Jacob and the Spirit of Prophecy

Jacob wrote about his people saying, “And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come” (Jacob 1:6).  This is evident in the teachings of Jacob about the Savior, for he prophesied much about the Savior’s coming to the earth.  For example, he taught over 500 years before Christ’s birth: “It must needs be expedient that Christ—for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name—should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him” (2 Nephi 10:3).  Jacob knew the name of the Savior in mortality, what people He would come among, the miracles He would perform, and even the manner of his death.  He later wrote of his desire to record their knowledge of the coming of the Son of God: “For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us” (Jacob 4:4).  He gloried in the knowledge of a Redeemer that he had received and boldly prophesied what would take place in the meridian of time.

             Many other passages from Jacob highlight his focus on prophesying of important spiritual events to come.  He stated, “And now I, Jacob, am led on by the Spirit unto prophesying” (Jacob 4:15).  Jacob also described the things he wanted to record on the small plates in these words, “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” (Jacob 1:4).  He specifically wanted to record revelations and prophesies of things to come for his people to know.  It was through their own study of the scriptures that they gained the spirit of prophecy: “Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken” (Jacob 4:6).  Some of his people must have wondered why he focused so much on future events, in particular the coming of Christ, for he said, “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)  For him the spirit of prophecy was indeed the testimony of Jesus as he looked forward to that day when the Savior would walk the earth and save the world from sin and death.  Jacob encouraged us all to seek that same spirit of prophecy, to know of things to come through the manifestations of the Spirit, to have a “hope of his glory” before He returns: “Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls” (Jacob 4:13).