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Jacob 1–4 | Scripture Study Insights with Tyler Griffin | A Come Follow Me Resource · Scripture Central

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Hello there. My name is Tyler Griffin and
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this is Scripture Study Insights by Scripture Central.
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Today we're going to talk about Jacob, chapters one through 4,
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and this is a powerful section of Scripture where Nephi has
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passed the baton of teaching and leading as a prophet the people
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to his younger brother Jacob, while he's passed the kingship
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and the ruling of the people on to somebody else.
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So here was Nephi who was both a king and a priest.
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Now two different people are going to be carrying those two
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different batons. And so we follow the prophetic
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line as we pick up the words of Jacob, his younger brother.
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And it's important to to recognize that if you're Jacob,
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how do you feel taking over for your your elder brother Nephi,
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who was bigger than life in in many stories?
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So before we dive into the actual words, can we pause for
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just a moment and and consider what this might have been like
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for Jacob. He was born in the wilderness of
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affliction. He had, he had experienced much
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because of the rudeness of his brothers.
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According to Second Ephi chapter 2, where Lehigh is talking to
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young Jacob in those first few verses, he has never really had
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a settled life. He's always been on the go and
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kind of running away from danger.
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And he has a a different approach to life, a different
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personality than Nephi. And Can you imagine when Nephi
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this this prophet who was bigger than life in so many settings,
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then turns the mantle of prophetic leadership over to
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Jacob, along with the care of those small plates of Nephi?
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The large plates were given to the next king, and the small
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plates, the sacred record, were given to Jacob.
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I I can only imagine how Jacob feels this sense of inadequacy,
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this feeling of I I don't know if I can do this, but I love the
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fact that Jacob, even though he's a little more reticent at
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first in the way he addresses the people, and if I was much
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more direct, it seems, at least in the way the writing comes
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out. But when Jacob finally gets into
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his prophetic role of teaching the people, it is beautiful to
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watch God work through him and move his work forward.
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That gives me great hope at the the local level as well as the
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global level for the church to to allow God to be in charge of
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the people that he calls into the positions that into which he
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calls them and the timing for each of those callings for for
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different purposes. And it's it's beautiful to watch
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that play out in our scriptures today.
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Now, one scripture study and scripture teaching idea, a
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principle that I want to point out as we're going to use as an
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overlay for these four chapters today, is a a concept of true
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discipleship and the directionality of arrows.
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So if you consider the principle of a person, you've got arrows
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that turn outward that you're looking at other people at their
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needs. You've got arrows that turn
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heavenward, that look to God for direction, and then you have
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arrows that turn inward to take care of your needs.
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What happens in these scripture stories?
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And and Jacob, chapter one through 4 is a great place to
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demonstrate the directionality of these arrows.
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But this could be done in any chapter of scripture to consider
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What am I doing with my agency? Which direction are most of my
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arrows or many of my arrows facing?
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Are they facing inward? Is it about me?
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Is it about what I can get from you?
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Is it about what I am seeking to get from God and from other
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people and from things? Or am I getting to the point in
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my discipleship and in my life or or spiritual maturity?
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Whichever way you want to, you want to frame this.
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Am I now turning more of my arrows and my attention and my
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effort and my energy outward to lift people and build people?
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Clearly there are some of the arrows that have to be turned
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inward. You you have to provide
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nourishment and and sustenance to to sustain life.
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You need to get proper rest, proper exercise.
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You you need to take care of of hygiene, things that have to be
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done. The fascinating thing with
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humanity is this deep desire to get more more than other people
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have. Whether it's more money, more
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power, more popularity, more prestige, more possessions, more
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notoriety, whatever it may be, it's the the natural tendencies
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inside of all of us are these 'cause these drives to want
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more. Now watch what happens as we go
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through this block of scripture. Let's watch these arrows and
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watch for the role of prophets and how God uses those prophets
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and how those prophets are received or rejected by
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different people in different settings at different times.
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And this will provide some foundations of of principles for
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us to apply in our day. Today I love this prophet Jacob
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who takes over in in in a very difficult setting as his brother
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Nephi is aging. And here we pick it up.
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In chapter one, verse one, you get his call to be the prophet.
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For behold, it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed
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away from the time that Lehigh left Jerusalem.
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Wherefore, Nephi, the prophet gave me Jacob a commandment
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concerning the small plates upon which these things are Engraven.
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He tells him that he should not touch save it were lightly
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concerning the history of the people.
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But you're going to write the more sacred.
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Spiritual things of the soul on these plates.
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And then if you look at verse six, he says, we also had many
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revelations in the spirit of much prophecy, Wherefore we knew
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of Christ and his Kingdom which should come.
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That doesn't just come out of the blue.
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Usually that comes because people have sought him.
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Jacob and Nephi have spent their lifetime not being perfect, but
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turning more and more and more of their arrows heavenward to
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try to seek God's will. And now they've received the
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this knowledge. Now verse 7.
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This verse is one that you you could mark again and again.
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This this our need for a prophet, our need for apostles,
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for leaders who are divinely appointed and commissioned, and
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then inspired. Look at verse 7.
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Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might
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persuade them to come unto Christ and partake of the
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goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any
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means he should swear in his wrath that they should not enter
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in as in the provocation in the days of temptation, while the
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children of Israel were in the wilderness.
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There's a lot in that verse, so let's pause for a minute and and
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try to unpack some of the the principles here and the
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practices that we can apply in our own life.
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The prophets are not called to sit on a throne that is lifted
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up and that is high, so they can sit back and receive the praise
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of the world. That is not the prophetic call.
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The prophetic call is to become a servant of those that that are
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in their their jurisdiction, in this case all of these Nephites.
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Jacob is called to labor diligently, not to sit back.
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So some of the arrows that perhaps had been turned more
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inward as far as his usage of time or energy or effort or
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money, whatever it may be. Now those get more consecrated
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and turned outward. When a prophet is called, it's
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not just a calling from God for them to to speak or to write or
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to do little things here. There, in essence, they are
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called to pattern their life, their words, their deeds, more
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more than ever before. After the perfect example given
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to us by Jesus Christ, nobody laboured more diligently than
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Jesus Christ. Nobody did more to persuade
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people to come unto God and to partake of the goodness of God
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than did Jesus Christ. So here's Jacob.
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Like our current prophets and apostles and leaders of the
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Church today, who is given this divine Commission to now
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represent the Savior in going out and laboring among the
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people? Now, this isn't just applicable
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to profits. This in in other dimensions.
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It's applicable to every leader in the Church, whether it's at
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the the area level, the stake level, the ward level, the
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branch level, or an organization level.
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In a in a ward or a branch setting, everyone who is given
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an assignment. It's not just to fill time.
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It's not just to do tasks as important as those tasks
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sometimes are. It's to more fully reflect the
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Christ like attributes and words and teachings that he has has
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given to us. So I love this that the Jacob is
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fulfilling that assignment, laboring diligently.
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Lest notice this last part, it says lest these people should
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not enter into the rest of the Lord, as in the provocation in
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the days of the temptation, while the children of Israel
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were in the wilderness. You could write in your margin
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there numbers, chapters 13 and 14.
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In fact, the entire book of numbers.
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It's it's one long example of the children of Israel who were
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coming into the Promised Land from Egypt and they stopped at
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Kadesh Barnia. They have been complaining and
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murmuring and and causing problems with everything that
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they're not getting. The arrows and numbers are
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largely turned inward with these people who and granted they've
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spent 400 years in Egyptian bondage, in slavery to the
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Egyptians. So you can see that there's some
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some good rational reasons why they might be struggling with
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this. It's not an excuse.
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It's more of a contextual perception of they're they're
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having a hard time with all these arrows turned inward.
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What do I want and what do I want right now.
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So as we finally, after about six months, get them from Sinai,
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we've had the golden calf experience.
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We've had multiple struggles out there in the wilderness.
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And finally Moses says let's go in and he sends the 12 spies in
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to spy out all the land. They spend 40 days and 40 nights
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and come back with fruits and honey and milk.
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And they say it is a land that flows with milk and honey.
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It is beautiful, but we're not able to take it because there's
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so many people on the land that we're like grasshoppers and
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they're giants. It it's impossible.
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The opposition is bigger than our opportunity to take it.
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This is a this is a beautiful commentary, not just on the
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children of Israel 3500 years ago out in the wilderness.
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This is a beautiful commentary on discipleship today because
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what our prophets are doing today is the exact same thing.
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It's a different mode, it's a different form, but it's the
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same purpose. Our prophets are encouraging us
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to enter into the promised land, the promised land of building
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Zion. The President Nelson has said
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the very same things that will lead to to the eternal happiness
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and the eternal joys are the exact same things that will help
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us live the very happiest and and joy filled life that we
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could have today promised land if you will.
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But people reject it and say no, it's too hard, I can't do it.
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There's there's too much opposition I I can't overcome
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the the giants and so many people on the face of the land.
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And so there's this provocation when God says, OK, you're not
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going to enter in, you're going to go back out into the
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wilderness, and you're going to wander around for 39 1/2 more
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years, roughly 40 years, And then the next generation is
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going to get to come in to this promised land.
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So now the prophetic Commission is finalized in verse 19.
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We did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the
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responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own
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heads, if we did not teach them the word of God with all
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diligence. That is such a powerful concept
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when you consider what it means next time you're in a conference
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and you're asked to raise your your hand in sustaining votes
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for our prophets and seers and revelators, our leaders of the
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Church. They are called to magnify that
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office and they have the responsibility.
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They take your sins and my sins upon themselves, which is a very
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Christ like symbol that it rests upon them unless they teach with
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all diligence the word of God to let us know what we're doing
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wrong and where we need to improve.
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Prophets are not called to just go around and pat people on the
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back and say keep up the good work don't change a thing.
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That isn't usually why God calls prophets.
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He usually calls them to shore encourage people, to strengthen
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them, to not discourage them, but to give them that divine
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direction of where they they can improve.
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And he goes on to say, Wherefore by laboring with our might,
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their blood might not come upon our garments.
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Otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would
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not be found spotless at the last day.
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The prophets are not counseling together, saying, what can we do
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to make people uncomfortable? What can we do to offend people?
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What can we do to hurt their feelings?
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That isn't what prophets do. Prophets turn heavenward and
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say, dear Lord, what would thou have us teach this people?
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And when God gives the direction, that's the answer.
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It's not what the prophets want to teach as as as men or as
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leaders. It's what God wants them to
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teach. And it's not always popular in
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the world. But they're not seeking for
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popularity votes. They're they're not in a contest
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for the most likes or the most worldly accolades.
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They're on a divine Commission from the Lord Jesus Christ to be
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a special witness of His name in all the world and to teach the
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principles that he has asked them to teach.
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And you see this coming out so beautifully from the prophet
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Jacob and and it's such a a a powerful example to compare to
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our day and our age and what a blessing and privilege it is to
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have prophets series and Rev laters on the earth with us.
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Which now brings us to his first major interaction with the
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people in his new role after Nephi died.
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And he he's now the the mantle of the prophetic leadership is
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firmly on Jacob's shoulders. So in chapter two he starts his
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speech and it takes him literally 11 verses to get into
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his correct, his corrective teaching.
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And you can kind of see this, this wrestle, this struggle when
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when a prophet stands up to teach the people, you don't want
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the the pendulum to be 100% on the side of correction.
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You don't want to just tell people all the bad things
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they're doing and discipline them, so to speak.
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And at the same time, you don't want a pendulum where it's all
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about consoling. There's this, there's this
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middle ground where some of the people in the audience, they
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absolutely 100% need to be corrected and other people
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sitting in the audience 100% just need to be consoled.
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They need to hear the the pleasing and grace filled words
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of God. And then you've got everybody
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else which is the majority somewhere in between that who
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need to 1° or another to be corrected, but also a little bit
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consoled and they're all mixed in together and you're one,
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you're giving one address to this people.
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So it's fascinating to watch Jacob navigate this, this tricky
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space where you don't want to come down too heavy, but at the
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same time you don't want to come down too light.
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You want to be understood but also leave people motivated and
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not discouraged. So watch what he does.
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It takes him 11 verses to kind of set the stage to say to the
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people, I have to share some really, really difficult
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corrective things with you and. I'm very sad now.
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He he shifts in those 11 verses over to this consoling he he
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tells the women and children, I wish you didn't have to be here.
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I wish you didn't have to, to hear what I'm about to to say.
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But you need to hear it. Everybody needs to hear it.
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And the whole time you're you're reading this.
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If this is your first time reading it, you'd be thinking,
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wow, what does he what does he have against these people?
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What are they? What are they doing so wrong?
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And then he jumps into two things that they're struggling
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with. Remember those arrows that we
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talked about at the beginning? Consider the directionality of
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the arrows for the people who were sitting in that audience,
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feeling very proud, feeling very haughty, feeling better than
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everybody else. Why?
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Because most of their arrows are turned inward.
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They're feeling very self confident because of of what
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they've got going on in their life.
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And Jacob picks this up in verse 12.
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And now, behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare
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unto you, that many of you notice he didn't say all of you,
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He said. Many of you have begun to search
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for gold and for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in
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which this land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your
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seed, doth abound most plentifully.
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Now there's nothing inherently evil about gold and silver and
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precious things. God created them.
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He put them in the earth, made them discoverable by human
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beings. They're wonderful, they're
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beautiful. The problem comes in verse 13.
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The hand of Providence has smiled upon you most pleasingly,
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that you have obtained many riches.
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And because some of you have obtained more abundantly than
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that of your brethren. Ye are lifted up in the pride of
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your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of
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the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren
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because you suppose that ye are better than they.
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So those arrows we talked about, they don't just refer to people,
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they can refer to objects, to things.
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And because they have now turned more of their time and energy,
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attention and attention to objects like gold, silver, and
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precious gems and and things that the earth produces, that's
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where their attention is. And because some of them have
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gained more than others, they now turn those arrows inward and
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are sitting there feeling very smug.
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I'm so much better than you because I am richer than you.
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I dress better than you. My house is nicer than you.
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My chariot is better than yours, whatever the case may be.
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So what is the what is the correction?
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Because he's just diagnosed the problem.
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So therefore what you'll notice when prophets stand up to teach
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people if there's correction that needs to take place, they
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don't just tell the people what they're doing wrong, they don't
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just identify the problem. As my good friend Brent, top
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colleague, used to say all the time, anyone can be a problem
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spotter. The real trick is to be a
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problem solver. And you'll notice prophets don't
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just spot the problems, they do. They identify them, But then
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they always help provide the antidote, the solution to the
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problem. So here's Jacob in his prophetic
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role, following the example of Jesus Christ, not just telling
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them what they're doing wrong, but telling them what they can
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do right to move forward. Verse 17 Think of your brethren
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like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with
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your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.
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So he's inviting them to take some of those arrows that have
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been turned inward, selfishly, pridefully, and with the help of
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the Savior, in His infinite atonement, through the power of
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the Holy Ghost, to turn some of those arrows outward and face
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their brethren, whom in the past they have seen as less than
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themselves, because I'm so much better than them.
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And to shift that mindset to say no, I'm going to see you like
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unto myself. That's the solution.
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And then he goes on verse 18 Before ye seek for riches, seek
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ye for the Kingdom of God. That verse right there is the
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embodiment of everything Jesus Christ did in his life and in
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his ministry. That verse also embodies what
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our Church leaders today model for us all the time.
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They have consecrated fully their life to God, and I love
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them for their sacrifice, for their their willingness to
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literally follow the example of Jesus Christ and give their life
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not just to God, but give their life to all of us in the world.
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What a treasured gift those lives are.
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And it's not just the the leaders that we see, it's their
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spouses, it's their families, the the.
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They are not seeking for riches. They're seeking for the Kingdom
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of God, and you and I are part of that Kingdom that they're
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seeking to build up and notice the promise.
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So we've identified the problem. We've given the antidote, given
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the the solution, the doctrinal steps to be taken to fix the
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problem that we've created with our poor choices.
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And then he gives the promise, and after you have obtained a
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hope in Christ, ye shall obtain riches if ye seek them.
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But you'll notice you're you're going to get these riches.
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Because the riches aren't evil. It's what you do with them that
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causes you to become either good or evil or somewhere in between.
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But his promises? You will get riches God gave
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them as a gift. But what were they intended for?
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It wasn't for building up pride, it was for building up people
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and building up the Kingdom. So look at this next part.
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You will seek them for the intent to do good, to clothe the
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naked. There goes another arrow facing
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away from me and my own clothing.
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To those who maybe aren't given the opportunity to purchase
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their own clothing to feed the hungry, there's another arrow to
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liberate the captive and administer relief to the sick
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and the afflicted. All of those riches all of a
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sudden now, instead of being becoming at an end goal, they
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now become a means to an end of becoming more like Christ.
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He who was the richest of all gave everything away to us so
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that we could become rich. I love the insight shared years
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ago by my friend and colleague Wayne Wayne Dimock when Speaking
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of fast offerings, when he said it's beautiful thing to be able
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to go without food, to experience what the the the
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homeless or the hungry experience all the time.
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And we who are rich then give up some of our money so that we
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become a little poorer in order to lift up those who are poor so
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they can become a little more, a little richer.
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There's a beautiful Christ like symbol in all of that
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interchange going on. When we fast purposefully, when
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we pay a generous fast offering, we are becoming more like the
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Savior Jesus Christ in a small symbolic way compared to His
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infinite sacrifice. He who is infinite, infinitely
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rich, gave up everything, so that you and I, who are
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infinitely poor, could take part of and partake of His abundance,
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and of His goodness and of His grace.
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Now Jacob finishes this, his discussion about riches, by
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saying, Now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning
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this pride. And were it not that I must
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speak unto you concerning A grocer crime, my heart would
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rejoice exceedingly because of you.
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And now he shifts into the more difficult topic.
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He tells them that they have begun to search the scriptures
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and they have sought to excuse themselves in sinful thoughts
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and behavior because of what they're reading regarding David
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and Solomon taking many wives and many concubines.
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So you can picture this, this perspective from Jacob the
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Prophet and the the uncomfortable nature of that
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discussion with all of the women and the children sitting in that
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audience that day, with some of these men sitting there feeling
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all proud and smug that they're they're feeling justified,
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patting themselves on the back, following the example of David
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and Solomon that they're reading about in the scriptures.
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And now here's Jacob the Prophet needing to correct them.
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And I love, I love how he does this in such a a beautiful way.
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He jumped straight to verse 27 and he says, wherefore my
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brethren hear me? So he's mentioning the these are
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my words You're listening to and hearken to the word of the Lord.
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So he's now invoking that prophetic mantle.
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This is not just my opinion. I'm not just telling you what I
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think you should do. He's saying hearken to the word
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of the Lord, but because God isn't speaking from some
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megaphone in the heavens, he's speaking through his mouthpiece
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on the earth, his chosen servant, in this case Jacob.
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He's saying you've got to hear my voice because this is the
31:16
word of God to you. And then in verse 27 He gives
31:21
you the law regarding marriage. There shall not any man that
31:32
that's not one among you, have save it be one wife and
31:37
concubines, he shall have none. So the law is pretty clear.
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One man, one woman as your wife. So he he goes on to say verse
31:48
29. Wherefore this people shall keep
31:51
my commandments, saith the Lord of hosts, or cursed be the land
31:54
for their sakes. And then in verse 30 he lays out
32:01
the exception to the law. And what is the exception for?
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If you could circle the word, if it's conditional, I will.
32:13
So if it's if it's God who wills this, saith The Lord of hosts,
32:20
raise up seed unto me, I will command my people, otherwise
32:26
they shall hearken unto these things.
32:32
So God's making it very clear. There will be times in the past
32:36
in the Bible David and Solomon Israel married Leah and Rachel,
32:42
and the two concubines Bilhan Zilpah you have Moses.
32:46
You have other examples. But those were the exceptions,
32:50
not the rule in the history of the world.
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The the qualifier is that God is the one who's going to command
32:58
the people when he wants to raise up seed.
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And then he He clarifies verse 32.
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I will not suffer, saith the Lord of hosts that the cries of
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the fair daughters of this people.
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Can you picture what this, this is like in that setting for the
33:17
the women and the children who are hurting when they're hearing
33:21
Jacob talk about this because they've seen dad or their
33:24
husband or their son or these these men in their in their
33:29
society doing these things, How painful and hurtful that is.
33:35
And he's saying, I will not suffer that the cries of the
33:39
fair daughters of this people which I've LED out of the land
33:41
of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people.
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God has now rebuked and kept corrected the men, and now
33:51
through Jacob, he's giving some reassurance to the women, to the
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children, to the fair daughters of the people, to say it's not
34:00
your fault. Don't blame yourself because of
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other people's unwise use of their agency.
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Don't, don't take that sin upon yourself.
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God will console you who need to be consoled and He will correct
34:17
you who need to be corrected. And then He He finishes off the
34:23
rest of this, doing a comparison between the Nephite men in that
34:28
time and place with Jacob and the Lamanites.
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You'll notice the way that chapter 3's heading describes
34:35
this. It says the pure in heart
34:37
received the pleasing word of God.
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I love that description of of verse one and two.
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He's again consoling those who are hurting right now in the
34:48
audience. I, Jacob, would speak unto you
34:50
that are pure in heart, look unto God with firmness of mind,
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and praying to him with exceeding faith, are you seeing
34:58
how he's activating the agency of those who did no wrong in
35:01
this particular instance, but who need the the power of the
35:07
Savior's infinite atonement in their life?
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The question that I would ask here is who needs the Savior's
35:13
grace more, the men who have been sinning or the women and
35:18
children who have been victims of the these terrible deeds?
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And I believe that the. Answer is yes.
35:29
They both desperately need the purifying power and consoling
35:36
grace of Jesus Christ through his through His infinite
35:40
Atonement equally but for completely different reasons.
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So he's inviting those on the consoling side to turn to God
35:50
with firmness of mind and pray with exceeding faith.
35:54
And he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead
35:59
your cause and send down justice upon those who seek your
36:03
destruction. Did you catch the significance?
36:05
He didn't say. You need to go and seek justice.
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You need to go and punish. He says no.
36:13
You call upon God for the consoling power, and it will be
36:18
given, and God will take care of the justice side.
36:21
You can forgive. You can drop all those burdens
36:24
at the feet of the Savior, and let him carry those, O all ye
36:28
that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the
36:31
pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love.
36:33
For ye may, if your minds are firm forever, There are so many
36:39
of you who have suffered. Untold.
36:44
And countless struggles throughout life, even abuses in
36:50
some cases. And you've maybe spent some time
36:55
blaming yourself, maybe spent some time feeling like you're
36:59
not good enough and that maybe you deserved those terrible
37:02
things to have have had happened to you.
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If that's the case, then Jacob chapter 3 is is one of those
37:11
sections of Scripture that you could turn to often to be
37:15
reminded of the Savior's power and His mercy and His grace to
37:20
console, and to take away some of the sting and the hurt and
37:27
the abuse that maybe you've had to pass through at no for no
37:34
'cause that you have have created.
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So now we go from the one side, the consoling group, back over
37:43
to the correcting, calling to repentance side, verse 3 But woe
37:48
woe unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this
37:52
day before God. For except you repent, the land
37:56
is cursed for your sakes. And then he does a comparison
38:00
between them and the Lamanites. Verse 5 Behold, the Lamanites,
38:04
your brethren, whom he hate because of their filthiness and
38:08
the cursing which has come upon their skins, are more righteous
38:10
than you. The there's this huge arrow
38:14
that's turned inward in pride for these men.
38:17
Look how good we are. At least we're not as bad as the
38:20
Lamanites. And here's Jacob the Prophet
38:23
saying, No, they have not forgotten the commandment of the
38:28
Lord which was given unto our Father.
38:30
Lately I taught this. And they haven't forgotten that
38:33
commandment that they should have save it were one wife and
38:37
concubines. They should have none, and there
38:39
should not be whoredoms committed among them.
38:41
They've kept that law. And then Jacob gives this
38:44
interesting promise to the Nephites.
38:46
He says, now this commandment they observe to keep.
38:48
Wherefore, because of this observance in keeping this
38:52
commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be
38:56
merciful unto them. And one day they shall become a
39:00
blessed people. So now he's defined the problem
39:04
once again. He's he's cleared up this, this
39:09
error, even sin of prideful comparison that these men are
39:14
making against the Lamanites. And he's saying, no, actually,
39:17
they're doing better than you are on this point.
39:20
And then he finishes with the call to action.
39:23
Therefore what? What do we do?
39:24
How do we solve this problem? What's the next step?
39:27
Verse 9 Where for a commandment I give unto you, which is the
39:32
word of God, that you revile no more against them because of the
39:36
darkness of their skins, neither shall you revile against them
39:39
because of their filthiness, but you shall remember your own
39:43
filthiness. This is powerful when you then
39:48
consider the effect on generations.
39:51
Verse 10 Wherefore ye shall remember your children, how that
39:54
you have grieved their hearts, because of the example that ye
39:56
have set before them, And also remember that ye may, because of
40:00
your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction.
40:04
And their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.
40:09
That is a powerful reminder because we've been told by
40:13
multiple prophets and apostles that salvation is an individual
40:19
affair. But exaltation in the in the
40:22
Kingdom of the the highest degree of the celestial Kingdom
40:26
is a family affair. We're looking for multi
40:30
generational faith, not just faith to save me.
40:34
If I get to heaven all alone, it won't feel much like heaven
40:39
without my wife and my children and my my my extended family.
40:45
The the beauty here is Jacob's call to say what you do today
40:52
actually has an effect on more than just you.
40:57
Those arrows that are turned inward, if we keep turning more
41:00
and more of them inward and become selfish, we will now
41:04
teach the rising generation that's how to live and they will
41:09
then fall into error. But if we can turn more outward
41:14
and upward heavenward following the example of Jesus Christ and
41:19
His appointed leaders, we will instil that example by word and
41:27
by by deed both in the rising generations, that this is where
41:31
the greatest hope and the greatest happiness and the
41:35
greatest joy is to be found. And then he finishes by by
41:39
reminding us that he's only giving us less than 100th part
41:43
of what was going on among the people in in verse 13.
41:47
Because there there's too much to write.
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Which tells us that what he did give us is prophet Jacob sees as
41:55
the most important part. I love Jacob for what he teaches
42:00
and and for putting himself out in in in this difficult setting
42:05
and teaching us this example of how to navigate those waters in
42:10
our parenting, in our leading, in our friendship circles and in
42:15
all of our relationships. And as recipients of the good
42:20
word of God as it's given to aspire prophets today, that as
42:25
we sit there, instead of looking for where they might be getting
42:30
something wrong, rather be looking heavenward.
42:36
In gratitude for the gift of having prophets series and of
42:40
laters on the earth to guide us in these latter days, and to
42:44
seek for ways to more fully follow their their words and
42:49
become more like Jesus Christ and strengthen our relationships
42:52
in the process. Which now brings us to that
42:55
final chapter, Arrows turned heavenward in abundance.
43:01
In this chapter, Jacob kind of shifts gears and he lets us in
43:08
the the He gives us a backstage pass, if you will, a prophetic
43:14
tour of the inner workings of of what it's like for him to be a
43:19
prophet. I love this.
43:22
We're going to jump down to verse four, he says.
43:25
For for this intent have we written these things that they
43:30
anybody who's reading his words may know that we knew of Christ,
43:35
and we had a hope of his glory many 100 years before his
43:38
coming. And not only we ourselves had a
43:41
hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were
43:45
before us. So Jacob is taking his knowledge
43:49
of Jesus Christ that he's gained in his lifetime of teaching the
43:53
people, of reading the words of Isaiah, of listening to Lehi,
43:58
listening to Nephi, being taught by Soraya, all of these things
44:02
coming together. And he's now looking at the
44:06
scriptures differently. He's seeing the Lord Jesus
44:11
Christ being taught by all the holy prophets which were before
44:16
them, not just Lehi and Nephi and Isaiah, but all the holy
44:21
prophets. He's now got the lenses to be
44:25
able to see. He has eyes to see, if you will,
44:29
verse 5. Behold, they all the holy
44:32
prophets before us, they believed in Christ and worship
44:36
the Father in his name and also we worship the Father in his
44:41
name. So now that he's established the
44:43
Godhead and the relationship and the oneness and the unity of the
44:47
Godhead in their mind, and and how the Son testifies the
44:51
Father, and we worship the Father in the name of the Son,
44:54
he then goes on to say. And for this intent we keep the
44:58
Law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him.
45:05
I love that they kept the Law of Moses because it pointed their
45:11
souls. It turned their arrows away from
45:13
turning inward, selfishly, pridefully, It turned them
45:18
heavenward to Him. And as you turn arrows
45:22
heavenward to Christ, it will reflexively come down and cause
45:28
you to then turn more arrows out to love your fellow beings,
45:32
because that's what Jesus did, and He's helping us to become
45:36
more like Him, turned outward and heavenward.
45:39
So they kept the Law of Moses because it pointed their souls
45:43
to him. We don't have the Law of Moses,
45:46
but we have the Law of the gospel.
45:49
We have the the Church of Jesus Christ, with all of the
45:54
beautiful doctrines that are contained in the scriptures in
45:58
the words of living prophets that we teach to in every
46:02
setting we can all of those things.
46:05
The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ, the
46:07
doctrine of Christ, all of the words of the holy prophets, all
46:11
of these things point our souls to him.
46:15
So we no longer just go to church because it's the socially
46:19
acceptable thing to do. We go to church because church
46:23
points our souls to Christ and to others.
46:27
We learn how to love God and how to love our fellow beings.
46:31
We go to the temple not just because we're supposed to, but
46:34
because we desperately want to connect with Christ.
46:38
We want to learn more of Heavenly Father's plan for our
46:41
happiness, for our progression. So.
46:44
We go not because we're. Expecting to see heavenly
46:47
manifestations of of choir singing to us or voices shaking
46:52
the foundation of the temple. But because life is hard
46:57
relationship struggle, we're not perfect, and we need that
47:02
consoling and at times correction from heaven.
47:07
And we don't. We don't shrink when God
47:11
corrects us or rebukes us with the Holy Ghost or with His
47:15
prophets, or with leaders or with parents.
47:18
We We stand up humbly and meekly and move forward, going to the
47:23
temple, going to church, reading our scriptures, saying our
47:26
prayers, fasting, paying fast off and paying tithing, going on
47:29
missions. Especially when it's hard and a
47:32
great sacrifice. Not because it's the socially
47:35
acceptable thing to do, or because somebody told us we
47:38
ought to, but because we desperately want to connect with
47:42
God and start living our life more in behalf of him and what
47:48
he would do in situations that we're facing.
47:54
And he goes on to say for this 'cause it is sanctified unto us
47:58
for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in
48:02
the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in
48:05
offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his
48:09
only begotten son. So you get this beautiful
48:12
comparison that Jacob's making to say once again backstage pass
48:18
from a prophet living 550 BC saying we we understand more
48:27
about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and many people give us
48:30
credit for. We can see the similitude.
48:34
We're not just reading the story in Genesis chapter 22 of Abraham
48:37
and Isaac's sacrifice and seeing it as a story of of a random
48:41
father and a random son on Mount Moriah.
48:46
We're seeing that as a similitude of God, the only
48:51
perfect Father, and Jesus Christ, the only perfect Son,
48:56
making both making a willing offering and a sacrifice in
49:03
order to save all of us as. Such a powerful.
49:09
Perspective shifter when we see it in that light.
49:14
And then he goes on to say wherefore we search the
49:18
prophets. We live in a world today that
49:22
doesn't encourage searching of the prophets, that encourages a
49:26
rejection of the prophets or calling the prophets in into
49:31
question. What did they really mean?
49:33
What is their real motivation? Jacob saying no.
49:37
We search the prophets and we have many revelations and the
49:42
spirit of prophecy. Can I recommend that if you?
49:46
Want more Revelation? If you want more prophecy, spend
49:49
less time on social media and listening to the voices of of
49:53
the world's quote UN quote experts, and spend more time
49:58
listening to God's appointed chosen mouthpieces on the earth.
50:03
And it says verse 7. The Lord God showed us our
50:07
weakness that we may know that it is by His grace and His great
50:12
condescensions unto the children of men that we have power to do
50:15
these incredible things that were listed at the bottom of
50:18
verse 6. So to finish let's look at three
50:20
more verses 910 and 11 in nine You get this.
50:26
He's laying the stage for helping us understand
50:30
commandments. He says by the power of His word
50:35
man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created
50:37
by the power of His word. Wherefore, if God, being able to
50:41
speak in the world, was and to speak and man was created, oh,
50:47
then why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his
50:51
hands upon the face of it, according to his will and
50:54
pleasure? This is the problem when the
50:57
arrows are turned inward, thinking I know what I need.
51:02
I know what's best for my life right here, or moving forward
51:06
into the future. Or I know what is the most
51:09
important, as opposed to turn to the Creator of the heavens and
51:14
the earth and of me and saying what would be the best, what is
51:22
thy will? And let's have that be the thing
51:25
that is done, not my will. Because Jesus Christ taught us
51:28
how to use that phrase when He went into Gethsemane saying not
51:34
my will but thine be done. You see, Jesus is the perfect
51:39
example. He didn't see following God's
51:43
commandments as a burden. He saw it as his life's mission.
51:49
That was his quest, that. Was what he.
51:52
Did, and I want to be more like Jesus.
51:56
Verse 10 he says. Wherefore, brethren, seek not to
51:59
counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand.
52:04
For behold, ye yourselves know that he counsels in wisdom and
52:07
injustice and in great mercy over all His works.
52:13
When you look at all the commandments given to us in the
52:15
scriptures, and from the words of the living prophets, instead
52:18
of seeing them as burdensome, see them as signs of God's
52:24
wisdom, justice, and mercy over us.
52:30
It's part of our expression of faith and trust in Him, is to
52:34
say. God knows what's best.
52:39
Not just for today, but moving into the future, and then the
52:42
final invitation. Wherefore, beloved brethren, be
52:46
reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his only
52:51
begotten Son. And you may obtain A
52:53
resurrection according to the power of the resurrection which
52:56
is in Christ, and be presented as the first fruits of Christ
53:00
unto God having faith, and obtained a Good Hope of glory in
53:05
him before he manifested himself in the flesh.
53:09
And then he gives some more clarifications and describes how
53:15
the stone that the builders would reject Jesus Christ would
53:19
then become the chief cornerstone.
53:21
And he says, how is this possible?
53:24
If I'm able, I'll if I have the energy, I'll share that with
53:27
you. And that sets the stage for next
53:30
week's scripture set where he's going to give us Zenith's
53:35
allegory, which is a description of how Christ can become our
53:41
chief cornerstone upon which we can build our lives, in closing.
53:48
I feel so inadequate. In trying to put into words what
53:51
I feel in my heart, what I feel about God, what I feel about
53:57
Jesus Christ, what I feel for His prophets, His apostles, and
54:02
the other chosen leaders in our church at all the levels.
54:09
But I'll try. I want you to know that I know
54:12
that God lives. He's our father.
54:15
He loves us. He's all wise and he's all
54:19
loving and he's all powerful. And everything He is doing is to
54:26
help us find the greatest joy and lasting meaning, not just in
54:33
life but in the eternities. And the most important thing He
54:39
did was he gave the gift of His Son, his only perfect and
54:43
begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us through His Infinite
54:48
Atonement. And God the Father in Jesus
54:52
Christ have provided for us incredible directions and
54:56
commandments. They're all gifts from them to
55:00
connect us with them and with each other appropriately and
55:02
help us to turn our arrows outward and heavenward.
55:06
And one of those gifts that has come from them is living profits
55:14
to guide us. And I love them and I'm grateful
55:17
for their counsel and for their consecrated lives of being on
55:22
the Lord's errand and working so diligently for our salvation and
55:27
for our joy. May Lord bless all of us as we
55:30
move forward on the covenant path, bringing as many people
55:34
with us on that journey as possible.
55:36
And I leave that with you. In the name of Jesus Christ,
55:38
Amen.