Book of Mormon 2020 - Jacob 1-4

In 2016, I wrote my first blog about Jacob 1 to 4. If you would like to access this post, please just click on the following link: https://gospeldoctrine2016.blogspot.com/2016/04/lesson-12-seek-ye-for-kingdom-of-god.html

Lehi and Sariah had two sons born in the wilderness. The oldest of these boys was Jacob. Jacob, and his brother Joseph, were consecrated as priests over the people. Jacob was a righteous leader and loved the people in his care. He saw their sins and wanted them to purify themselves and apply the word of God in their lives. 

Jacob teaching the people

We have righteous leaders that we need to follow, particularly in these last days. We are blessed with a kind and loving prophet who leads us as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We cannot go wrong if we follow his counsel. He knows the will and mind of the Lord.

President Hugh B. Brown

In Jacob 1:19 we read, “And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence.” President Hugh B. Brown said much the same thing in his book, The Abundant Life. He stated, “But ... if any of us fail to teach, lead, direct, and help to save those under our direction ...then the Lord will hold us responsible if they are lost as a result of our failure” (p. 37). These are powerful words that emphasise the huge responsibility placed on our leaders. If we follow the counsel given to us by the General Authorities, we know we will follow the straight and narrow path, as they have our eternal welfare as a goal. General Conference, to take place on April 4^th and 5^th, will be the perfect time to listen to these ‘watchmen’ and hear what the Lord himself wants us to do.

We hear a lot about the danger of using wealth and riches in pride and affectation. Jacob tells us, “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. 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” (Jacob 2:18-19). Our priorities need to be building up the kingdom of God and ministering to the needs of others. Many of our General Authorities are wealthy men, but they are humble and generous and work hard for the Lord.

Wealth is distributed so unevenly in the world today. An example can be seen in the U.S.A. where the wealthiest one percent of families hold about 40 percent of all wealth and the bottom 90 percent of families hold less than one-quarter of all wealth. I was shocked to read about the British billionaire Richard Branson who owns Virgin Airlines. With the lockdowns caused by the Coronavirus, he has told his staff to take eight weeks of unpaid leave! Can you imagine the devastation this would cause for his workers and their families? He could easily pay each of his workers £500 weekly for the eight weeks and he would not even need to use .1% of his huge financial reserves. To me this is a perfect example of the misuse of wealth and lack of care for others. Satan will be smiling at his power over this billionaire. 

Sister Susan W. Tanner

Jacob spoke so eloquently about living a chaste life and the consequences of the sins of ‘fornication’

and ‘lasciviousness’. The blessings of being pure and virtuous include seeing the Lord and feeling at home in His presence. What blessing could be greater than that? Susan W. Tanner explained, “Jacob taught that the Lord delights 'in the chastity of women.' I delight in the chastity and purity of all women and men. How it must grieve the Lord to see virtue violated and modesty mocked on every side in this wicked world. The Lord has provided for His children great joy through intimate, loving relationships. ...I delight in the clarity of the proclamation to the world on the family, which warns that 'individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God’" (General Conference, April 2008).

These scriptures always bring the hymn to my mind, More Holiness Give Me. Listen carefully to the words in the video clip below.

In Jacob 4:14 we read, “But behold, the Jews were a stiff necked 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.” I thought a lot about this scripture. I cannot imagine what it is like to be blind physically. Although life would be difficult, a loss of sight does not determine a lack of fulfillment, learning, and happiness. The consequences of spiritual blindness are far more destructive and can only lead to pain and regret. 

We are warned about blindness that is the result of ‘looking beyond the mark’. Brother Bill Beardall in his outline for Jacob 1-4 presented the meaning of this expression.

• The danger of looking too far into the distance during a cross-country race would mean missing obstacles and stumbling. In the gospel we need to focus on the basics. In time, we will receive greater truths.
• In the age of 5G and html5 we often accept information that is readily available but from less than credible sources. We need to rely on God’s established pattern for receiving personal revelation.
• Extremism comes in many forms. “Gospel extremism is when one elevates any gospel principle above other equally important principles and takes a position that is beyond or contrary to the teachings of Church leaders” (Elder Quentin L. Cook in a talk from General Conference, October 2016).
• Elder Dean L. Larsen spoke about putting ourselves in jeopardy by
  debating speculative and theoretical matters and ignoring simple, basic principles of truth (General Conference, October 1987). He stated further, “There are other ways in which many of us often look beyond the mark. Sometimes we focus too much of our attention and energy upon our temporal wants…Too often we permit the narrow demands of our daily routine to dull our appreciation of the beauty of God's creations and the refining influences that are all about us. We fail to experience the fulfillment that comes from developing the gifts and talents with which we have been endowed. We do not draw close enough to the Lord to know him and feel of his redeeming love.”

Elder Quentin L. Cook (left) Elder Dean L. Larsen (right)

The truth we need is in the scriptures. We need to read the Book of Mormon, participate in Come Follow Me and listen to modern scripture as we receive it at General Conference. We also need to stay close to the Spirit and strive to be humble and obedient.