The Book of Mormon is a beautiful book, whatever may be its provenance. Like the Old and New Testaments, the lessons that it teaches are not always adhered to by those who would wish to see themselves as The Faithful. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is surely aspirational for we mere mortals.
In Jacob, Chapter 2, Jacob speaks to his people after the death of his brother Nephi, as their new leader. In addressing his people, Jacob declares “that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.”
Before telling the people why he, Jacob, is so anxious for the welfare of their souls he is almost apologetic about what he is about to say. He declares, “it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of speech concerning you, before your wives and your children.”
And Jacob adds, “notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing eye of the Almighty God.”
What is the cause of Jacob’s anxiety for the welfare of his people? Is it because they haven’t been attending Church? Perhaps the people have been lax in reading their scriptures, praying, or paying their tithing? Have his people not been showing Jacob the respect he is due? No.
“I declare unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed, doth abound most plentifully. And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they.”
Jacob further declares, after pointing out the cause of his great anxiety for the welfare of souls of his people, that “if ye persist in these things [Our Heavenly Father’s] judgments must speedily come unto you.” And, “let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!”
According to Jacob, what is the cure for this great evil that endangers the welfare of the souls of his people, for those lifted up in the pride of their hearts because of their riches?
Jacob gives this counsel. “Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you.” And if you seek riches, “seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.”
After reading Jacob, Chapter 2, I ask myself what does it mean for me? What can an individual do to show that they agree with Jacob’s lamentation? And perhaps a few questions we can ask ourselves. When someone comes to our home will their impression be that the person who resides there has sought riches for all the right reasons? Will they find someone lifted up in the pride of their heart because of their riches?
If we tell them what we do for our daily bread, will they believe that we spend our days seeking “to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted”? What do we do with our riches? Only seek to accumulate more and more? Build, or buy, testaments to our worldly success? What will the naked, the hungry, the captive, the sick and afflicted, feel if they saw how we spend our day to day lives? More importantly, how does Our Heavenly Father, who knows and sees all, view us?
Is Jacob’s lamentation not precisely what the Savior was speaking of when He said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26.