Jacob 2

(All of my own thoughts are in red type.5/20 green 2/21 Orange 5/22Brown 2023.)

Chapter 2

Jacob denounces the love of riches, pride, and unchastity—Men may seek riches to help their fellowmen—The Lord commands that no man among the Nephites may have more than one wife—The Lord delights in the chastity of women. About 544–421 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 Was he literally 'in' the temple? If so, the people were inside as well. I usually picture them outside... this day that I might declare unto you the word of God. Prophets are accountable for the sins of the people if they do not teach or warn according to God’s commands and the requirements of their office. While this may bring a measure of mercy to the people when they stand before God on judgment day, it does not seem like it would change the immediate mortal consequences experienced here on earth. Maybe it has more to do with what it means to the prophet than the people.
  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. His people had been obedient thus far. I’m not sure what would have caused him anxiety, but this topic for sure is a concern that has consequences for the souls of some of his people. 
  4 For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of the Lord, 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 ^athoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God. Only God can reveal the thoughts and intents in the heats of others to man. How does one 'labor' in sin in thought? I think it might mean they were trying to figure out how to put their thoughts into motion; bring them to pass. They were working on it...
  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 hearts. Did he shrink with shame that he had not taught them sufficiently to keep them from desiring the things they were guilty of believing? We have to be careful that the teaching - that temptation, if not acted on is not a sin - doesn't lead us to believe that temptation, not acted on but embraced in one's heart is not a sin. It is. Laboring on our temptations to figure out how to act on them without sinning, or trying to figure out how to justify them is 'embracing' the thought in your heart. Jesus said to 'lust' after a woman is the same as doing the act. So there is a difference between the thought presented by Satan and what we do with the thoughts after that. The temptation becomes a sin when we 'labor' or spend time working on the thought to keep it and not cast it out.
  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; God does not protect the innocent from truths that may cause them grief or sorrow. Truth is truth. Many shrink from truths that would cause them confusion or anxiety. Some people mock innocence and call it naivety. Here we are taught that it is pleasing to God that we keep our feelings 'exceedingly' tender and chaste and delicate; the latter showing that these people are easily hurt by harsh or unchaste words and actions.
  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. There are pleasing words of God and words that would cause us to sorrow or fear. Pleasing words can heal us. Verse 9 will show that some had already been hurt by the thoughts/words of the men
  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. Pretty harsh, descriptive words and a very clear preface to his sermon.
  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. What is the “piercing eye” of God? Is he reinforcing the truth that God knows all and that we cannot hide anything from him? He could have called a 'priesthood' session for this conference, but may have been told by God that the men needed to know the women and children they were hurting were hearing it also.
  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. God’s word is plain. God doesn’t work in secret or trickery. Yes, he has mysteries, but that must be different. That would be things that have answers that we don’t know, not cloaking the answers in deception and trickery. Was he given the words 'as' he spoke them, or before? 
  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; God gave them their riches, but it just made them want to get more...not according to his timing and providence but according to their own efforts 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. Just wondering if the difference in what they had was according to God’s providence (think talents...”to some he gave one, two, ten) but they thought they had different amounts because some were better or smarter than others...
  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.
  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! Reminding them of the justice and power of God. 
  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! He can rid you of iniquity and abomination but you have to yield to his commands and not let pride destroy your soul. 
  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. What does it mean to be “familiar” with all? You can be free with your substance and God promises to make them rich like you. It doesn’t make you poor. Interesting...do we believe this? If we truly did, would we ever hesitate to give? My friend Liz is like this. She sees all her income as God's and freely shares it to whomever she sees in need, to the point that she lives paycheck to paycheck. The Lord always provides what she needs. 
  18 But ^abefore ye seek for ^briches, seek ye for the ^ckingdom of God. Seeking the kingdom of God first protects you from seeking riches for the wrong reason. I would think it’s impossible to seek the kingdom of God first and seek for riches for the wrong reason. The minute you seek them for the wrong reason, you are no longer seeking for God. I am learning that to "seek the kingdom of God" means to seek the "mighty change" that comes from receiving the "knowledge of God" that comes with the baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost. 
  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. We’re being taught here that we should never seek for riches unless we are seeking them to give away. I’m wondering if “riches” are just our excess. If you just have enough, or barely, are you “rich”? I’m thinking of King Benjamin’s teaching about this. 
  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? Here we are being given two “fruits” of pride. We “afflict” others and persecute them. 
  21 Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And 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. We are all “beggars” and we are all dependent upon God. (King Benjamin again...) Notice - we were created for the purpose that we keep God's commandments and thus glorify him. Why is that why we were created? Perhaps it is because when we keep His commandments, he blesses us and shares his glory with us.
  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. As bad pride is, Jacob would still rejoice over them if that were their only crime. Why is that? Is pride easier to remedy or change beliefs about that immoral lusts? I think so...I also wonder if he lead out with pride because it is a necessary precursor to immoral sin...
  23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax increase 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. this may have been part of how they were 'laboring' in sin in their thoughts. They were searching the scriptures for ways to justify their desires.
  24 Behold, David and ^aSolomon truly had many ^bwives and concubines, which thing was ^cabominable before me, saith the Lord. Jacob was denouncing unauthorized marriages, on the part of David and Solomon. Such constituted adultery, sexual sin against the marriage covenant. David’s adulterous actions with Bathsheba were unauthorized and condemned (2 Samuel 11-12). Solomon’s marriage was to “strange wives,” or to foreign women who turned his heart away from the everlasting covenant and the worship of the Lord Jehovah, and was unauthorized and condemned (1 Kings 11). ¹⁵
  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 Joseph. Think parable of the vineyard...
  26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. Here is an interesting phrase...”I will not suffer” it...How does that work with agency? Does that mean God sends prophets to try and stop the incorrect beliefs? Does it mean he sends judgement to take people off the planet so they can’t persist in their sins? (Noah)
  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 none;
  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.
  29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or ^acursed be the land for their sakes. So...if you want to be rich...keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll take your riches away. You choose. We need to remember as our land is now "being cursed for our sakes" that it is to humble us and turn us to repentance and God.
  30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up ^aseed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things. Here’s God’s own exception to the rule...
  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. This seems to be a sin of man and not woman. And yet it requires the cooperation of women, so it is their sin as well, unless they are taken under force.
  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. It doesn’t sound like God is giving them a choice to sin like this like he did the men in Jerusalem... I wonder why? I also wonder if the expression “lead away captive” is referring to the women who allow themselves to be used like this. How does the “tenderness” of women lead them captive to this sin? Do they just want to be “loved”? If it’s referring to the tenderness of the wives who’s husbands are being unfaithful, how do the sins of their husbands lead them away captive? to what? Maybe they take the daughters by some kind of force?
  34 And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our ^afather, Lehi; 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. Not ok to sin against knowledge... Thus, although the law of Moses permitted wives and concubines, the Lord apparently forbade the practice for the house of Joseph in the Promised Land, in the Americas. This was probably in part because of its historic abuses, but also because the basis for such marriages did not exist in Lehi’s colony.
  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. What does this mean? “because of the strictness of the word of God, which comes down against you (assuming this is the commandment not to sin that they know clearly about) many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds. Whose hearts died? The men who sinned? The wives hearts died because of the deep wounds caused by their husbands unfaithfulness? If that is what it means (the latter) why is it because of the strictness of the word of God? Is it because their husbands are excommunicated and their sealing covenant broken? What does it mean when your heart dies? At the beginning, he made it sound like they were only thinking about concubines, but here at the end it sounds like they are actually doing it. So maybe it's about striving to find justification for it. One line of thinking is that the sermon here about pride, riches, fine clothing, multiple wives came because the city was "in trade" with other cultures where gold and cloth and even "daughters" could be traded for status or wealth.