Jacob 4:9-12

For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word.  Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand.  For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?

Jacob 4:9-12

One of the most powerful works of the Savior was the creation.  By the power of Christ’s word, the Earth was created and man was created.  Jacob raises the question if Christ was able to speak and created the Earth and man, why would he not be able to command the Earth “according to his will and pleasure?”

Leslie Taylor points out this is the first reference of the creation in the Book of Mormon. “[The] association between the word of God and creation … appears in the Book of Mormon. The first reference occurs in Jacob's speech to the Nephites: ‘For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word’ (Jacob 4:9). We notice that in this passage, unlike the passages in the Book of Moses, ‘power’ emanates from ‘his [God's] word.’”[1]

Recognizing the power of the Lord, Jacob tells the congregation to “seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand.”  The Lord counsels in wisdom, justice, and mercy.

Speaking to his son, Helaman₁, Alma₂ told him, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 37:37).

James Falconer explains how human despair affects how we deal with the Lord.

“It is a human temptation to despair in the face of what seem overwhelming odds, in this case, when faced with the sinfulness of the covenant people. Human despair is often exacerbated by our demand for a clear and rational explanation of how such odds are to be overcome and of our failure to find any answer to that demand. But Jacob reminds his readers of the power of God (Jacob 4:9) and warns them, ‘Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord’ (Jacob 4:10). And, after giving the parable, he says, ‘O be wise; what can I say more?’ (Jacob 6:12).”[2]

Jacob calls upon the congregation to be reconciled to Christ through the atonement of God’s Only Begotten Son.  We will be resurrected through the power of Christ’s resurrection and become the first-fruits of Christ.  We will obtain “a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.”

Jacob says they shouldn’t be surprised that he tells them the things he has.  “[W]hy not speak of the atonement of Christ,” Jacob asks.  “Why not obtain a perfect knowledge of Christ and knowledge of the resurrection?”

Jacob is referring to the teachings of his brother, Nephi.  “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).

Noel Reynolds explains how Jacob is referring to the teachings of Zenos.

“The teachings of Zenos come naturally to mind as Jacob speaks of ‘the perfect knowledge of [Christ]’ as the means by which one can benefit from the Atonement and also speaks of the expectation that the Jews ‘will reject the stone upon which they might build’ (Jacob 4:12, 15), and as he urges the people to come to Christ that they might qualify to ‘be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God’ (Jacob 4:11).”[3]

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[1] The Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Olive Tree and the Work of God: Jacob 5 and Romans 11, James E. Faulconer, Maxwell Institute.

[3] Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds, Maxwell Institute.