Jacob 4

To me, this chapter is an introduction to the allegory that will comprise chapter 5, the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon. There is much in chapter 4 to think about, by I'm going to focus on what I think are the 5 reasons Jacob gives for writing the allegory.

1. (verses 2-3) Jacob tells us how hard it is to engrave on the plates, and with the plates being small in number, he has to choose wisely what he will say. With this in mind, the allegory must be very important to take up so much room on the plates. He says he hopes what he writes will be received by his posterity with thankful hearts and find joy in what they will learn about him and Nephi and the other Nephite prophets.

2. (verses 4-6) Jacob says they have searched the scriptures, they have the the spirit of prophecy and have many revelations. They have the power of God to such extent that they can work miracles and control the physical elements. They believed in the Father and Christ, have kept the Law of Moses and so they write these words with the intent that everyone will know that they knew of Christ had a hope in his coming and his glory.

3. (verses 8-11) Jacob wants us to understand the nature of prophecy, that if a person is to understand prophecy, it has to be revealed and so we should not discount the revelations of God. Too often, Jacob says, men rely on their own wisdom and understanding which denies the power of God. He tells us to be reconciled to God which means to have return to him and have a good relationship with him, so that God will reveal his words to us.

4. (verse 13) Jacob emphasizes the importance of knowing what truth is: things as they really are, things as they really will be, and Joseph Smith added, things as they really were. Jacob says not only are they, the Nephite prophets, witnesses of the truth, but all prophets are.

5. (verses 14-18) Christ is the stone (the stone that serves as the heart of their foundation) rejected by the Jews. The Jews rejected Christ because in their blindness, they looked beyond the mark. Because the Jews couldn't see the obvious that God had placed in front of them, by denying the privilege God gave them, he removed their chance to understand and let them have what they desired instead, and because they desired the wrong thing, they stumbled and failed. But Jacob promises that even though they rejected the stone on which they could have built a sure foundation of faith, religion and salvation, the Lord will yet provide them the opportunity to build upon that foundation it in the future. And in the allegory, he is going to show how that will happen.