14 And now, my
brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth you, and if ye persist in
these things his judgments must speedily come unto you.
15 O that he would
show you that he can pierce you, and with one glance of his eye he can smite
you to the dust!
16 O that he would rid
you from this iniquity and abomination.
And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and let not
this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!
17 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.
18 But before ye seek
for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
Jacob 2:14-18
Having pointed out the people’s desires for riches and
costly apparel, while ignoring the poor, Jacob asks “do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing?” Jacob tells them no, they are not
justified. In fact, if things don’t
change, the judgments of God will come upon them.
The Lord, Jacob tells them, can pierce them and, with a
glance, smite them to the dust. Jacob
tells them he wished the Lord would rid them of this sin and prevent pride from
destroying the hearts.
He calls upon them to stop thinking they are superior, but
to think that their brethren are like them.
Be free with your wealth, he says, “that
they may be like rich like unto you.”
There was one time in Nephite history where all were treated
as equals. That was for about 200 years
after Christ visited the Nephites. “And they had all things common among them;
therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made
free, and partakers of the heavenly gift” (4 Nephi 1:3).
With the exception to the 200 years after the visit of
Christ, Nephite religious leaders constantly fought this battle. Alma2 gave up the chief judge’s
seat to deal with the wickedness among the Nephites. A situation similar to this was a part of his
decision to give up the judgment seat. “Yea, he saw great inequality among the
people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning
their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those
who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted” (Alma 4:12).
He asked the people of Zarahemla, “Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the
needy, and in withholding your substance from them?” (Alma 5:55).
Hugh Nibley explains the problem with inequality among the
people.
[T]here are certain guidelines to
what is a good society, though mostly given in negative terms—those who keep
the ten commandments are praiseworthy for what they do not do.
Jacob gives us some rules: "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" (Jacob 2:17)—it is not the wealth but the inequality that
does the damage.[1]
It is inequality that the prophets
deplore throughout the Book of Mormon; pride stands at the head of every one of
those many lists of crimes that beset the society. Above all, this reverence
for wealth will not do, Jacob tells the people; do they have any idea how
contemptible this thing is to God's sight? If they value his opinion, they will
not set up their own artificial scale of values (see Jacob 2:16). There is
nothing wrong with having plenty, but let's all be rich! "Be familiar with
all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you"
(Jacob 2:17).[2]
Lindon Robinson further observes:
Early on, the Lord commanded Jacob,
brother of Nephi, to call his people to repentance. They needed to repent
because many had begun to search for gold and precious ores, and after
acquiring more than their neighbors, some Nephites supposed their inequality
was evidence that they "were better than" those with less (Jacob
2:12–13). Jacob commanded them to abandon their love of riches that caused
significant separations and inequalities among them: "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" (Jacob 2:17).[3]
The problem with the people is that they seek riches and
ignore Christ. Before seeking riches,
Jacob said, “seek ye for the kingdom of
God.”
Seeking first the Kingdom of God is not easy. Remember the nobleman who came to Christ,
asking what he must do.
Then
Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go
thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
And
he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
And
Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they
that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
And
the disciples were astonished at his words.
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it
for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Mark 10:21-24
Nephi warned us, “But
the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they
shall perish” (2 Nephi 26:31). Alma2
warned Corianton, “Seek not after riches
nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you”
(Alma 39:14). Christ taught, “[JST Luke 12:34 Therefore seek ye to bring
forth] the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”
(Luke 12:31).
Hugh Nibley shares the lesson we should learn from Jacob’s
words. “[T]he plain lesson of the
injunction is to seek the kingdom of God first of all. And how do we build up
the kingdom of God and establish Zion? By observing and keeping the law of
consecration.”[4]
[1]
Last
Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell
Institute, accessed February 28, 2014.
[2]
Scriptural
Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days, Hugh
Nibley, Maxwell Institute, accessed February 28, 2014.
[3]
"No
Poor Among Them", Lindon J. Robison, Maxwell Institute, February 28,
2014.
[4]
The
Book of Mormon: Forty Years After, Hugh W. Nibley, Maxwell Institute,
accessed February 28, 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment