Post by Daniel –
Jacob, I send my love to you and your family. Though you were born in the wilderness several years after I was taken to the courts of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, in the few posts you have made I can feel the love you have for the Lord and for your dear brother Nephi. It certainly is a great loss for your people to have Nephi pass on.
I have loved your brother since we were both children together in Jerusalem. Despite the trials I have read about in the blog posts Nephi has made, I have very much enjoyed learning of your journey and new life in the promised land. I too have seen in vision the latter-days and it is my duty to add my witness to their veracity, for I know that the many prophecies shared by Nephi indeed must come to pass – for, as I said, I have seen them also. Although many will suffer in the latter-days, the great promises of a restoration and a dispensation of the fullness of our Lord’s blessings poured out upon His faithful, is a great time to look forward to. Indeed His kingdom will fill the earth.
Nephi and I learned many things together as we were taught the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians by your father. In reading Nephi’s writings I am amazed how he has displayed literary competence in the way he organized his writings and employed a diversity of literary devices. He used narrative, rhetoric, and poetic forms, including a psalm. He loved the writings of Isaiah and quoted them extensively. I particularly loved it when Nephi often provided interpretations. Though Nephi has concentrated on the things of God, at some point it would be interesting to read the full account of the history of your people. It has always pleased me to watch how my childhood friend had become such a great leader and follower of our Lord.
Nephi and I have shared a passion for plain expression. I now quote your brother, “My brethren, I have spoken plainly that you cannot err” and then Nephi asserts that precious truths would be restored through written records and that they would “make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away.” I am looking forward to one day reading these written records.
No doubt these plain and precious things will include knowledge of basic ordinances of baptism and partaking of the sacrament, an understanding of the priesthood, the atonement and the resurrection.
I remember Nephi explaining “It matters not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written in this blog, for I desire that I may write of the things of God. For the fullness of my intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. Wherefore, I will give commandment to my seed, that they shall not occupy this blog with things which are not of worth unto the children of men.”
Jacob, no doubt, now that you have charge of Nephi’s Blog, his command to continue writing the things of God falls upon you. Though I am old, as long as I can, I look forward to sharing your successes with my dear friends here in Babylon who also knew and loved your family.
May the Lord continue to bless you and your dear family.
Daniel
