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The Sunday School material this week now covers the concluding segment of the small plates of Nephi. After Nephi’s plentiful quotes and prophesies, and Jacob’s sermons and writings, blank space in the small plates seems to have become scarce. So the writings of the subsequent authors (i.e. Jacob’s progeny) become increasingly brief. These authors were:

• Enos
• Jarom
• Omni
• Amaron
• Chemish
• Abinadom
• Amaleki

Chronologically, this section of the Book of Mormon covers a large span of time, where we learn very little about the societal developments of the Nephites or Lamanites. However, we do get enough insights that give us enough of a picture of what is going on. Here are some highlights:

There seems to be a general assumption among Book of Mormon readers that when the Lehites’ ship landed, the Promised land was a desolate vista void of any civilizations or indigenous people. A more careful reading of the Book of Mormon gives several clues and indications that this was not the case.

The first recorded instance of Lehites interacting with external people is found in Jacob chapter 7, where we meet Sherem. Sherem is numbered among the villains and anti-Christs of the Book of Mormon, but if we carefully analyze the details of his story, we learn much more about him and his circumstances than we might initially expect.

Jacob 5 is infamously known as the longest chapter in not only the Book of Mormon, but also in all of scripture. It contains Zenos’ Allegory of the Olive Trees, which was presumably included in the brass plates, and subsequently quoted by Jacob. The story can generally be outlined as follows.

• Treating the Decaying Olive Tree by Pruning and Digging
• Treating the Decaying Olive Tree by Grafting and Transplanting
• Revival of the Olive Tree
• Additional Decay
• Treating the Further Decay by Grafting and Burning
• A Final Effort
• Recovery and Success
• Additional Decay Foretold
• Jacob’s Comments

The symbolism is rich and complex, and as is the case with most figurative expositions, can be understood on several levels. Generally, it is understood as a historical recounting of certain aspects of the house of Israel, as well as a foretelling its future and destiny.

Continuing along with the dissection of the gems found in Jacob 4, I find it worthwhile to analyze Jacob’s words when he said:

“Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old. (Jacob 4:13)

Jacob here is speaking about truth; specifically, truth revealed by the Spirit, which “speaketh the truth and lieth not.” The acquisition of truth has been humanity’s quest through the ages, and great mysteries have remained unsolved because what is often true in one situation can be false in another. Even so, Jacob seems to indicate that there are truths of an absolute nature amid those truths that are relative, when he mentions as “things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.”

One of the most poignant messages of Jacob has to do with “looking beyond the mark.” He explained that:

“…the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand.

“Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.” (Jacob 4:14)

While Jacob here refers to the historical Jews specifically, this scripture has an incredible amount of relevance and applicability to us today.