Sample Chapter
Jacob, the Brother of Nephi
(after 600 B.C.)
Jacob is one the most powerful doctrinal teachers in the Book of
Mormon. As the fifth son of Lehi and Sariah, he was Nephi’s younger
brother by about fifteen to twenty years. Jacob arrived on the scene
somewhere during the eight years that Lehi and his family lived in the
wilderness of the Arabian Peninsula—between 600 and 592 b.c. He spent
his childhood as a nomad, traveling through the wilderness, over mountains,
across desserts, and upon open oceans until finally arriving at the
Promised Land sometime before his tenth year of life.
Born in the wilderness, Jacob never knew the world his older brothers
experienced—the one of comfort, wealth, prosperity, commerce, and
social status that his family had enjoyed back in Jerusalem. He never
could have imagined the beautiful home they dwelt in, the fine linens and
clothes they once wore, the crowded schools, busy temples, great feasts,
the sights and sounds of a bustling marketplace filled with trinkets and
curiosities brought by travelers from faraway lands.
The family had already fled Jerusalem by the time Jacob came along,
leaving behind all of their many possessions. Carrying with them only
the bare necessities, they wandered through hostile lands in secret, foraging
for food and living in tents. References to the family’s struggle
while Jacob was young include such words as “sorrowful,” (1 Nephi 16:20) “afflictions,”(1 Nephi 17:1) “wanderings,” (I Nephi 16:35) and “sufferings”
(I Nephi 16:35).” Often near the brink of starvation, he watched his family “live upon raw meat” (1 Nephi 17:2) and “wade through much affliction
. . . so much that we cannot write them all”(1 Nephi 17:1&6).
In his young life Jacob was exposed to the terrible power of Satan
and witnessed that destructive force in his family. He observed the awful
cruelty of Laman and Lemuel as they relentlessly taunted and mocked
his father, Lehi. Then he watched helplessly as they tortured and tried
to kill Nephi.
Of these events Lehi wrote, “And now, Jacob, I speak unto you. Thou
art my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And
behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow,
because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn
in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall
consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
“Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely
with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy
God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness
of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fullness of
time he cometh to bring salvation unto men. And thou hast beheld in thy
youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he
shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the same, yesterday, today, and
forever” (2 Nephi 2:1–4).
As prophesied by Lehi, Jacob did grow up in Nephi’s shadow to become
a valiant and godly man. Rather than embitter him, the hardships
of his life forged him into a man of great empathy and sensitivity. After
Lehi’s death the travelers disbanded, forming two groups—the Nephites
and the Lamanites. Jacob followed Nephi, continuing to honor and serve
his beloved brother and his God. He witnessed many miracles, had many
visions, and was administered to by angels. He even beheld the Lord
Jesus Christ, as testified by Nephi: “And my brother, Jacob, also has seen
him as I have seen him” (2 Nephi 11:3).
Nephi trusted Jacob so much that he charged him with safeguarding
the brass plates brought from Jerusalem. Additionally, he passed to
him the sacred responsibility of continuing the written record of Lehi’s
descendents. This record he wrote on the small plates of Nephi.
After Nephi’s death, Jacob continued to teach and preach the word of
God to the people, along with his younger brother, Joseph. His powerful,
persuasive and tender messages convinced many to keep the commandments
of God. Perhaps because he grew up with Laman and Lemuel and
watched pride harden their hearts, he so strongly denounced the evil of
pride and stiffneckedness and stressed the need for love and humility.
Illustrating great sensitivity to the challenges that women face, he condemned
the sins of fornication, lasciviousness, and unchastity:
“Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them
in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord. For I,
Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers
of this people, by the hand of Nephi. And we did magnify our office unto
the Lord” (Jacob 1:17–19).
Jacob witnessed the division of his people, experienced the hatred of
the Lamanites, and lived to see the horrific period in his people’s history
when the Nephites became more wicked than the Lamanites. Yet all the
days of his life he faithfully served the Lord, repeatedly bearing his testimony
of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ: “For this intent have we
written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and
we had a hope of his glory many hundreds of years before his coming”
(Jacob 4:4).
In the prophet Jacob’s last words, we gain a sense of his frustration.
But mostly we feel the tenderness of his spirit, the strength of his faith,
and the eternal hope he had in the Savior.
Last Words
Jacob 4:1–13
Now behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much
unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because
of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know
that the things which we write upon plates must remain; But whatsoever
things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and
vanish away, but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give
our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge
concerning us, or concerning their fathers.
Now in this thing we do rejoice, and we labor diligently to engraven
these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children
will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that
they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt,
concerning their first parents.
For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know
that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred
years before his coming, and not only we ourselves had a hope of his
glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they
believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we
worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of
Moses, it pointing our souls to him, and for this cause it is sanctified
unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the
wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his
son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.
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.
Nevertheless, the Lord God showed us our weakness that we may
know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children
of men, that we have power to do these things.
Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable
are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that
man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save
it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations
of God. For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of
the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore,
if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was
created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship
of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel
from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in
wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works. Wherefore,
beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of
Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according
to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented
as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtaining a good
hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why
not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge
of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to
come?
Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the
understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not.
Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they
really will be, wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for
the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these
things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.
Jacob 6:5–13
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I beseech of you in words of soberness
that ye would repent, and come with full purpose of heart, and
cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy
is extended towards you in the light of the day, harden not your hearts.
Yea, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; for why will
ye die?
For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God
all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down
and cast into the fire? Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject
the words of the prophets, and will ye reject the words which have been
spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him;
and deny the good work of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of
the Holy ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great
plan of redemption, which has been laid for you?
Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the
redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to
stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God? And according
to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away
into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and
whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone
is endless torment.
Oh then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait
gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal
life. Oh be wise; what can I say more? Finally, I bid you farewell, until
I shall meet you before the pleasing bar of God, which bar striketh the
wicked with awful dread and fear. Amen.
Jacob 7:26–27
I conclude this record, declaring that I have written according to the
best of my knowledge, by saying that the time passed away with us, and
also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a
lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born
in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused
wars and contentions, wherefore, we did mourn out our days.
And I Jacob, saw that I must soon go down to my grave; wherefore,
I said unto my son Enos: Take these plates. And I told him the things
which my brother Nephi had commanded me, and he promised obedience
unto the commands. And I make an end of my writing upon these plates,
which writing has been small, and to the reader I bid farewell, hoping
that many of my brethren may read my words. Brethren, adieu.
About the Author
Kathleen Ryan is an award-winning writer and public relations professional. Originally from Massachusetts, she moved to Florida where she resided for 25 years before relocating to rural Alabama.
Kathleen launched her writing career in 1980, and since then has written more than 1,200 articles for national and international magazines, newspapers and trade publications, in addition to editing, co-authoring, and ghost writing a variety of specialty books.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, her life-long service has included: Area Media Specialist, Stake Relief Society President, Sunday School Teacher, and Church Educational System (CES) Instructor for both Seminary and Institute classes.
The inspiration behind the book...
... I knew God answers our prayers in His time when we're really ready to receive it, and I believed with all my heart that He would answer mine...(read the full story)
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