh, in whatever form, the Lord may turn us over to our desires, allowing Satan to bind us with his chains, from whence there is but little escape.

Thus we should, in the words of Paul, work out our salvation with fear and trembling. God is love and he desire to give us what we ask. But we should, at the same time, be careful not to trifle with sacred things by asking for what we shouldn't. Each step towards God must be done with an eye single to his glory -- otherwise we may allow our desires to steer us off course.