Nephi continues recounting a sermon
that Jacob delivers to the Nephites. After Jacob calls the people’s attention in
previous chapters to their part in the larger story of the scattering and
regathering of the different family branches of Israel, and draws from passages
of Isaiah to tie this in with the role of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) in redeeming
different Israelite branches, Jacob is now ready for a direct appeal to the
Nephites. It seems that he has concerns about their moral state, though we don’t
receive a direct statement yet of any particular wrongs. But he does not hold
back on the need for them to build up their capacity for faith, hope and
obedience through Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection.
The chapter is so chock full of Jacob’s
doctrinal statements and exhortations to his people that the best way to
concisely present a summary is to focus on some high points. He starts in verse
4 by saying that our flesh must waste away and die, but that we will see God in
our bodies. Undoubtedly this triggers curiosity among his audience. How can we
both die and then later have a body when we are with God?
Jacob proceeds with the
sensibilities of both a poet trying to paint pictures with words, and a philosopher
trying to prove his point with precise logic. First, he explains that death
came into the world by reason of the fall of man (which we know as the choice
Adam and Eve made to take their chances on the highs and lows of a mortal
existence). If there is death, then to be with God again there has to be a
resurrection, right?
It is only through an “infinite
atonement” that such a resurrection can take place (verse 7). What does Jacob
mean by an infinite atonement? Well, first, the concept of atonement is to
bring us into harmony (make us “at one”) with God. And its infinite nature
means that the atonement must be able to have full sway to make up for
everything that we have ever done to separate ourselves from God through our
sins. Infinite in this case also means that the atonement applies to every
person who ever was, is and will be.
Jacob then talks about what he
refers to as two different types of death. The first type is our physical death—the
separation of our body and spirit. Death does not mean that we cease to exist,
just that our existence cannot be perceived through the physical senses of
others experiencing mortal life. Our bodies are inaccessible to us for a
certain period of time.
The second type of death that Jacob discusses he also refers to as “hell.” It is very important to recognize that in this case, hell is not what our culture describes—a final destination for bad people who are eternally denied the opportunity to dwell with God. Rather, it is a place where our spirits will temporarily dwell without the ability to progress toward God. In other places in the scriptures, we learn that in most cases, the final state of the soul is one of some kind of closeness to God, though exactly how close will depend on how fully we accept and apply the Atonement.
Verse 12 is extremely important to
Jacob’s overall sermon. Much of what he said and quoted from Isaiah in earlier
chapters promises the people that the Lord can deliver them from captivity. Now
Jacob shows us very specifically what that means. Verse 7 establishes that the
infinite atonement of Christ enables the resurrection of Christ. Somehow, by
accepting the burden of everyone else’s sin through his own sinless sacrifice,
Jesus receives the power to have his spirit and body joined together after he initially
“gave up the ghost” on the cross at Calvary. And through this process, Jesus
ensures that every single man and woman will have their bodies and spirits
brought together again. Hence, the Resurrection becomes a resurrection for all.
Death (the separation of body and spirit via the grave) is overcome, and Hell
(the obstruction of our hearts’ yearnings to progress back to our Heavenly
Father) is as well. Jacob teaches that if these two things are not overcome,
Satan would ultimately have power over us. By rejecting God’s plan for humanity,
which hinges on love and agency (free will) rather than compulsion, Satan fell
from God’s presence as a disembodied spirit. That the Father and Son have
glorified, incorruptible bodies joined with their spirits shows us that this is
the model of happiness for us to strive for. Left without that opportunity
because of his own rebellion, Satan is desperate to have others join in his
misery.
Satan won’t be able to prevent our
resurrection. Christ’s Resurrection ensures that all those who were born on the
earth ultimately receive an incorruptible body. And as verse 15 tells us, we
will stand in our resurrected body before Jesus Christ (the Holy One of
Israel). But what happens from there, and to what degree we are freed from
Satan, does depend on how we have put the Atonement of Christ to work in our
lives. Verses 13-14 show that we will have a “perfect knowledge” that the judgment
we are receiving—whether we are able to dwell closer with God or will remain
out of His presence due to unworthiness—is something that we will know to be correct.
Jacob explains how marvelous it is
to have the chance of salvation Jesus provides us. He looks forward to the time
(between 500-600 years from that point) when Jesus will suffer for the sins of
all. The only things asked of us are (per verses 23-24) faith, repentance
(turning repeatedly away from sin), baptism and endurance. How tragic it is
when we fall short of the blessings Christ has earned for us because we don’t
do these relatively simple things. Jacob says as much when he talks in verse 28
about how so many ignore God’s counsel by assuming (wrongly) they know better.
Verse 29 communicates a powerful truth: “But to be learned is good if they
hearken unto the counsels of God.”
Jacob continues by warning his
audience to avoid all kinds of sin, and pleading with them to approach the Lord
by the straight and narrow way he has taught. We know that the Lord employs
many servants, but Jacob tells us something important in verse 41 when he says
that Christ is the only one patrolling the gate into His kingdom. He does not
delegate that duty because it is only He—aside from ourselves—who truly knows our
hearts and who loves us with the perfect love we so desperately want and need.
From there, we hear familiar,
prophetic words of encouragement: Prepare, hearken, come, remember, give
thanks, let your hearts rejoice. Jacob exhausts himself in promising his people
that the Lord will find a way to preserve the descendants of Lehi and restore
them to righteousness, so much so that he ends his discussion for the day and
invites the people to come back tomorrow to hear more from him.
You can read the
entire chapter at the following link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/9?lang=eng
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