Today’s Reading: Jacob 7:1-15
12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Life is full of deceivers. This was no different for the Nephites, many who listened to a man named Sherem who spread falsehoods throughout the people. “…(H)e preached many things which were flattering unto the people,” including the ultimate lie that there would be no Christ. Unfortunately, Sherem found some success as we read that, “He did lead away many hearts.”
Many hearts have been lead away today as well. We see people being confused and/or flattered by modern-day Sherem theologies. It can be devastating to see those we love fall for such deceptions.
Sometimes, we are singled out for our faith. Sometimes, we face terrible accusations and finger pointing from those in the “great and spacious building”. Such a thing happened to Jacob as well. Sherem singled him out in hopes that he could confound him. However, instead of stealing Jacob’s faith, Sherem paid the price.
The question is, what was the difference between Jacob and those who fell for Sherem’s lies? The answers lie in their responses. Those who fell, listened to lies and liked the flattery. They were deceived, in part, that Sherem had a “perfect knowledge,” at least as far as they understood. They were swayed by Sherem’s mastery of the language, but mostly, they lacked their own testimony and could not counter something that they did not know. In contrast, Jacob would stand tall against such buffetings and teachings. Jacob was prepared. In fact, he was so prepared that, “the Lord God poured in his Spirit into (Jacob’s) soul, insomuch that (he) did confound (Sherem) in all his words.”
Here is the key as to why Jacob was not swayed, in the least, from the doctrine of God: we read, “It… has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost.” Yes, the key is that Jacob could not be deceived because a God had already taught him the truth.
This is the same for us. We can stand boldly for truth if we have received knowledge, by special witness, from Heaven. Once we have a testimony, then, just like the prophet Jacob, we can testify of the truth. We can boldly declare, in the face of any opposition, that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. We can firmly state the doctrine of the family. We can testify as to the truthfulness of the scriptures and we can teach, on solid ground, about any number of doctrines that might come under attack. Why is our ground so solid? Quite simply: because a God told us so, which makes anything contrary inconceivable.
Jeni Brockbank and her husband Bart are parents to 6 amazing children. She finds great joy in being a wife and mother and feels that both callings are sacred privileges. Jeni is a continual student of the scriptures and loves to share her testimony with anyone who will listen. She teaches choir, is crafty and is grateful on a daily basis to live a few blocks from the Brigham City, UT temple.