President Nelson and Nephi
President Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, wrote that Nephi, son of Lehi, has had a great impact on his life.
“Nephi had influenced my life previously through my many years as a medical educator, researcher and surgeon. Having grown up in a day when it was not fashionable for medical doctors to participate in religious affairs, I was determined to be different,” President Nelson wrote. “I wanted to follow the example of Nephi, who taught that we should ‘liken all scriptures unto us’ (1 Nephi 19:23).”
President Nelson wrote that Nephi was “a multifaceted genius” whose life and mission were destined to bless all people in our day.
“Endowed with great physical stature, he was a prophet, teacher, ruler, colonizer, builder, craftsman, scholar, writer, poet, military leader and father of nations,” President Nelson wrote. “Nephi had a sincere desire to know the mysteries of God. He became a special witness and trusted prophet of the Lord.”
Elder Holland and Jacob
The prophet Jacob’s teachings are limited to a few dozen pages in the Book of Mormon, and many of those pages quote other prophets.
But Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote that all you need to know about Jacob comes in the last chapter of his book when he is confronted by Sherem the anti-Christ and “could not be shaken.”
“Jacob, the believer. Jacob, the foe of the anti-Christ. Jacob, the unshakable. By definition, all Book of Mormon prophets had great faith and were unyielding in their convictions. All had a deep witness of the mission and divinity of Christ,” Elder Holland wrote. “Although he considers his contribution to the Book of Mormon to be small (see Jacob 7:27), nevertheless this prophet comes to us in word and deed as absolutely rocklike, solid, invincible, unshakable.”
Read the full article at Deseret News.
