Come Follow Me Jacob 1-4: Insights By Gogo Goff

I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come Follow Me Jacob 1-4. (If you missed last week’s insights for Come Follow Me 2 Nephi 31-33 click here). Save this pin to read later.

Leadership and love.

“The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare”
Jacob 1:10

Nephi was beloved by his people, why? Because they knew he loved them, not only by his words but also by his ACTIONS. Saying you care or love someone is a good thing. But do your actions prove your words as true? Or lies?

Remember actions speak louder than words. It must always be “Do as I do” Because if it is “Do as I say, not as I do” your leadership is hollow and of noneffective. Your love is not felt, and if it is not felt it won’t be returned.

The people of Nephi loved Nephi, they loved him because he was always trying to help them. They knew love was always his motive. He was able to rebuke, and call to repentance, he was able to teach “hard” doctrines, because love was the overarching theme his people felt.

Death

“And it came to pass that Nephi died.”
Jacob 1:12

Death will come to everyone. the death of Nephi was merely a one-line verse. Even Jesus Christ the Son of God could not avoid walking through the doors of death. Death from a gospel perspective is not tragic unless it comes to the unprepared.

Our death is much like our birth, a doorway from one part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to another. President Benson taught: “Our mortal birth was not the beginning; death, which faces all of us, is not the end.” And President Nelson has taught, “We were born to die, and we die to live. As seedlings of God, we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven.”

Money.

“But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.”
Jacob 2:18-19

For many people, the pursuit of money becomes their number one focus. They view money as one of the most important things in their life. They have this idea “If I build my own kingdom first, then I will have the money to comfortably serve.”

You might be inclined to say “That’s not how it is with me!” And I used to do that also. But look at how you spend your time and money. Is it used to show love towards God and others? Or is it used to build up your own kingdom with the thought of others coming later?

The biggest problem is that people get everything backward; they use people and love money. We should use money to enable us to love people.

When money is viewed as a means to build up His Kingdom and show our love to Him and others suddenly paying an honest tithe and generous fast offering become no-brainers. Donating to the temple building, missionary, or humanitarian aid funds become our defaults.

Monogamy vs Polygamy.

27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; …
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
Jacob 2:27, 30.

In Jacob Chapter 2:23-30, Jacob teaches his people the Lord’s law of marriage, monogamy. He teaches that this is the rule and commandment that the Lord wants His people to follow, with a single exception, given in verse 30 when he details the clause of raising seed up to him as a reason to enact Polygamy. Recently in an institute class, my professor asked who had a polygamist ancestor, 70% of the room raised their hands. He then drove home the point, it looks like the Lord was able to use polygamy in the early Church to raise up seed! Here is a video that I’ve created about Polygamy

Stopping Abuse.

Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.
Jacob 2:35

Abuse brings the members of the church under condemnation faster than almost any other sin. Notice Jacob rebukes them for two things.

1st Breaking the hearts of their wives.

A man should NEVER touch a woman, ever. There is no excuse. Abuse in marriage is a ticket to hell. Abuse has more forms than just physical. I am talking about using porn, I’ve never met a couple that when the wife found out the husband had been viewing porn, it did not break her heart.

2nd Losing the confidence of their children.

Losing the confidence of children is an interesting statement. Children are faithful. They are so willing to forgive 70×7. Playing with my nieces and nephews I’ve accidentally hurt them (bumped them over, or slipped and let go of them, causing them to fall). When I would apologize and try to make it better they would at first be mad, but then always forgive me. To go to the point that you’ve lost the confidence of your children, you must be doing something evil.

For those who rationalize abuse this quote is for you.

“No man can please his Heavenly Father who fails to respect the daughters of God. No man can please his Heavenly Father who fails to magnify his wife and companion, and nurture and build and strengthen and share with her.”
Gordon B. Hinckley

To those who are complacent with what they see, this is for you.

“When you and I know of such conduct and fail to take action to eradicate it, we become part of the problem. We share part of the guilt. We experience part of the punishment.”
Thomas S. Monson.

My stake had an entire Priesthood meeting on this topic, for help fighting against abuse I would advise hearkening to the council of my stake president. Here are my notes from that meeting. http://mylifebygogogoff.com/2015/03/driving-wolves-out-preparing-and.html

Let us rise up, and end abuse in the church once and for all. No one should have fear in their own home. Let our homes become places of refuge not just for our family, but for anyone who needs our protection.

 The Consolation of God.

“But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions…”
Jacob 3:1

The Lord loves us. We are the children of the Almighty God and He seeks our well being! His plan is not ‘the plan of suffering’ nor is it ‘the plan of pain’. Whereas there is both pain and suffering along the way the plan is called The plan of Happiness!

God is willing and seeks to comfort us through the pain and suffering that will come during our progression through the plan. He sent His Son to die for us! He is willing to give us all that we need, and lovingly He denies us most things we don’t!

One of the most overlooked sources of consolation from God is the Book of Mormon! Listen to the words of our Prophet: “The truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.” Russell M. Nelson

Making One’s Calling and Election Sure.

“Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
Jacob 4:11

When we see the phrase “Hope in Christ” or “hope of glory” we think of the modern usage of the word hope. A fleeting wish, or desire for example “I hope the weather is good”.

In the scriptural sense of the word “hope”, there is nothing fleeting about it. To them, the word “hope” was something sure, and firm. Hope to them would be a mix of how we now view knowledge and faith. If you’re struggling to understand swap out “hope” for “knowledge” and it conveys the message pretty clear.

To receive a “hope in Christ” or “hope of His glory” is to receive a sure or firm witness that He is coming. I am talking about the second comforter when Jesus Christ appears unto the faithful and we “obtain a hope of His glory.” That second comforter the goal or should be the goal of every disciple of Christ.

All too often in the church, people refuse to talk about the topic of the second comforter or having your calling and election made sure. To those people, I would quote the very next verse.

“And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?” Jacob 4:12

Simply put; one of the main jobs of the Holy Spirit is to prepare us to meet Jesus Christ in person. That is the “end” in enduring to the end. That meeting can take place in THIS life, or the next. And Jesus Christ prepares us to meet the Father in person, that meeting can take place in this life, or the next.