Jacob 3:5-7 "how much better are they"

I find it interesting that Jacob calls his audience's attention to the righteousness of the Lamanites. It is very easy when we think we are "the chosen people" to look down on "those people in the great and spacious building" (hashtag).

"I don't drink or smoke like them."
"At the second coming I won't be burned like them because I've paid my fire insurance."
"I defend the family... unlike them [complete with head shaking]."

But Jacob teaches that they only do wrong because that's what their parents have taught them. Jacob makes it clear that family was important to the Lamanites. In fact, we can cross-reference these verses with 1 Nephi 17:20. In this verse Nephi's older brothers say:

"and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions."

While his brothers may have been wrong, they were not oblivious to their wives' hardships. Perhaps the loving of spouse and children was taught among Lamanites from their first parents.

Jacob warns the Nephites that at the last day the Lamanites will be better off because the . (Yes I avoided the potentially racist phraseology.)

What am I to learn from this? Do I remember my own filthiness before the Lord or am I too busy condemning Babylon? Do I pay enough attention to my wife's hardships (we do have two almost three teenage boys and a 5-year old drama queen)? How much of what I believe is a product of the traditions of my fathers? (Note the plural... I'm not blaming you dad specifically but more generally the erroneous beliefs that have been passed down from generations.) I suppose if I believe Jacob I shouldn't spend too much time worrying about that last question.

"but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers."

In the end, I need to worry about my own filthiness, not from whence it came, but I should remember the source for the filthiness of others.

Jacob 3:10 "and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day"

Cross reference with 2 Nephi 9:3 "lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children." Note that Jacob speaks both verses.

In 2 Nephi 9:3, Jacob, after telling the Nephite nation that the Lord would restore His true church in the latter days, encourages his people to rejoice because of the blessings their posterity would see. There are a few lessons we should take away from this verse.

First, we have been blessed because of the righteousness of our forbearers. Do we give enough credit to our parents and their parents for the sacrifices they endured? I know I don't often reflect on the long hours my dad worked to keep a roof over our head and food on the table or the times my mother stayed up late helping me with an assignment that I had known about for weeks but had waited til the last minute because I was too busy watching reruns of CHiPs.

Second, in the future our posterity will be blessed by our faithfulness today. What lessons are we teaching them? Do we teach them to recognize and respond to the Holy Ghost? Do we teach them to love and serve one another and their fellowman? Do we rejoice because they will be blessed?

Ten to 15 years pass and Jacob's preaching has turned to warning. Such a short time.

In this verse, Jacob tells everyone that unless they repent their children's sins will "be heaped upon [their] heads at the last day"

Am I more deserving of the first sermon or the second?

Passing the sacrament in a blue shirt

Today before sacrament meeting, my middle son was responsible for recruiting enough priesthood to pass the sacrament. As the bishop stood to start the meeting, they were still one man short. For personal reasons, health not worthiness for those of you who are judging me, I don't usually volunteer to pass the sacrament. But for some reason today I thought to myself that I should help. It wasn't a burning impression, just a simple thought to my mind.

After I had been instructed on my route we began singing the opening hymn. That's when I realized I was wearing my power blue shirt, not the official white shirt uniform of the sacrament. For one, brief instant I actually considered finding someone else to help--I personally don't have an issue with the blue shirt, but know that some might and generally I would rather avoid anything that will distract other members of our congregation during the sacrament--but in the end brushed that thought aside.

In our congregation there is a family with Celiac disease. They bring gluten free crackers which get added to their aisle's tray for blessing with the bread. For some reason today, before the meeting started I noted the interaction as the father handed the crackers to the priests.

When the sacrament began, the hymn was sung, the prayers were said, the trays were handed out.

We began to move to our assigned rows when a thought came to my mind, "That's not right." I realized the priest had given the tray with gluten free crackers to the wrong brother. They were heading out to the foyer not to the appropriate aisle. (I'm sure that I was more tuned into this because my wife and two of my children have a gluten intolerance.) As soon as I realized it I went out to the foyer to get with gluten-free tray. Then I went to the man who was supposed to have the gluten-free tray and swapped with him so that the family with Celiac disease could participate in the sacrament.

As we finished passing the sacrament I was filled with a quiet gratefulness not only for participating in this ordinance, but for having been briefly an instrument in the Lord's hands to help make sure everyone had a chance to take the sacrament... in spite of my blue shirt.

Jacob 1:5 "because of faith and great anxiety"

Is great anxiety anything like high anxiety? Sorry. Had to ask.

I find it interesting that Jacob has seen his posterity's future because of faith and great anxiety. I have a difficult time wondering what will become of my immediate children; could I really see what will happen in distant generations? Would I want to? What would I want for them? What do I want for my immediate children?

I want them to be happy and love the Lord. I want my children to be better than me; I have made mistakes that I hope they don't make. I hope they find husbands and wives that they can love and that will love them back.

Perhaps I need to spend more time cultivating great anxiety for my posterity so I can recognize the rare opportunities to influence the future today.

2 Nephi 26:22* "Grind the face of the poor"

*clearly quoting Isaiah here.

Grind (v) to reduce to small particles or dust by crushing

Face is our outward appearance. It is how we express ourselves to other people. "Saving face" is all about preserving dignity. Grinding the face of the poor is all about removing from the poor the ability to express who they are to others. It removes all their dignity.

How am I guilty of this?

2 Nephi 9:28 "When we are learned..."

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

We often read this and assume that "When they are learned they think they are wise" applies to scholars or intellectuals who get a little too much book learning and then think they know better than God. After all, that's the interpretation taught in Sunday School and seminary so it must be right.

I wonder if we shouldn't do a better job applying this passage to ourselves. Do I ever find myself thinking that just because I went to all four years of seminary, or because I go to Sunday School each week, I am wise regarding the scriptures? Could this verse apply to learning from General Conference or the Ensign? Maybe the Handbook of Instructions?

Perhaps the Lord wants to counsel me, but I am so certain of the interpretation of whatever it is I'm studying that I miss His whispering Spirit. Perhaps this scripture applies to spiritual knowledge just as much as scholarly learning.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't pay attention to General Conference or read the Ensign

In short we should ask ourselves more often, "Do I set aside His counsel because I think I already know what He is telling me in spiritual matters?

2 Nephi 9:5-6

Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.
For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.
Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement

In this passage Jacob explains why the atonement is required, why the Lord must subject Himself to man in the flesh. I find it interesting that Jacob uses for the Lord not the title Redeemer or Savior or for that matter even the common Lord. Instead he refers to the Lord as the Creator. Can we learn anything from this?

In my mind the relationship between the fall and the atonement is clear: the one necessitated the other. Linking both to the creation I think helps us recognize that the fall is surely personal for the Lord. Yes, before the fall, the world was "very good", but more than that, it was the handiwork of the Lord. He created it. It was His own very good world. Surely He felt satisfaction, even a sense of pride, in His creation. ("Pride" here in the non-President Benson sense of the word.) I know I feel a definite sense of accomplishment when I make manage to get four wheels on a pinewood derby car that makes it all the way down the track. I can only imagine what Christ felt once the world was in orbit and full of all manner of beauty.

Even though He knew that the fall, thanks to His merciful plan, would be a positive thing in the long run, I'm certain He felt some sorrow for His creation. I imagine that this sadness helped motivate Him when He suffered for us. Surely knowing that His creation would be lost forever without the atonement gave added purpose to His suffering and motivation to help Him bear the agony.