FAIR Study Aids/Gospel Doctrine/Book of Mormon/Lesson Twelve

Lesson 12: Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God

Lesson #12- Sunday School Manual: “Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God”

1. Jacob magnifies his calling from the Lord. (Jacob 1 )

Helpful Insights

• Jacob as an Emotional, Sensitive Leader: Jacob speaks of having "great anxiety" for his people (see Jacob 1:5). Thoughout the rest of the book Jacob makes frequent reference to having "axiety," or "grieving" for his people, and a number of other terms that indicate concern and compassion. All of this suggests that Jacob was an emotional and sensitive priesthood leader.
  • John S. Tanner, "Jacob and His Descendants as Authors," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, pg. 59
• The Meaning of "Nephite" and "Lamanite": Readers of the Book of Mormon tend to read "Nephite" and "Lamanite" as genetic or tribal terms, but Jacob 1:13-14 suggests these were broader labels that carried political meaning. Those who were "not Lamanite" were Nephites, and those who sought to destroy the Nephites were Lamanites - a simple us/them dichotomy, typical of ancient societies.
  • John Sorenson, "When Lehi's Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There?" Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1 (1992): 1-34
  • Matthew Roper, "Nephi's Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): 91-128
  • Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary, vol. 2, pg. 477-480
• The Seven Lineages/Tribes: Jacob 1:13 lists seven different tribal designations for the Lehites. This arrangement was still intact, in some sense, in Mormon's day (Mormon 1:8). This structure may have been arranged by Lehi himself, and maybe (in some sense) analogous to the twelve tribes of Israel. There may also be some connection to Mesoamerican traditions which trace their origins back to seven lineages or tribes.
  • John L. Sorenson, John A. Tvedtnes, John W. Weclch, "Seven Tribes: An Aspect of Lehi's Legacy," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon
  • Allen J. Christenson, "The Popol Vuh and Mormon Studies," Insights 20/7 (2000)
  • John L. Sorenson, An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon, pg. 310-313
  • Brant A. Gardner, Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary, vol. 2, pg. 479-480
• Where are the "Samites"?: When Jacob lists off the names of the different tribes, no mention is made of "Samites" or descendants of Sam. This could be because Sam was promised that "thy seed shall be numbered with his [Nephi's] seed" (2 Nephi 4:11), thus Jacob and later Nephite writers may have counter Sam's seed under the tribal term of "Nephites."

Faith Affirmations

• The "Heads" of Prophecies, Sermons, Etc.: Jacob tells the reader that Nephi instructed him to engrave the "heads" of the prophecies, revelations, and other sacred topics on the plates. These don't seem to be "headings" in the modern sense (since there are not any of these in the the book of Jacob), but the Hebrew word for head can be used for "chief" or "precious," giving it the meaning of "most important." This seems to be the sense in which Jacob uses the term "heads", which maybe evidence of the Hebrew background of the text.
  • John A. Tvedtnes, "The Hebrew Background of the Book of Mormon," in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon, pg. 90.