Saturday, January 30, 2016

Jacob 1 - 3: Wealth and Pride

God’s expectations of the example and role parents play in raising their children is front and center in this passage. Right next to it are His expectations of husbands treatment of their spouses. By corollary it’s applicable to wives treatment of husbands too. The best way for us to set the good example and treat the spouse with respect is to obey all God’s commandments. Anything less causes problems.

The other takeaway from this is Jacob’s denunciation of the pride that comes with wealth. He actually says having wealth is okay… if done in the Lord’s way. If we seek the Lord first and then seek the wealth with the intent to bless others. Then we are doing it in the proper way.

Their search for gold is a clue they were part of a larger culture. A handful of small families living in an enclave in the wilderness of America will focus on survival. An enclave of Nephites living in a much larger culture is going to have a lot of interest in gold since it’s the means of getting the necessities of life.

From this point in the narrative forward, trade with other groups is a recurring thread. Whether you believe the events of the Book of Mormon took place in Meso-America or the Ohio River valley, the common trait to both regions’ cultures is an extensive network of traders and trading.

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