The God and Rock of Their Salvation

After describing what happened with Sherem, Jacob gave this description of his people and their struggles with the Lamanites: “Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against them with their arms, and with all their might, trusting in the God and rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of their enemies” (Jacob 7:25).  This was I believe a difficult time for them as they must have been continually worried about the threat to their people by the Lamanites, so much so that they had to labor “with all their might” to defend themselves.  This surely was a part of what led Jacob in the next verse to suggest that they did “mourn out [their] days.”  But the solution to them was to trust in “the God and rock of their salvation” after doing everything they could to protect themselves, and they did indeed conquer their enemies.  Jacob was likely quoting from the psalmist who wrote, “Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation…. Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 89:26, 95:1).  He had already quoted the latter psalm (compare Jacob 1:7 and 6:6 to Psalm 95:7-11) and must have taken comfort in these words that God would be the rock of his salvation and that through Him Jacob could one day have rest.  That this idea was important to him is seen in the fact that he quoted it elsewhere also in trying to encourage the Nephites: “Come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation” (2 Nephi 9:45).  No matter what the trials we face, we can come unto the Savior who is the rock of our salvation, and He will be our Helper. 

               This idea was also an important one for Nephi.  When he was seeking to teach his brethren, he described how the remnant of their seed would one day come unto the Redeemer: “And then at that day will they not rejoice and give praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation?” (1 Nephi 15:15)  Later when Nephi was struggling himself with his own weaknesses and the threats of his brothers, he declared, “Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation” (2 Nephi 4:30).  Like Jacob, he found strength in God, the rock of his salvation.  In the description of his great vision of the last days he also wrote, “And in them shall be written my gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation” (1 Nephi 13:36).  Here Nephi either was referring to the Savior as the Lamb and his rock and salvation, or the Savior was referring to the gospel as the rock and salvation.  The latter interpretation seems consistent with what He declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:17).  The gospel itself is a rock, a sure foundation, an anchor to us that will bring us to salvation.  We come unto the Savior by following the gospel covenants and commandments that allow us to partake of His saving grace.  Jacob and Nephi showed us that no matter the difficulties and enemies we face, we can trust in the Savior and say with the psalmist: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2).