Jacob 1-4, Come Follow Me

[@TheBeeba]

Great insights. I appreciate the piano and penny analogies. My thoughts on problem 4: abuse yes, but also unrighteous dominion. When you read these verses, I immediately thought of my ex son in law and how his actions still influence my daughter and their children 20+ years later.

[@katiejoj1]

I love the piano analogy!!! Thank you so much!

[@MsEva9470]

Thank you Jacob is speaking to us in this las days 😮

[@khalt478]

I always learn so much from you, thank you.

[@brendafarris7350]

Wow! That was so powerful. TY

[@annecerny3899]

Ben, I was releaved that you didn't teach that having many wives and concubines was a holy eternal principle. Thank you for not teaching that if women qualify for the Celestial Kingdom, they will be rewarded by being a part of a husband's harim forever. As you know many CES teachers have used Jacob 2:30 to teach that God commanded plural marriage in the early church. Using your teaching techniques please consider the following. The word, "and" means continuing the same principe. Find the word "commandments" in Jacob 2:29. Find the words "these things" in Jacob 2::34. Now read Jacob 2:30 in context. "For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people to have only one wife: otherwise they shall hearken unto these things which they ought not to have done (having many wives and concubines.)" Here is a list of the words Jacob uses to describe plural marriage. Locate the verse for each word. grosser crimes, iniquity, whoredoms, abominations, sorrow, mourning, wickedness, captive, condemnation, filthiness, slumber of death, pains of hell, angels of the devil. Joseph would have known that David and Soloman were not justified in having many wives and concubines from Jacob. He also would have known from Moses 5:49. Joseph added that they were not right in the JST. Joseph did not write the polygamy parts of D and C 132. Having 3 proofs that David and Solaman were not justified, he would not have asked why. Did you mean to deceive or just didn't know? Either way your students might discover on their own the hypocrisy of using Brigham Young as an example of pride in wealth. Use Brigham Young as an example of an instrument in God's hands to colonize and establish the church. Use him as an example of a great leader who could get people motivated. Like me, the students might find the truth that polygamy was not commanded of God. They might even see Brigham's quote that Joseph Smith did not start it. When they do, I pray that they won't throw out the whole restoration as my friends and family have done. I hope they continue to study enough to learn as I have that the restoration was so great that Satan tried to destroy it with polygamy. He almost succeeded. It matters because it lets women know God. Knowing that there is no polygamy in the Celestial Kingdom restores my desire to stay on the covenant path.

[@MarkCottrell-c4f]

Very powerful. I especially liked your comments on Abuse. I'd never read Jacob 2:35 and 3:1-2 that way. Thank you so much for your insights.

[@Lola-sz8zu]

I absolutely love this channel! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights with us! 🙏❤️

[@JoyceSchofield]

Thank you!! What a Powerful lesson! loved the analogies of the piano and the pennies.

[@SamIAm1808]

Jacob 2:23-34 is a chiasmus with the verse in question in the middle of the chiasmus. Looking at it this way you will see that he is not endorsing multiple wives and concubines nor providing any loophole. Jacob says in verse 23 and 29, thus saith the Lord that the whoredoms (that people have justified doing like David and Solomon of having multiple wives and concubines because they don’t understand the scriptures) are an abomination before the Lord. Pretty clear so far. Then here is our traditional interpretation: For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, 1.) raise up seed unto me [want my people to have lots of babies], 2.) I will command my people [to have many wives]; 3.) otherwise they shall hearken unto these things [obey the traditional commandment of one man and one wife]. So the Lord under this interpretation says it is okay to practice what he just declared for several verses before as abominable before his eyes? Here is what I have found to be a more correct interpretation that is consistent with every other verse in the Book of Mormon on this topic (see original post for scriptures). For by multiple witnesses is truth/interpretation confirmed. The key is in verse 25 25. “I have led this people [BoM people] forth out of the land of Jerusalem…that I might RAISE UP unto me a righteous branch.” 26. Lord tells us he doesn’t want this people [BoM] to do like they [David, Solomon, Jews, etc] did of old 27. Lord gets clearer on what he just inferred - “for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none” 28. Lord declared what he just mentioned that those “whoredoms ARE an abomination before me” 29. “This people shall keep my commandments [of not practicing whoredoms]…or cursed be the land for their sakes” 30. For if I will RAISE UP seed unto me I will command me people [to do what? Look at the chiamus, what did he say in verse 25 about what the Lord would do to raise up seed - to leave on an exodus, from where wickedness is being practiced] otherwise they shall hearken unto these things [abominations]. 31. 32. Then the chiasmus descends to echo the beginning “I will not suffer that the cries of the fair daughters of this people [BoM people], which I have LED OUT OF THE LAND of Jerusalem…” to practice this abomination which is one of the reasons the Lord took them out of Jerusalem! Continuing to Jacob 3:4-5 after condemning the covenant people [Nephites], he praises the Lamanites because “they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father [Lehi] that they should have save it were one wife and concubines they should have none” and so we are reminded that “the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you.” In order to have His people escape the abominations of multiple wives. There we have it! Jacob just told us that one of the reasons that Lehi left Jerusalem was so that they wouldn’t practice polygamy. To raise up seed to a righteous (quality not quantity) branch isn’t about having as many kids as possible, it is about raising them away from wickedness.

[@PilatesAnne]

Hello SamIAm. This is Anne. I fully endorse this comment because I wanted this known.I also saw that you commented on Jack Welsh’s site. Please reply to my comment above. Did you become SamIAm because of the chiasmus in “Green Eggs and Ham”? Did you notice chiasmus in “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. I was very inspired by hearing Jack Welsh tell the story of discovering chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. I was also disappointed that such an intelligent man could not see that God never commanded polygamy.

[@naidakoelliker944]

Excellent!! Thank you. ❤❤❤

[@CaesarCelsoBarola]

Thank so much its a lovely lesson

[@marinafontanilla6155]

Thank you so much, it's a big help for me

[@harmonywoodrome9911]

Thank you so much.😍👏

[@beth3331]

There are multiple witnesses of the Lord calling polygamy an abomination. Repeatedly throughout the scriptures he tells us that he does not change his doctrine. James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Alma 7:20 I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round. Speaking directly to us today, Mormon 8:33 warns “Why have ye transfigured the holy word of God, that ye might bring damnation upon your souls?” In Mosiah 11:2 we learn of a second king who “did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord” because of the practice of having “many wives and concubines”. Again in Jacob we have reference with emphasis to a second king causing his people to err: Jacob 1:15 And now it came to pass that the people of Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat in wicked practices, such as like unto David of old desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his son. There is a story repeated over and over throughout the Book of Mormon and even the Bible about a people who thought they were righteous (1 Nephi 17:22; Alma 21:6; Luke 18:9) but because of pride they were unwilling to learn and repent of their false traditions, and it led to their destruction. They chose to accept evil as good because they trusted in their leaders over the word of God in the scriptures. 2 Nephi 28:12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up. If Book of Mormon writers could only include 100th part of what they saw, what did they include what they did? Nephi told us to liken the scriptures to our day. The scriptures would be of little worth to us if their intent was merely to teach us history. I believe they are vital for our day, because they contain parallels that are prophesy for our day, and when we see ourselves repeating the same mistakes that led to the destruction of those who thought they were righteous in the BoM, we are to wake up to our “awful situation” (Ether 8:24). Those who preach evil as good will be held accountable. 2 Nephi 15: 20 Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 2 Nephi 28:14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and ABOMINATIONS, and WHOREDOMS, they have ALL gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.

[@user-up3iv6vd1x]

I have faith but... I am selfish! 😞. I don't ever want to share my husband , even though he drives me crazy some times 🤷🏽‍♀️. I love the guy 😁