|
|
|
|
CHAPTER 2Jacob denounces the love of riches, pride, and unchastity—Men should seek riches to help their fellow men—Jacob condemns the unauthorized practice of plural marriage—The Lord delights in the chastity of women. [Between 544 and 421 B.C.] |
||
|
1 THE awords which Jacob,
the brother of Nephi, spake unto the people of Nephi, after the death of
Nephi:
2 Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the aresponsibility which I am under to God, to bmagnify mine office with csoberness, and that I might drid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God. 3 And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the awelfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.
|
1a
2 Ne. 6:1 2a TG Stewardship; b Rom. 11:13; Jacob 1:19; D&C 24:3 c TG Sincerity d Mosiah 2:28 3a 2 Ne. 6:3; Mosiah 25:11
|
|
|
4 For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of
the Lorda, which I have given unto
you.
5 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 athoughtsa, how that ye are beginning to labor in sinb, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God. 6 Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your heartsa.
|
4a as yet, ye have been obedient unto the
word of the Lord Jacob's admonition to the people of Nephi is
from a very unique perspective. Jacob states that on a performance of actual
'physical action' that the Nephites had been obedient in action unto the
word of the Lord. But is 'action' enough to avoid and not to have otherwise
sinned? What is there beyond the actual sin of 'comission', that is having
actually carried out the sin in performance which could be considered as sin?
5a by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you concerning your thoughts 'As a man thinketh, so is he,' is a profound statement which sees beyond the facade or false front of hypocritical appearance. What if the Bishop knew of your secret thoughts and what is actually the thought of your mind and the intent of your heart? 5b ye are beginning to labor in sin Before the action comes the thought planted in the mind and nurtured by the desire of the heart. And when the mind and heart is upon the intent of wickedness, the action is not far behind. And the Lord who sees beyond the facade of outward appearance, does judge men according to the desires of their hearts. And when the hearts of men are set upon wickedness, then the Lord does count it unto them as sin. Here in is the fault and sin of the Nephites of Jacob's day. 6a I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts Here exactly is were Jacob's command from God is directed. He is to judge the 'hearts' of man. Christ will and does so judge man, according to the desires of his heart. How do the desires of your heart measure up to the commandments of God? Are your individual, personal and private desires of your heart conform to the standards and principles of the gospel, of the kingdom of God? And are they of a Godly nature in all their respects? Or has evil entered in and do you desire that which is not becoming before the face of the Lord? Does and can the Lord so judge a man? Jesus in mortality would continually point to the hypocrasy of the leaders of the Jews. Outwardly they did perform all according to the letter of the law. But their hearts were not in order that they did desire the righteousness of God above the things of the world. Which has priority within our hearts and minds? Is God, his righteousness and kingdom formost before us mentally and according to the desires of heart continually? |
5a
Amos 4:13;
Alma 12:3-7;
D&C 6:16; TG God, Omniscience of
|
|
7 And also it grieveth me that I must use so much
aboldness of speech concerning you, before your wives and
your children, many of whose feelings are exceedingly tender and
bchaste and delicate before God, which thing is pleasing
unto God;
8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing aword of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul. 9 Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to aadmonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.
|
7a
Lev. 19:17;
D&C 121:43 b TG Chastity; 8a Micah 2:7; Alma 31:5; Alma 36:26; Hel. 3:29-30; TG Gospel 9a TG Warnings
|
|
|
10 But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do
according to the strict acommands of God, and tell you
concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in
heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the
bpiercing eye of the Almighty God.
11 Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the aplainness of the bword of God. For behold, as I inquired of the Lord, thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people.
|
10a
TG
Commandments of God b 2 Ne. 9:44; TG God, Omniscience of; 11a 2 Ne. 25:4; 2 Ne. 33:5; Jacob 4:13 b Jacob 7:5
|
|
|
12 And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare unto
you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for
all manner of precious aores, in the which this land, which
is a bland of promise unto you and to your seed, doth
abound most plentifully.
13 And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are alifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they. 14 And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.
|
12a
1 Ne. 18:25;
2 Ne. 5:15 (14-16);
Hel. 6:9-11; Ether 9:17; Ether 10:23 (12, 23) b 1 Ne. 4:14; 1 Ne. 17:13-14; TG Promised Lands 13a 2 Kings 14:10; Alma 1:32; Alma 31:25; Morm. 8:28, 36-40
|
|
|
15 O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and with one
glance of his aeye he can smite you to the dust!
16 O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination. And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not this apride of your hearts destroy your souls! 17 Think of your abrethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your bsubstance, that cthey may be rich like unto you.
|
15a
TG
God, Indignation;
TG
God, Omniscience 16b TG Pride 17a James 5:3 (1-6); TG Love b TG Almsgiving; TG Generosity; TG Welfare c Alma 4:12; Alma 5:55; 4 Ne. 1:3, 24-26
|
|
|
18 But abefore ye seek for
briches, seek ye for the ckingdom 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 ado good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.
|
18a
Mark 10:24 (17-27) b 1 Kings 3:11-13; Prov. 27:24-27; 2 Ne. 26:31; Alma 39:14; D&C 6:7; TG Worldliness c Luke 12:31 (22-31) 19a Mosiah 4:26; 3 Ne. 12:42; 4 Ne. 1:3; TG Good Works
|
|
|
20 And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning
pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and
persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the
things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?
21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And [that] the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his acommandments and glorify him forever.
|
21a
D&C 11:20;
Abr. 3:25-26
|
|
|
22 And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning this
pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a
grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you.
23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing awhoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. 24 Behold, David and aSolomon truly had many bwives and concubines, which thing was cabominable before me, saith the Lord.
|
Jacob here condems the manner after which David and Solomon did have many
wives and concubines. He did not condem Abraham, Isaac or Jacob who also
had plural wives. Thus it seems there is a difference in the manner of
which plurality of wives is practiced.
Commanded of God and given of God, and not after the desires of man. (see D&C 132:1, 38). |
23a
TG
Whoredom 24a 1 Kings 11:1; Neh. 13:26 (25-27) b Deut. 17:17 (14-17); 2 Sam. 5:13; D&C 132:39 (38-39) c Deut. 7:3 (1-4); 1 Kings 11:3; Ezra 9:2 (1-2)
|
|
25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out
of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise
up unto me a arighteous branch from the fruit of the loins
of Josepha.
26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. 27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any aman among you have save it be bone cwife; and concubines he shall have nonea; 28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the achastity of women. And bwhoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
|
25a that I might raise up unto me a
righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph Now in
Joseph's patriarchal blessing under the hand of Jacob, it states that Joseph's
bough was a fruitful bough whose branches ran over the wall. Now the 'wall'
has been interpreted by many as being the watery ocean and this well be in
a number of such cases, for it is the only way that the descendants of Joseph
can come the the promised land of Joseph as stipulated in the Book of Mormon
(Ether 13:2-8). But in another respect the 'wall' may also be viewed as that
of the border of the original land of Israel. Thus when the kingdom of Israel
was carried away captive and scattered, they had ran or gone beyond the
wall of the national border of Israel. And when Lehi's and Mulek's party did
pass accross the ocean, they two ran over the wall or border of the original
land of Israel over the what was actually the promised land of Joseph. And
also it has now been in the latter days that among the Gentiles is to be
found the seed of the house of Joseph, which has also ran over the ocean
wall to this land of America. And this time for the purpose of fulfilling
the promises made unto Abraham which are to be fulfiled by Ephraim as assisted
by Manasseh in bring the Gospel of Christ to all the nations of the earth.
The Lord's purposes of raising up righteous branches unto Joseph is to be found in the fact that Joseph is the Lord's or God's 'Firstborn', meaning Joseph was in whom the covenant of the fathers remained and was preserved (Jeremiah 31:9, D&C 27:10). The three Book of Mormon branches brought over to the promised land of Joseph beyond the natural borders or 'wall' of the original land of Israel were Lehi's family of Manasseh, Ishmael's family of Ephraim and Mulek's family which represented those of the legal and rightful heirs of the covenant through the seed of the house of David, which was also of the house of Joseph (Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). 27a there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none Now this was an echo of the commandment first given by Lehi, for the Lamanites also were so instructed (see verse 34). And this was the standard given of Lehi unto his people that they should observe upon the land 'except that God himself should command otherwise' (see verse 30). |
25a
Gen. 49:22-26;
Ezek. 17:22-24;
Amos 5:15; 2 Ne. 3:5; 2 Ne. 14:2; Alma 26:36; TG Israel, Joseph, People of 27a TG Marriage, Husbands b Jacob 3:5-7; D&C 49:16; TG Marriage, Plural c TG Marriage, Wives 28a TG Chastity b TG Sexual Immorality; TG Whoredom
|
|
29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord
of Hosts, or acursed be the land for their sakes.
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up aseed unto me, I will command my peoplea; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things. 31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and aabominations of their bhusbands.
|
30a if I will, saith the Lord of Host,
raise up seed unto me, I will command my people The taking of more
than one wife IS NOT the common order of the church or of man. Only when the
Lord Commands it, is it to be practiced. And the Lord stipulates here a major
reason for the practice and that is, 'to raise up seed unto me.
That this was a purpose in the Lord in the early restored church must well be
considered. That the Lord desired to raise up children and families of the
prophets and righteous saints, that they might be trained up in the ways of
the Lord, is certainly a prime consideration of why the Lord did command
Joseph Smith to initiate the practice in the early restored church though the
Book of Mormon had condemned it for any other reason and for any such purpose
in the perspective of man. In the Doctrine and Covenants is it refered to as
the 'principle or law of Sarah' (D&C 132:65). Now the Lord had justified
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and Solomon in taking many wives, but not
to the extend and for the corrupted purposed for which David and Solomon did
fall into after they had devolved into their states of wickedness. That is
only when David and Solomon took it upon themselves to engage in additional
marriages which were not given of the Lord did they sin (D&C 132:1 & 38).
In David's case that would have included such as Bathsheba and such as
represented by Abishag, for so had the morals of David devolved to suffer
that he did participate in many such whoredoms with strange women, wives and
concubines, and so did his son Solomon also fall into such a sinful state
which was indeed abominable before the Lord.
But the purpose of the Lord in having these man participate was to raise up seed unto the Lord. For in the case of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it was needful to begin to multiply the seed of Israel that it might one day be as numerous as the stars. Also in David and Solomon, the promised seed of Jesse, as per the promises of Isaiah 11 (D&C 113), was to be fulfilled. And these were fruitful branches bring forth both nature fruit of Israel as well as wild fruit, that the 'branch of the Messiah' might be a numerous branch as well in order to 'hide' the Messiah in it until the time that he would come forth. And also to hide those other who would participate in the restoration as the descendants of Jesse, who was legally and rightfully of the tribe of Ephraim and of the seed of Joseph (Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph). |
29a
Ether 2:11 (8-12);
TG
Curse 30a Mal. 2:15; D&C 132:63 (61-66) 31a TG Family, Children, Responsibilities toward b TG Marriage, Husbands
|
|
32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the
cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out
of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men
of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.
33 For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit awhoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.
|
320a
Ezek. 16:25 (20-34);
TG
Sensuality
|
|
|
34 And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments
were given to our afather, Lehia;
wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have
come unto great condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought
not to have done.
35 Behold, ye have done agreater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the bstrictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds. |
34a ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi Here is evidence that much which was given unto Lehi which is not had in the pages of the abridged and condensed Book of Mormon. They would have been accessible to the people upon the record of Lehi. And as stated by Jacob, the Nephites would have been well aware of them, as Lehi would have written them for the benefit and direction of his children, his people. And here in lies the purpose of the Book of Mormon. It was not written to the Nephites of Jacob's day. The Book of Mormon was written unto us in this day and age. It was not a secular history to be studied for the sake of gaining the worldly or scientific wisdom, learning and knowledge of man. It was written that we might know of the spiritual and of God according to the needs that we have and what the Lord would have revealed unto us for the needs of our salvation today. It is a highly condensed and abridged record scaled and shapened to meet a particular point, to meet a particular end. The wisdom of the Lord in providing Nephi's small plates record was not merely to cover the folly of Joseph Smith in dealing with Martin Harris. That could have been dealt with otherwise. But the particular wisdom in the Lord to provide a spiritually directed record of just the 'ministry' of the gospel has as it full intend and purpose to be used as a source of guidance and direction in living according to and within the fulness of the gospel of God in this the latter-day. |
34a
1 Ne. 1:16-17 35a Jacob 3:5-7 b Gen. 2:24
|
| This BM Book | Previous BM Chapter | Next BM Chapter | Commentary Page | Home Page |