Jacob 3

Jacob 3 is one of my new favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon.

Verse 7 says, "Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children."  This is a great tribute to the Lamanites.  They are considered better than the Nephites because of this (and because they only hate the Nephites because they have been taught to do so).

The basic commandment given and kept is this: "that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them" (v. 5).  I believe our own society today would be much happier if we were only to follow this basic commandment.  What if there were no divorces, no infidelity, no fornication, and no adultery?

Yet the Lamanites go beyond just this basic commandment and actually love their families.  They must have beauty in their lives.  They must have a solidarity to their community.  I think about my own family and wonder what we can do to increase love, loyalty, and devotion in our home.  I think about the Lamanites at this time and wonder what it would have looked like from a Lamanite perspective. All we have are the writings of Jacob and Nephi to illustrate this.  It seems like Jacob is speaking to his people and trying to get them to follow the example of the Lamanites.  He tells them "the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you" (v. 5).  We often think of the Lamanites as the antagonists in this Book of Mormon, but it isn't the case.  They are brethren to the Nephites who were taught incorrectly.  They were taught to hate the Nephites and they were not taught about Jesus Christ, as far as we can tell.  They were separated from the prophet, Nephi, and they were left without all the information they needed.  Perhaps they represent a large portion of the earth's population today.

If I, who do enjoy the gospel should do something, it is to remember to love my husband and my children and to "revile no more against [others]... but ... remember [my] own filthiness" (v. 9).

So here is my challenge for the day--Love my children and be kind to those around me.  Don't think I am better than others.