The Book Of Jacob (Chap. 2)

Jacob 2:1
The words which Jacob, the brother of Nephi, spake unto the
people of Nephi, after the death of Nephi:

Jacob 2:2
Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the
responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office
with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I
come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you
the word of God.

Jacob 2:3
And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in
the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with
much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I
have hitherto been.

Jacob 2:4
For behold, as yet, ye have been obedient unto the word of the
Lord, which I have given unto you.

Jacob 2:5
But behold, hearken ye unto me, and know that by the help of
the all-powerful Creator of heaven and earth I can tell you
concerning your thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in
sin, which sin appeareth very abominable unto me, yea, and
abominable unto God.

Jacob 2:6
Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame
before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you
concerning the wickedness of your hearts.

Jacob 2:7
And also it grieveth me that I must use so much boldness of
speech concerning you, before your wives and your children, many
of whose feelings are exceedingly tender and chaste and delicate
before God, which thing is pleasing unto God;

Jacob 2:8
And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the
pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded
soul.

Jacob 2:9
Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained,
because of the strict commandment which I have received from God,
to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds
of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and
healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded,
instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers
placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.

Jacob 2:10
But, notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do
according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning
your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in
heart, and the broken heart, and under the glance of the piercing
eye of the Almighty God.

Jacob 2:11
Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the
plainness of the word of God. For behold, as I inquired of the
Lord, thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up
into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall
give thee unto this people.

Jacob 2:12
And now behold, my brethren, this is the word which I declare
unto you, that many of you have begun to search for gold, and for
silver, and for all manner of precious ores, in the which this
land, which is a land of promise unto you and to your seed, doth
abound most plentifully.

Jacob 2:13
And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most
pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some
of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren
ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff
necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel,
and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better
than they.

Jacob 2:14
And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you
in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay. But he condemneth
you, and if ye persist in these things his judgments must
speedily come unto you.

Jacob 2:15
O that he would show you that he can pierce you, and with one
glance of his eye he can smite you to the dust!

Jacob 2:16
O that he would rid you from this iniquity and abomination.
And, O that ye would listen unto the word of his commands, and
let not this pride of your hearts destroy your souls!

Jacob 2:17
Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar
with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like
unto you.

Jacob 2:18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of
God.

Jacob 2:19
And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain
riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to
do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to
liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the
afflicted.

Jacob 2:20
And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning
pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and
persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the
things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?

Jacob 2:21
Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him
who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his
sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the
selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his
commandments and glorify him forever.

Jacob 2:22
And now I make an end of speaking unto you concerning this
pride. And were it not that I must speak unto you concerning a
grosser crime, my heart would rejoice exceedingly because of you.

Jacob 2:23
But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser
crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to
wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they
seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the
things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.

Jacob 2:24
Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and
concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

Jacob 2:25
Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth
out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I
might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the
loins of Joseph.

Jacob 2:26
Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people
shall do like unto them of old.

Jacob 2:27
Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of
the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be
one wife; and concubines he shall have none;

Jacob 2:28
For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And
whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of
Hosts.

Jacob 2:29
Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the
Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

Jacob 2:30
For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto
me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto
these things.

Jacob 2:31
For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the
mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem,
yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness
and abominations of their husbands.

Jacob 2:32
And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the
cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out
of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men
of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Jacob 2:33
For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my
people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with
a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit
whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Jacob 2:34
And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments
were given to our father, Lehi; wherefore, ye have known them
before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have
done these things which ye ought not to have done.

Jacob 2:35
Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites,
our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives,
and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad
examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up
to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of
God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced
with deep wounds.