The Community Foundation of Jacob 2 - Part 1

As I studied the words of Jacob to his people, I realized that Jacob dictated (from God) two community principles upon which the Nephites were to build their civilization.  The foundation principles were temporal equality and gender equality.  These two principles are outgrowths of living or striving to live, the principles of the gospel.  Instead dispelling already embedded false traditions, Jacob, was not going let them get started. (Jacob 2:5).  Nephi's group had grown large enough by this time that the people weren't inherently acting as a cohesive family unit.  So, this first regulation was made.  Their society and their church were essential the same.

Jacob seeing that some men are now obtaining more wealth than other men, were beginning to walk in the pride of their hearts (Jacob 2:13).  Their wearing of fine apparel and their persecuting of their brethren are the evidences Jacob uses to show their pride.  Jacob tries to impress upon their minds the gravity of the matter by telling them that God could strike them down with a single glance (v.10,15).  Jacob later infers that their abundance is a gift from God (v.20) and temporal inequality is an abomination unto God (v. 21).  No wonder Jacob tells his brethren to "be free with their substance, that they may be rich like unto you"(v.17).  He explains in his way what Christ taught in his ministry in Palestine to seek first for the Kingdom of God and all things would be added unto them (Matthew 6:33).  The obvious outcome of first having a hope in Christ is to use your surplus riches to help others (v.18,19).

The Nephite prophets sought to uphold and maintain the foundation principles taught by their fathers.  Two of these were temporal equality and gender equality (to be discussed).  Their church was built on these principles. Falling away from these principles was consider wickedness and pride. I find it curious that we, the LDS people, continuously strive to arrive at a similar state (of mind and reality).  We are coming from a different direction, though.  To dispel our deep set traditions is not easy.  Our logic, and the natural man within us, easily dismisses the idea that temporal equality will work.  More progress has been made in the area of gender equality.

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