Jacob 3:1-4

Chapter 3

The pure in heart receive the pleasing word of God—Lamanite righteousness exceeds that of Nephites—Jacob warns against fornication, lasciviousness, and every sin. About 544–421 B.C.

1 BUT behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart.  Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

2 O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.

3 But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you even unto destruction.

4 And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you.

Jacob 3:1-4

Jacob continues his preaching to the Nephites.  He begins to speak to the pure in heart.  Pray to the Lord with faith.  If they do, the Lord will console them in their afflictions.  He could very well have been referring to the words of his brother, Nephi.  “And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing.  For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray” (2 Nephi 32:8).

Jacob then calls upon the pure in heart to “lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.”

Jacob told those that we no pure in heart were filthy before God.  The land is cursed for their sakes.  The Lamanites, “which are not filthy like unto you,” will scourge them until they are destroyed.

John Tvetdnes explains that Jacob was teaching principles taught by Lehi.

The land, Lehi said, would be cursed if the people were wicked (2 Nephi 1:7). Jacob repeated the idea (Jacob 2:29) and, like his father (2 Nephi 1:22; cf. 1:18), used the expression "cursed with a sore cursing" (Jacob 3:3; cf. 2:33).

Jacob's belief that the Lord would show mercy to the Lamanites (Jacob 3:3—9) appears to derive from Lehi's statement that the Lamanites would not be destroyed (2 Nephi 4:3—9). Lehi promised his son Joseph that his seed would not be utterly destroyed (2 Nephi 3:3), and Jacob repeated this promise (2 Nephi 9:53).[1]

If the wicked among the Nephites do not repent, the Lamanites will possess the land of their inheritance.  And, the Lord “will lead away the righteous out from among you.” 

This would happen some three centuries in the future.

Behold, I am Amaleki, the son of Abinadom.  Behold, I will speak unto you somewhat concerning Mosiah, who was made king over the land of Zarahemla; for behold, he being warned of the Lord that he should flee out of the land of Nephi, and as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord should also depart out of the land with him, into the wilderness—

And it came to pass that he did according as the Lord had commanded him.  And they departed out of the land into the wilderness, as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord; and they were led by many preachings and prophesyings.  And they were admonished continually by the word of God; and they were led by the power of his arm, through the wilderness until they came down into the land which is called the land of Zarahemla.

Omni 1:12-13

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[1] The Influence of Lehi's Admonitions on the Teachings of His Son Jacob, John A. Tvedtnes, Maxwell Institute, accessed March 13, 2014.