The most striking
thought I had when reading these scriptures is that a prophet is the mouthpiece
of God. The messages Jacob delivered to his people, were the messages our current
prophet and apostles delivered at General Conference. The prophets and apostles
love the people who are entrusted to their care. Jacob’s words were desired to
warn and guide the people who were listening to him. At the closing of this
year’s April General Conference, Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Brothers and sisters, do you have any idea—do you
have any notion or inkling whatsoever—of how much we love you?” Jacob’s words
convey the same care, the same concern.
Jacob was the
oldest of Lehi’s children born in the wilderness. After Lehi’s death, Jacob
followed his brother Nephi into the wilderness. Jacob and his younger brother,
Joseph, were called as priests and teachers to the people. Jacob 1 taught me
two important principles. Firstly, in Jacob 1:2-3,
we learn that we need to take the responsibility of keeping our records and a
journal with dedication. Jacob did so. President
Spencer W. Kimball reminded us that, “From time immemorial the Lord has
counselled us to be a record-keeping people.” This blog is my effort to
follow this counsel. The second principle, highlighted in Jacob 1:19,
is that callings also must be completed with fervour and with the spirit. A
favourite quote of mine, is from President
Henry B. Eyring, who stated that “there are no small callings to represent
the Lord.” All callings, from Bishop to Visiting Teacher, are important to the
Lord.
Jacob’s words of
counsel were prompted by his knowledge of the sin that was in the minds and
hearts of the people. He must have discerned these thoughts through the Holy
Spirit and under the Lord’s guidance. In Jacob 2: 5-6,
Jacob states: “But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of the
all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your
thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very
abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God…I must testify unto you
concerning the wickedness of your hearts.” This scripture reminded me of a
favourite quotation from the prophet of my childhood, President David O. McKay.
This quote has been credited to many famous people: Stephen Covey, Charles
Reade, George Boardman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Samuel Smiles. Some even say
it is an ancient Buddhist or ancient Chinese proverb. I like it the way it was
quoted by President McKay. This quote appears below.
Our thoughts are
critical to our progress in the gospel and in life. A popular psychology book
by Dr Dennis Waitley called ‘Seeds
of Greatness’, discussed a study by Stanford University, that affirmed that
what we watch, what our thoughts dwell on, is what we eventually tend to act
out in our lives. Dr Waitley further suggested that there would be a dramatic
change in our lives, if we could reverse the process and script our thoughts
and actions in our own minds. Brother
Bill Beardall suggested four ways to script positive thoughts: hold on to
the words of the prophets, prayer, service, and surrounding ourselves with
pictures, music, and media that uplifts and inspires us to righteousness.
I could not help but identify themes in Jacob that also
emerged at General Conference. Firstly, Jacob stressed the importance of the
temple (in Jacob 2 and 3). Elder
Quentin L. Cook issued a challenge: “My challenge this morning is for each
of us, wherever we live, to see ourselves in the temple.” Secondly, Jacob
warned the people that they needed to first seek the kingdom of God, and only then
to seek riches. These riches were to be used to “clothe the naked, and to feed
the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and
the afflicted” (Jacob 2:19).
Elder Patrick
Kearon of the Seventy gave a very emotional talk, ‘Refuge
From the Storm’, about the refugee crisis. He spoke about the efforts made
by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to aid the refugees in
Europe. He spoke about the work the church itself is doing with aid agencies,
as well as the work of Relief Societies, wards, stakes, and individuals in the
area. “Across Europe specifically, I have seen many members of the Church who
have experienced a joyful awakening and enriching of the soul as they have
responded to that deep, innate desire to reach out and serve those in such
extreme need around them. The Church has provided shelter and medical care.
Stakes and missions have assembled many thousands of hygiene kits. Other stakes
have provided food and water, clothing, waterproof coats, bicycles, books,
backpacks, reading glasses, and much more…Individuals from Scotland to Sicily
have stepped in to every conceivable role.” This is the work the Lord wants His
people to do: clothing the naked and feeding the hungry. The Lord himself said,
“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).
My father was a great man when it came to looking after
those in need. He taught me the true meaning of giving. He was an Inspector of Mining
for the Anglovaal Mining Corporation in South Africa. He was called to inspect mines
in Hotazel (known as Hot As Hell, with temperatures regularly hitting 40oC):
the Hotazel Manganese Mines, Wessels Mine and Mamatwan Mine in the Kalahari,
Northern Cape. The mine workers lived and worked in extreme poverty. They had
little clothing, no comforts, and the children played in the dirt in rags and
bare feet. This broke my dad’s heart. When he returned to Johannesburg he spoke
about the plight of these workers and their families to the members of the
Johannesburg Stake. He asked if people could open their hearts and donate items
for these people in dire need. Goods started to pour in – bedding, clothing,
shoes, children’s books and toys, food items, health care items, everything you
could think of that could make life a little easier. We started stockpiling
these items in our apartment, but soon had to store in alternative locations.
Eventually, my dad had to hire several rail containers and travelled back to Hot
As Hell with the donated goods. He cried when he spoke about the reaction of
the miners and their families. Their joy was unbounded. My dad took the matter
further by addressing the poor conditions with the mining authorities. Through
him the miners received improved accommodation, better working conditions, and
benefits for their families. There is no joy greater than the joy of giving!
Jacob warned against pride and adultery, and advocated
cleanliness and kindness. In Jacob 4:10
Jacob cautioned the brethren to “seek not to counsel the Lord”. In General
Conference many of our leaders spoke about following the Lord in humility.
Elder Steven E. Snow of the Seventy counselled, ‘Be
Thou Humble’; and, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in his talk, ‘He
Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home’ stated, “As we increase
in faith, we also must increase in faithfulness…With each step of faith on the
path of discipleship, we grow into the beings of eternal glory and infinite joy
we were designed to become.”
Two other talks echoed another theme found in Jacob 3 and
left me uplifted and full of hope. In Jacob 3:1 we
read, “Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding
faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your
cause.” Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy gave an inspirational talk, “Always
Remember Him”, where he counselled us to remember the Lord’s promises and
covenants, acknowledge His hand in our lives, remember the gift of the
Atonement, enlarge our faith, partake of the Sacrament, and always remember Him
as He remembers us. And the final talk in General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R.
Holland’s ‘Tomorrow
the Lord Will Do Wonders among You’ left me on a spiritual high. “Keep
loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is
cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.”
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Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland - “For...the Lord...God will hold [their] right hand,
saying unto [them], Fear not; I will help thee.”
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