Jacob 2
Jacob 2
I miss Nephi already :( But, Jacob is great, too.
Jacob loves plainness, just like Nephi did. What amazing men they must have been.
I thought it was interesting to note that Jacob took the first 11 verses (of course, he didn't know they were verses- the point it, he took a little while) to make sure the people knew a few things:
1. He was called of God and had the authority - Priesthood- to say what he was going to say.
2. He was diligent in His calling and commitment to serve God.
3. He loves and cares for them.
4. He hurts for them.
He sets up an environment of love and testimony. He wanted to make sure his family knew (because these were his siblings, nephews and nieces) that his intentions were pure and he was following God's commands, even though it was hard.
I think about that in terms of parenting. I have been called as a parent, and in that respect, been given authority over my children. I need to keep in mind that the calling isn't for me (even though I learn so much and love them so much) but it's to teach and raise them so they can be happy. I need to be diligent in my calling and my commitment to serve God. I love and care for them. And rejoice with them, and I hurt for them.
And sometimes, I have to redirect them and/or allow them to suffer the natural consequences of their choices. Those aren't easy things to do because we can add injury to and already open wound. But, as we read here, it is sometimes what is needed to bring them back to righteousness.
I think sometimes we want to protect our children from all pain and discomfort, but that is not what is best for them. We don't tell them they are on the wrong path, or let them suffer some natural consequences.
I need to remind myself of that, and be prayerful and diligent in my calling as a parent, even though it can be really difficult at times.
A thought about polygamy- in this chapter Jacob reaffirms that the Lord says they should have only one wife, unlike the people of old (who used to have many.) Then he talks about this and the other things the people are doing and calls them whoredomes. I know polygamy has been a controversial topic - but this is what I learn from these few verses about it that clears it all up.
1. The Lord can change His Laws that His children should live by on earth as He sees fit. It is His choice, not ours.
2. When we do something that is not according to His current law, it is sin. No matter what it is.
Is polygamy bad? Not when the Lord commands a people to. But when he forbids it, it is wrong.
A good friend (Angie) that is an amazing gardener once told me that every plant is a weed when it grows in the wrong place- even a rose.
That's why it's so important to listen to the prophets- modern day revelation- to know what should be planted in our garden of obedience today. (Ooo- I just made that up. Do you like it, Ang? Lol)
What did you think/learn today?
BTW- I just wanted to thank all you ladies for joining me. I read all your comments and take them all in. I'm just not very good at responding- but you each make me think and smile :)
I miss Nephi already :( But, Jacob is great, too.
Jacob loves plainness, just like Nephi did. What amazing men they must have been.
I thought it was interesting to note that Jacob took the first 11 verses (of course, he didn't know they were verses- the point it, he took a little while) to make sure the people knew a few things:
1. He was called of God and had the authority - Priesthood- to say what he was going to say.
2. He was diligent in His calling and commitment to serve God.
3. He loves and cares for them.
4. He hurts for them.
He sets up an environment of love and testimony. He wanted to make sure his family knew (because these were his siblings, nephews and nieces) that his intentions were pure and he was following God's commands, even though it was hard.
I think about that in terms of parenting. I have been called as a parent, and in that respect, been given authority over my children. I need to keep in mind that the calling isn't for me (even though I learn so much and love them so much) but it's to teach and raise them so they can be happy. I need to be diligent in my calling and my commitment to serve God. I love and care for them. And rejoice with them, and I hurt for them.
And sometimes, I have to redirect them and/or allow them to suffer the natural consequences of their choices. Those aren't easy things to do because we can add injury to and already open wound. But, as we read here, it is sometimes what is needed to bring them back to righteousness.
I think sometimes we want to protect our children from all pain and discomfort, but that is not what is best for them. We don't tell them they are on the wrong path, or let them suffer some natural consequences.
I need to remind myself of that, and be prayerful and diligent in my calling as a parent, even though it can be really difficult at times.
A thought about polygamy- in this chapter Jacob reaffirms that the Lord says they should have only one wife, unlike the people of old (who used to have many.) Then he talks about this and the other things the people are doing and calls them whoredomes. I know polygamy has been a controversial topic - but this is what I learn from these few verses about it that clears it all up.
1. The Lord can change His Laws that His children should live by on earth as He sees fit. It is His choice, not ours.
2. When we do something that is not according to His current law, it is sin. No matter what it is.
Is polygamy bad? Not when the Lord commands a people to. But when he forbids it, it is wrong.
A good friend (Angie) that is an amazing gardener once told me that every plant is a weed when it grows in the wrong place- even a rose.
That's why it's so important to listen to the prophets- modern day revelation- to know what should be planted in our garden of obedience today. (Ooo- I just made that up. Do you like it, Ang? Lol)
What did you think/learn today?
BTW- I just wanted to thank all you ladies for joining me. I read all your comments and take them all in. I'm just not very good at responding- but you each make me think and smile :)
I think the part that touched me the most was how sorrowful and hurting Jacob was. How he cared so much for the people he had responsibility over who were making bad choices. I don't know his pain, but I know how much my pain is when there are similar circumstances in my own life. He loved the people, not the sin. Just as our Heavenly Father loves us, but not all our choices.
ReplyDeleteThe hard part is loving the person but not supporting them in the sin. You'd think that would be the easy part. But it's not. Because we love someone, we want to do everything we can to help and support them. But on the other hand, sometimes our "love" keeps enabling them to make the same bad choices over and over again. We have to come to the point where we love, but don't support.
That probably just made sense to me. lol
I needed to hear the verses that talked about riches in this chapter. We've been wanting to buy our own home for awhile, but we just don't have the money. Sometimes I think about how nice it would be to have our own place, to be able to move away from the noisy neighbours that we have, and I get frustrated. But this reading reminded me that riches are not whats important, and that we live in a perfectly good place that I need to be more grateful for.
ReplyDeleteThe other verse that I liked was 21. "And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other."
This is a really nice scripture. Every person on this earth is a precious spirit to our Father in Heaven.
And why did he put us here on earth? "....for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and GLORIFY HIM FOREVER!" :)