Jacob the Prophet

Yesterday, I was in the Provo City Center Temple for an endowment session with two of my daughters. I had a name for the proxy ordinance from my family genealogy - the husband of my second cousin, twice removed, who was born in 1896 in Italy. 

I arrived an hour early so I could spend some time reading in The Book of Mormon. I began reading in Jacob 1. He was given the gold plates by his older brother, Nephi, to continue writing his account. I read:

"Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.

"Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi." (Jacob 1:7-8).

This sincere prophet leader was anxious to fulfill his duty. He described how difficult it was to write on the gold plates, and he repeated the injunction of his brother, Nephi, to record and retain only those things that were precious and spirit-filled. He was to leave the historical aspects aside. "These plates" always referred to the small plates of Nephi, while "those plates" referred to the large plates of Nephi that contained the history. He preserved many plain and precious truths for us.

I was always impressed with Jacob, so much so that I named one of our sons Jacob, and I often referred to this faithful son as "Jacob the Prophet." He has proven worthy of that moniker in every way.

I pondered that phrase cited above, "bear the shame of the world," and would offer these thoughts for your consideration. It was easy to contemplate in those quiet confines of the temple chapel, and I recalled a passage from Joseph Smith's Lectures on Faith. If we would have the fellowship of our Savior Jesus Christ, we must be willing to endure humiliation, to “lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor, and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also-counting all things but fifth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Lectures on Faith 6:5).

The man of faith must learn to walk with confidence amidst the shouts of scorn from those in the “great and spacious building” (1 Nephi 8:26). When people trust in the Lord their gaze is not diverted from the Savior, for they know full well that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed [to] us.” (Romans 8:18; see also 1 Nephi 8:33; 2 Nephi 9:18.)

I am no longer embedded in the things of the world as I once was. It's easier for me to think loftier thoughts these days. And this thought has persisted through the night and into today. What are we willing to give up for the "excellency" of the knowledge of Jesus Christ? There is an exchange posited here. We are informed by Jacob that we can't have it both ways. Either we love Christ or we love the ways and the praise of the world. It is an "either-or" proposition. That's a hard doctrine, but one, when embraced and lived, brings peace and solace to the soul.

There was a time in my life when I had to choose that choice. I walked away from a compromising position and decided I would pursue my long-desired ambition to teach released-time Seminary (religious training) to high school students. I had three simple goals upon returning from my mission to Great Britain in 1969: 1) Be a tour guide on Temple Square; 2) teach Seminary; and 3) sing in the Tabernacle Choir. I had already achieved number one, and now, I thought somewhat naively, it was time to pursue number two.

I was accepted for my student teaching at Brighton High School, then I was offered a full-time contract for the next school year. When they put the paper work in front of me, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was a paltry sum of money that would not be possible to support our growing family. I had to turn it down. I found other employment, and that choice has proven to be efficacious in every way. The third goal was never realized, singing in the Tabernacle Choir.

My point in sharing that story is when we eschew the luring enticing of the world's demands and choose Christ instead, we are sustained, blessed and magnified in ways we never would have imagined. Some things just make no sense on paper. Pragmatism often wins out when pitted against spiritual goals. Remember that when given the choice (and all of you surely will be) choosing Christ and His kingdom here on earth above all other considerations will serve you well in the long run. Take it from one who is now at the end of the "long" run through mortality, there is peace.

Here's the irony of it all - I have now been asked to teach remote Institute at this late stage. The compensation? None. The satisfaction? Immense. We learned a lot through the imposed vaccines and quarantines associated with COVID-19 as we have now passed the four-year anniversary of that worldwide pandemic, and one of those realities was that we could gather remotely via technology. I will now have that opportunity to scratch that itch that was not possible so long ago.

So, lesson learned. Take the long view, be patient, and all things will work together for your good and hopefully for the blessing of those you serve. 

Ministering of Angels

In our family recently, we witnessed the death of my wife, the mother of our children and grandchildren. I explained to all of her posterity when I was asked if she is now a ministering angel in these words:

"And whoso ^areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go ^bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my ^cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine ^dangels round about you, to bear you up." (D&C 84:88).

The short answer is "yes," your mother (and grandmother) is one of those angels the Lord refers to here. She is always going to be with you from this day forward, even though you may not always see her or feel her as much as you would like. Be assured that she is aware of you, she sees you, and she knows your hearts perfectly. She will be a gift to you from a loving Heavenly Father. The spirits of our deceased ancestors are deeply concerned about us and they love us more than you can imagine. When you pray to your Father in Heaven for guidance or comfort or a special need you may have, I give you my witness that those answers will come. Often they are referred to as the "whisperings" of the Spirit, or "the still, small voice," describing the Holy Ghost. But it has been my experience that the answers may also come quietly from our beloved family members who have preceded us in death and now reside in the world of spirits, as Mom (and Grandma) now does. She may come quietly and even uninvited when you least expect her to show up in a dream. She will settle in your heart with soft, loving and even imperceptible nudges of inspiration about what you should do next. She may just whisper peace to your troubled or anxious heart, but never doubt her reality in your lives. She will always be found "round about you" even when you don't even know it or feel it. I know that is true.

Section 13 of The Doctrine and Covenants consists of the words John the Baptist spoke, as he conferred the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels. . .”

Those who have the Aaronic Priesthood conferred upon them, we are frequently taught in the Church, thereby have right to the ministering of angels. The implication is those who do not hold this priesthood have no right to the ministering of angels. We have misunderstood, and obtaining a proper knowledge of these things is absolutely fundamental to the establishment of the latter-day Zion if we will ever be enabled to come into the presence of an “innumerable company of angels.” (See TPJS, 325).

John said the Aaronic Priesthood holds the key of the ministering of angels. However, John did not say what that key was. What is the key of the ministering of angels?

The Prophet Mormon revealed this first Aaronic Priesthood key:

. . . it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men. . . (Moroni 7:37).

The key is faith, specifically faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the key by which angels appear and minister unto men and women. It is the first spiritual key of power. Like “the Hebrew Church [we must come] to an innumerable company of angels, unto God the Father of all, and to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new covenant.” (TPJS, 325).

Upon reflection, this makes perfect sense. Acting in his editorial role in the compilation of the records comprising The Book of Mormon, Moroni reflected on the faith of his forefathers:

I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers. . .
Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith. . .
It was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God. . .
By faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad. . . (Ether 12:6-22).

All the mighty works recorded in holy writ have come by faith without exception. Without faith nothing happens. Of course it is the first key of power! No other possibility qualifies. From the “Lectures on Faith” in Joseph’s School of the Prophets, we learn:

Faith, then, is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion and authority over all things; by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God. Without it there is no power, and without power there could be no creation, nor existence! (Lectures On Faith, 1:24).
[Faith] is the principle of power in the Deity as well as in man. . . and without it there is no power, and without power there could be no creation nor existence! (Lectures on Faith, Questions & Answers, Lecture First; also see Hebrews 11:3).

We may be given authority to act in positions in the Church, but without faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we really have no power in the priesthood because without faith we can do nothing. (D&C 8:10).