Jacob The Man
Jacob has a unique voice in the Book of Mormon. Born in tribulation (2 Ne 2:1), and a witness as well as a possible victim of physical abuse by his brothers, Jacob is attuned to the marginalized—women, children, the poor, those of lesser status, those who have no power in society, etc. To Jacob, the social life was not distinct from the religious life, and so he concerns himself largely with issues of social justice. He is a deeply sensitive and empathetic leader: for example, half of the BofM’s references to anxiety occur in Jacob, as well as over two-thirds of the references to grieve, tender, and shame. He is the only person to use delicate, contempt, lonesome, pierce (in a spiritual sense), and wounds (as referring to emotions).
Having grown up in the wilderness in extreme poverty, Jacob never had the wealth his brothers did in Jerusalem. His intolerance for social inequality is evident in his preaching as he calls out those who seek to have more than others, whether wealth or wives. In both word and deed, Jacob seeks to heal a fractured Nephite society, demonstrating not only that individuals need redemption, but also that sometimes God’s church needs to be shaken up. Equality then is an overarching theme throughout his book. He feels a responsibility to dismantle the social hierarchies that the Nephites have constructed. Another theme is relationship—how we are all tied together—and how the ripples of one’s sins inevitably wound others (as he had been wounded by his brothers sins, 1 Ne 18:19; 2 Ne 2:1; Jacob 3:1). A third theme is atonement. He invites us to reflect on Christ’s suffering on behalf of all humanity and demonstrates how the atonement evidences the value of every human being.
Jacob advocates for those who have been rendered voiceless and have had their agency and well-being compromised in a society that unjustly constructs hierarchies on the basis of wealth, skin color, and gender. By giving voice to the voiceless, Jacob’s book demands our response to the issues that they face, which remain pressing today. Like the biblical writer James (whose Hebrew name was Jacob, incidentally), Jacob reminds us that our religion cannot be reduced to the otherworldly; the quality of our spirituality is measured by the way we both regard and treat those who, like the incarnate Christ, are esteemed as naught within human societies (see James 1:27).
Fatimeh & Salleh, The BofM For The Least of These
A few other points to remember about Jacob:
- He was close to his older brother Nephi. He adores him. He also relied on him for protection (2 Ne 2:3; Jacob 1:10), suggesting Jacob lived with deep vulnerability, perhaps because Nephi was trained to fight and protected Jacob and his people with the sword.
- He never knew Jerusalem. With Nephi’s passing, those who grew up in that far off city were now about gone.
- Though he follows the example of his brother in his preaching, he refers to their brethren, the Lamanites, very differently than Nephi did. He both sees and emphasizes the ways they behave better and more honorably than the Nephites.
- With the dates we are given, we can deduce that Nephi was about 71 when he died, making Jacob about 51 when he received the small plates.
At the book of Jacob, the Book of Mormon takes a sharp turn from the narrative to the normative—from descriptions of one family’s sojourn and divine promises to be fulfilled in the future to prescriptions for human behavior to be enacted in the here and now.
1-3 small plates…most precious…I should preserve these plates and hand them down to my seed, why Jacob and not the king / Nephi’s son? In effect, Nephi’s lineage is like Judah, who held the political authority, and Jacob’s is like Joseph, who held prophetic authority and kept the records. In any event, the plates are now split as the kings assumed the large plates. Nephi thus separated the two record-keeping traditions, virtually assuring that the small plates would be “lost” to the main tradition between the time of Jacob until Mosiah assumed both ecclesiastical and political functions as explained in the book of Omni. Also, Nephi never specifically called his plates anything other than “plates of Nephi.” Jacob is the one who designates them as the “small plates.” Finally, Jacob’s separation from political authority makes him vulnerable, especially now that his protector, Nephi, is about to die (v12).
4 the heads of them, a synopsis of the most important truths.
for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people, the latter makes sense, but why for Christ’s sake? It’s an interesting idea. We honor and worship him when we talk of him, preach of him, etc. (2 Ne 25:26).
5 because of faith and great anxiety, Jacob first mentioned his anxiety in 2 Ne 6:3. As noted above, half of the BofM’s references to anxiety occur in Jacob (note Jacob 7:26).
Although we often think of faith as antithetical to anxiety, here the two not only coexist, but actually work together. It was “because of faith and great anxiety” that the revelations happened. Faith working together with anxiety can be productive, spurring a person to ask questions but exercise patience and meekness with the answers that come. Faith does not equal absence of worry. Healthy anxiety—the kind that pushes us to take action—wielded with faith can be powerful.
Fatimeh & Salleh, The BofM For The Least of These
6-7 we knew of Christ…wherefore we labored diligently among our people that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, Sounds almost exactly like what Nephi said in 2 Ne 25:26. Jacob’s need to “labor diligently” reminds us how stubborn we are, how much like the children of Israel, and how much we need to be reminded of our duty (Hel 12:3).
7-8 that they might enter into his rest…lest…they should not enter in, as in the provocation, this “provocation” is mentioned by other Book of Mormon prophets (e.g. Alma 12:36), and refers to Moses and the Children of Israel when they were in the wilderness traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land, and how Israel provoked God’s wrath because of their disobedience, which resulted in them NOT entering the Promised Land but instead wandering for 40 years. The metaphor is apt. The far greater land of promise is the presence of God, and it is there we are headed, but not if we interminably provoke God. Notably, Mormon later writes that we need not wait until heaven to enter God’s rest, but we can enter it even now if we follow Christ (Moroni 7:3). This is what Jacob wants for his people.
8 view his death and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world, interesting phrases describing worship. What do you think each means? This verse ends Jacob’s introduction.
9-12 Nephi…anointed a man to be king, might Nephi have rehearsed the words of Samuel (1 Sam 8) about the dangers of kings? If he did, his people responded as did Israel, “Give us a king!” Of course, given the Lamanite threat, perhaps Nephi was also on board. It may have been then that Nephi chose a king from his posterity, thus the rulership would be passed down through his lineage while the prophetic mantel would pass down through Jacob’s (v1). The Nephite kings would also take possession of the physical symbols of rulership—the sword of Laban, the Liahona, the brass plates (Mosiah 1:16), and of course the large plates.
began to be old…died, this phrase occurs six more times in the Book of Mormon but not in the Bible or any other scripture (Enos 1:35; Omni 1:25; Morm 6:6; Ether 6:19; 9:14). The outward meaning is clear (“on his deathbed”), but it also comes with connotations of setting one’s affairs in final order. In Nephi’s case, he arranges for his succession—assuring a transmission line for the small plates, and then assuring the formal transmission of rulership with the sacred relics.
Significantly, with Nephi’s death, the record enters a new period of time, one in which the people who lived in Jerusalem are dead or perhaps close to death. The spiritual leaders of the Nephites are now Jacob and Joseph, who were born in the wilderness.
13-14 they were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites, seven tribes in all, similar to the 12 tribes of Israel. These tribal designations are repeated in 4 Nephi 1:36–37, Mormon 1:8, and even in D&C 3:16–18. Both seven and twelve were sacred numbers in ancient Israel. Jacob’s meaning is often forgotten by those who read the Book of Mormon—that the moniker “Nephites” will be used simply for those friendly to Nephi and “Lamanites” to those who seek to destroy the Nephites—political categories more than lineal ones. The trade-off for this simplicity is the unfortunate misunderstanding that Nephite would equal good and Lamanite bad. They leave no room for the breadth of goodness/badness that existed in everyone, Nephite and Lamanite alike—no room for nuance. The Nephites produced a Korihor, and the Lamanites a Samuel, so what? We’ve all fallen into this trap.
Jacob frankly states that he simplifies the narrative into two separate groups: the Nephites and Lamanites. That makes the story easier to understand, but it comes at a cost. Whenever we make something that is complex into something simple and binary, we lose the capacity to see nuance. There will be differences, in the coming narrative, between the people who descend from Jacob, and those coming from Zoram, and those coming from Lemuel, and those coming from Ishmael. Yet, because Jacob lumps them all together, the reader is forced to refer to “the Lamanites” without always knowing exactly who the text references and what their history is. It negates the reality and complexity of the origins of the people… Jacob’s oversimplification makes it easier for the writer and reader, but there is a loss in the process that we need to acknowledge.
Fatimeh & Salleh, The BofM For The Least of These
This system of tribal organization likely stemmed from Lehi’s final patriarchal blessings, where he specifically blessed and counseled the patriarchs or posterities of each of the seven tribes (see 2 Nephi 2–4)
It appears the Old Testament modifies the figure of thirteen tribes [because of Ephraim and Manasseh] to twelve [by eliminating Levi] in order to maintain this important number, and the Book of Mormon similarly modifies the figure of eight tribes to seven, omitting the tribe of Sam, which the Book of Mormon goes out of its way to draw special attention to by pointing out that Sam’s seed is being numbered with Nephi’s (see 2 Ne 4:11).
Corbin Volluz, in Brant Gardner’s Second Witness
Hugh Nibley notes that although these tribes “remain subdued” throughout the text, “[they are] there and they’re the real basis of personal relationships.” He also saw the “retention of tribal identity throughout the Book of Mormon [as] a typically desert trait and a remarkably authentic touch.”
15-16 hard in their hearts…indulge themselves…like David of old…gold and silver…pride, could this have started to happen in part because Nephi was gone? It would be similar to how L&L consummated their rebellion after Lehi died. There is something about the power that one good man or woman can have on others, Jesus being the greatest example. It is not by chance that Jacob’s discussion of multiple wives and his indication that his people “began to search much gold and silver” come close together. Each statement is a manifestation of increasing wealth and emphasis on the trappings of wealth. Even in societies where polygamy is allowed (or even encouraged), maintaining multiple families requires greater control of substance. Thus, it tends to be practiced by those societies’ wealthier members. In any event, the common thread is accumulation—the men want wives like they want gold, as commodities that reflect their self-importance. Jacob shows us how those who thirst after wealth trample vulnerable populations under their feet in an effort to get what they want.
17 taught them in the temple, Jacob obviously had the authority to summon the people to hear an unpopular admonitory sermon; but as his record progresses, it will become more apparent that he was marginalized from Nephite society and devalued in social importance. His descendants’ records continue the story of a lineage no longer close to the seat of Nephite power.
having first obtained mine errand from the Lord, Jacob was careful about the message he was going to give. He was likely frustrated, worried, and angry at the people. They were already in a precarious position relative to the Lamanites who, having joined forces with the locals, were more numerous. The Nephites could only rely on the Lord’s protection, based in part, at least in their worldview, on their righteousness. In any event, Jacob apparently refused to just react, despite his frustration. He went to the Lord in prayer first, calmed himself down, made certain he was going to give the right message and in the right spirit (of love); and only then did he go to the temple to teach them. Great lesson for us all!
18 Joseph, we learn also was consecrated a priest and teacher. Thus it seems Jacob and Joseph also had priestly roles, like the tribe of Aaron.
19 magnify our office, Jacob defines what magnifying our callings means to him: teaching with all diligence and might, and then taking personal responsibility for others. This principle challenges us to think about responsibility differently, inviting us to consider our RESPONSE-ability, that is, our ability to respond to a given situation. In every situation, we can respond. That’s responsibility. Jesus is the perfect example of this in that he took responsibility for all our sins; that is, he chose to respond. How? By entering in and sharing our suffering, understanding why we make the choices we do, and giving his all to help us overcome that which holds us back. Can we not do the same with everyone with whom we come in contact?
Within the Book of Mormon, Jacob seems to be the originator of the idea that the blood of another can stain one’s own garments unless one does all one can to make others accountable for their own sins…Jacob makes plain that as their spiritual leader he is implicated in their sins, even though he is not culpable for them, and that their sins cause him suffering, even though their “abominable” thoughts and actions do not target him in particular. Jacob recognizes that effective teaching is also performed communally. His personal ministry is consistently intermingled with others who serve as teachers…Even as he invokes his own authority, he emphasizes that he shares his office with his brother, Joseph, who shares that authority…The work of reclaiming souls and creating a righteous society is not a solitary endeavor—it always involves a social component. Even his mission to call his people to righteous action is not something he accomplishes alone—Jacob depends upon God, his brother, and marginal figures to fulfill it. Jacob’s dependence on others suggests an understanding of power, including divine power, that manifests as power-with, rather than power-over. Jacob understands that his relationships entail great responsibility, and he views his primary responsibility as setting all relationships right so that they may ultimately become redemptive.
Dieter Green, Jacob: A Brief Theological Introduction
Holy Envy 