Suffered Afflictions and Much Sorrow

When Lehi spoke to his son Jacob after arriving in the promised land, he pointed out the many trials this young boy had already experienced: “Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:1-2). One example of this suffering that Jacob endured was when he was on the ship with his brothers. Nephi recorded that when he was tied up and the storm was raging, “Jacob and Joseph also, being young, having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their mother” (1 Nephi 18:19). Surely this was just one of many experiences which grieved Jacob as a young boy when his older brothers were wreaking havoc on the peace of the family. He was born in the desert and didn’t have a real home until they got to the promised land after a terribly difficult journey lasting about a decade. And after they got settled, his father died and his family split for good, forcing him to once more leave and find a new home. And once that happened, it led to wars and contentions between the two groups. These experiences help us understand why at the end of his record he said this, “Our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days” (Jacob 7:26).

               Jacob’s difficulties also give context to his numerous teachings about the Savior’s own suffering and atonement. I believe he found great comfort in his own struggles because he knew what the Savior would suffer and endure for all. Jacob prophesied of the Messiah in these terms, “The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after he should manifest himself they should scourge him and crucify him” (2 Nephi 6:9). He expounded on that a little later when he said, “For it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him…. And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam” (2 Nephi 9:5, 21). Jacob understand that though he himself had great sufferings, the Savior had suffered the pains of all men, and he clearly found strength in the Savior’s sacrifice for mankind. He continued with this teaching, “They shall crucify him—for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God. For should the mighty miracles be wrought among other nations they would repent, and know that he be their God. But because of priestcrafts and iniquities, they at Jerusalem will stiffen their necks against him, that he be crucified” (2 Nephi 10:3-5). Unlike many of the Jews who believed the Messiah would come to rule over His people, Jacob understood that He would come to suffer and die on the cross for all the family of Adam. After Nephi’s death, and as the spiritual leader of the people, Jacob again taught about the Savior’s atonement. He taught them that the story of Abraham being willing to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice was symbolic of “God and his Only Begotten Son.” He continued teaching about that sacrifice in these words, “Be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ…. 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 4:5, 11-12). Jacob had a hard life, but he gave us a powerful example of how to focus on the Savior’s sacrifice and resurrection in times of difficulties. I love this summary statement in his final chapter: “I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost” (Jacob 7:12). When we feel lost, like Jacob we can seek for solace in the death and sufferings of the Son of God.