Thursday, July 23, 2020

Jarom 1:10-15


10 And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land.
11 Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the claw of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was.  And after this manner did they teach them.
12 And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance.
13 And it came to pass that two hundred and thirty and eight years had passed away [361 B.C.]—after the manner of wars, and contentions, and dissensions, for the space of much of the time.
14 And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are small.  But behold, my brethren, ye can go to the other plates of Nephi; for behold, upon them the records of our wars are engraven, according to the writings of the kings, or those which they caused to be written.
15 And I deliver these plates into the hands of my son Omni, that they may be kept according to the commandments of my fathers.
Jarom 1:10-15

Even though the Nephites had survived previous Lamanite attacks, the prophets “did threaten the people of Nephi … that if they did not keep the commandments … they should be destroyed from off the face of the land.”  These teachings go back to Nephi and his great vision.

“And while the angel spake these words, I beheld and saw that the seed of my brethren did contend against my seed, according to the word of the angel; and because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil, I beheld that the seed of my brethren did overpower the people of my seed.
“And it came to pass that I beheld, and saw the people of the seed of my brethren that they had overcome my seed; and they went forth in multitudes upon the face of the land” (1 Nephi 12:19-20).

The prophets, priests, and teachers labored, teaching the people the Law of Moses.  Even though the Nephites knew about the coming of Christ, they were still expected to keep the Law of Moses.  “Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name.  And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son” (Jacob 4:5).

Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni taught the Lamanites.  The Anti-Nephi-Lehis kept the Laws of Moses.

“Yea, and they did keep the law of Moses; for it was expedient that they should keep the law of Moses as yet, for it was not all fulfilled.  But notwithstanding the law of Moses, they did look forward to the coming of Christ, considering that the law of Moses was a type of his coming, and believing that they must keep those outward performances until the time that he should be revealed unto them.
“Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come” (Alma 25:15-16).

The intent of the teachings were to convince the Nephites to look forward to the coming of Christ while believing “in him … as though he already was.”  This belief goes back to Nephi.  “Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him” (2 Nephi 11:4).

“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.
“Wherefore, we speak concerning the law that our children may know the deadness of the law; and they, by knowing the deadness of the law, may look forward unto that life which is in Christ, and know for what end the law was given.  And after the law is fulfilled in Christ, that they need not harden their hearts against him when the law ought to be done away” (2 Nephi 25:26-27).

King Benjamin taught, “And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them” (Mosiah 3:13).  “For every Book of Mormon prophet, the Atonement is already a done deal. It was already in place, before Adam was even set on the earth.”[1]

“While we don’t know much about Jarom, he gives us some hints.  While he writes about his prophesies and revelations, when he refers to the prophets, priests, and teachers, he refers to them in third-person.  This implies he may well have been an outsider, not a part of the religious leadership like his grandfather, Jacob.”[2]

Why the constant preaching?  The preaching kept the Nephites safe.  The preaching of the church leaders pierced their hearts and stirred them up to repentance.

Abridging Alma2’s book, Mormon wrote, “And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God” (Alma 31:5).  Enos always wrote, “And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord.  I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction.” (Enos 1:23).

Hugh Nibley explains the emphasis on destruction.

“Why this constant insistence on destruction—can’t the people simply be punished or corrected? The ceaseless labors of prophets, priests, and teachers are all that ‘kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance’ (Jarom 1:12). Apparently the severe penalty clause for those who fail to meet conditions of survival in the promised land comes with the territory. And who are the righteous in this land of backsliding Nephites and depraved Lamanites? The answer is written all over the Book of Mormon—the righteous are whoever are repenting. (Emphasis in original).”[3]

Hugh Nibley also reminds us the Book of Mormon was written for us today.

“And why should the true Church be any more immune to the blandishments of money and fine clothes and beautiful churches today than it was in the days of the Nephites? Unless even these times are “cut short in righteousness,” who shall be saved? If the Book of Mormon is to be trusted, the members of the Church as well as the nonmembers need someone to ‘prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance’ (Jarom 1:12). Why should they now think that all these warnings are not meant for them, but only for the wicked outsiders? It is exactly the attitude which Nephi and Samuel the Lamanite attacked with such vigor. The Book of Mormon was given to us because it was meant for us.”[4]

There is another way to describe the warnings and teachings in the Book of Mormon, “The penalty is destruction; the deliverance, repentance.”[5]

Even though most of the people were righteous, that does not mean there were no problems.  Even this early in history, “Throughout their history a high degree of mixing of populations took place between Nephite and Lamanite factions. ‘Dissensions’ from the early Nephites in the land of Nephi were noted by Jarom as early as the fourth century B.C. (see Jarom 1:13).”[6] Nephites were dissenting and leaving the Nephite society.  There were also wars and contentions.

The record of Jarom we read was found on the small plates of Nephi.  We again learn that the plates are small.  He may well have had problems engraving the plates, like Jacob did (Jacob 4:1).  He also references the large plates, which he apparently had no part in keeping.  “[U]pon them the records of our wars are engraven, according to the writings of the kings.” 

Jarom concludes his short record at this point, giving the plates to his son, Omni.


[1] Abinadi: The Message and the Martyr (Part 2), Todd Parker, Maxwell Institute.
[2] Jacob and His Descendants as Authors, John S. Tanner, Maxwell Institute.
[3] Scriptural Perspectives on How to Survive the Calamities of the Last Days, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.
[4] Prophecy in the Book of Mormon: The Three Periods, Hugh Nibley, Maxwell Institute.
[5] Last Call: An Apocalyptic Warning from the Book of Mormon, Maxwell Institute.
[6] Religious Groups and Movements among the Nephites, 200-1 B.C., John L. Sorenson, Maxwell Institute.

No comments:

Post a Comment