BOOK OF MORMON
Jacob - Chapter 1 Critique
Setting: Jacob supposedly began his record in 544 BCE and continued to about 421 BCE in America. This would have been during the time of the captivity of the Jews under the Babylonians and Persians, their return from captivity, and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The fictional book of Jacob would have been during the time period of the Biblical books of Daniel, Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
Verse 1: FOR behold, it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed away from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; wherefore, Nephi gave me, Jacob, a commandment concerning the small plates, upon which these things are engraven.
Note: Jews wrote on scrolls of parchment not on plates of brass.
Zechariah 5:3 Then he said to me, "This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth: 'Every thief shall be expelled,' according to this side of the scroll; and, 'Every perjurer shall be expelled,' according to that side of it."
Verse 2: And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi.
Note: God did not command Jacob to write and accordingly is not inspired Scripture.
Jeremiah 30:2 "Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.'"
Verses 3-4: For he said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation. And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ's sake, and for the sake of our people.
Note: Jews wrote on scrolls of parchment not on plates of brass.
Isaiah 8:1 Moreover the LORD said to me, "Take a large scroll, and write on it with a man's pen concerning Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz."
Verse 5: For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should happen unto them.
Note: Jews were to return to the land of Judah in the Middle East not America.
Jeremiah 33:10-11 "Thus says the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place; of which you say, "It is desolate, without man and without beast"; in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: "Praise the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for His mercy endures forever"; and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,' says the LORD."
Verse 6: And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.
Note: The kingdom of God is everlasting and did not need to be established.
Daniel 4:3 How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.
Verse 7: Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.
Note: Sidney Rigdon plagiarized Hebrews.
Hebrews 3:7-11 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.' So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"
Verse 8: Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfil the commandment of my brother Nephi.
Note: Jacob should have fulfilled the commandment of God and changed his name.
Genesis 32:28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Verses 9-12: Now Nephi began to be old, and he saw that he must soon die; wherefore, he anointed a man to be a king and a ruler over his people now, according to the reigns of the kings. 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-- Wherefore, the people were desirous to retain in remembrance his name. And whoso should reign in his stead were called by the people, second Nephi, third Nephi, and so forth, according to the reigns of the kings; and thus they were called by the people, let them be of whatever name they would. And it came to pass that Nephi died.
Note: Jewish kings retained their own names.
1 Kings 1:47-48 "And moreover the king's servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, 'May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.' Then the king bowed himself on the bed. Also the king said thus, 'Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!'"
Verses 13-14: Now the people which were not Lamanites were Nephites; nevertheless, they were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. But I, Jacob, shall not hereafter distinguish them by these names, but I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites, or the people of Nephi, according to the reigns of the kings.
Note: Sidney Rigdon forgot to proof read his BOM.
Alma 31:8 Now the Zoramites were dissenters from the Nephites; therefore they had had the word of God preached unto them.
Verses 15-16: 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. Yea, and they also began to search much gold and silver, and began to be lifted up somewhat in pride.
Note: Joseph Smith indulged in the wicked practice of many wives and concubines.
In the revelation on celestial marriage, that is marriage or eternity, the Lord informed Joseph Smith that these men who had plural families in ancient times did not sin. Moreover, he taught Joseph Smith the doctrine of plural marriage and commanded him to practice it, and this practice was in the Church for many years. Smith, Joseph Fielding. Answers to Gospel Questions. vols. 1-4. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1957-1966.
Verses 17-18: Wherefore I, Jacob, gave unto them these words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained mine errand from the Lord. For I, Jacob, and my brother Joseph had been consecrated priests and teachers of this people, by the hand of Nephi.
Note: These priests were not practicing animal sacrifices per the law of Moses.
Leviticus 1:8-9 "Then the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD."
Verse 19: And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.
Note: These priests were not practicing animal sacrifices per the law of Moses.
Hebrews 7:26-27 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Note: Have you put your trust in Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for you?