1 AND now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things [ What thing has he read? The chapters of Isaiah ] that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel—

2 That he [ God ] has spoken unto the Jews, by the mouth of his holy prophets, even from the beginning down, [ Beginning with Adam. ] from generation to generation, until the time comes that they shall be restored [ It (the gospel and the associated covenants with Israel) must have been with them before, because you cannot restore something which they never had. The restoration of Israel is different than the gathering of Israel. Israel is gathering today. When they are to be restored how will they come? again through his prophets ] to the true church [ What is the definition of the true church? as defined in 1 Ne. 14:10 ] and fold of God; when they [ The Jews ] shall be gathered home to the lands of their inheritance, [ First a restoration then the gathering will begin. ] and shall be established [ Fixed firmly, ordained, ratified, confirmed. ] in all their lands [ More than one. ] of promise.

3 Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, [ Why would they possibly need to be told to rejoice? Remember that Lehi had told them before he died that if they were righteous that nothing would happen to them they would be protected; but they are already starting to war with the Lamanites, so are they second guessing, are the rumors going around that they are already not faithful and have lost those promised blessing? That just as the Lord has promised that he will continue to work with the Jews until they are restored to their lands and all that they were promised. No matter what they appear to be or have done. And just as he has made a covenant with the Jews, as part of the house of Israel - so to will he work with the Lehites; to restore all the covenants they were promised as children in the House of Israel. ] and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children. [ Along with our own salvation nothing is as important as the salvation of our children - in this case the Lamanites specifically. Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ]

4 For I know that ye have searched much, [ How would they have searched much - no google, no scriptures? Or was there a library with them in it? Was this just them searching in their hearts? ] many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; [ This decay of flesh was brought on as a result of partaking of the fruit; at that point the fruit changed the makeup of our bodies as such we were able to experience death, joy and pain. The first 3 verses have been speaking to all of the house of Israel, collectively as a group, and their rights and covenants. Now from here through vs 38 he is going to speak to them as individuals; and what is required for individual salvation. vs 4-22 physical life through resurrection; vs 23-48 repentance to gain spiritual life, ] nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God. [ Not in the flesh, but in our bodies. What is the difference? they began this verse by searching to know the things to come, and they were lead to remember that the Lord has taught from the beginning that there will be a resurrection. So we can conclude that the doctrine was taught in plainess in the brass plates. ]

5 Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; [ Jacob is the son of Lehi and was very much a part of that journey. Jacob is such a strong teacher of the doctrine because he has been a scholar since he was young, he was weined on the writings of the plates of brass - the doctrine that is more than that found in the old testament. ] for it is expedient that it should be among them; [ 2 Ne. 10:3 ] for it behooveth the great Creator [ I believe that this is the first mention in the Book Of Mormon with Christ as the creator. Note the title used here for Christ - the Creator. This was one of the missions of Christ and as the Creator he formed us first, he created us. If he had the power to Create us, and he is the one that created us then he is the one that can use that same power to ressurrect us. The fact that Christ was our creator is part of the plan - that our Father in Heacen gave to us in the pre-mortal life. ] that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, [ How was the Savior subject to man in the flesh? He became subject to the laws of men, (the agency of men) of which they hung him on a cross. While they might not have had the power to take his life they did put him on the cross in an environment where he delivered himself up. Why was it important that he become subject to man in the flesh? It is and was through that suffering that he can say yes I understand I was there, and he while he was here provided the perfer example for use to follow. He was subject to all of the same trails that mortal men are subject too; hunger, pain, emotion, grief, joy and sorrow. He became subject to the worst that man could offer and he overcame that and in the process of overcoming he made mankind subject to him as it is only through him that we can be saved. ] and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him. [ Savior came to do what man could not do for himself. So as a result we must recognize that he is God; we must recognize his great eternal power and become his subjects so to speak if we are to let his mercy save us. ]

6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, [ Jacob has his doctorate in platelogy(knowledge of what is on the brass plates) and here he is teaching us that from the brass plates we learn that it is important to understand the doctrine of redemption. The brass plates made sure that this doctrine was preserved from the Nephites and as a result it was passed don through the pages of the Book of Mormon. This is a doctrine which is different from the doctrine of the Jews and the doctrine of Islam which suggest that man is not in need of ransom by a Messiah, nor does man need salvation. Ideas that just are not true and with them you wander from the need for Christ. In what way is death merciful? Can you imagine living on this earth forever, never to return to his presence? Birth and death will happen to all of us; they are just two points on our eternal spectrum. We are born helpless as in death we are helpless. Death is as important as birth. ] there must needs be a power of resurrection, [ Symbolism from verses above that just as Israel is scattered, and then gathered back together so to will our bodies be joined back with our spirits in the resurrection. the bands of transgression must be broken ] and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; [ So the merciful plan is because Adam fell, not that we became responsible for the transgressions of Adam; but because of the fall all mankind are subject to death and seperation from God. Therefore; we must have a means to be restored or resurrected to a state of immortality ] and the fall came by reason of transgression; [ What is the word used here to describe the fall of man? transgression, not sin. the Lord did not just do this on his own; he did set the law and the consequences associate with disobedience; but man did using his agency; he broke the law - transgressed; as a result it would set the coarse of events in motion that are required if transgression were to occur. In the pre-mortal world when we cast our lot to be part of the Fathers Plan we agreed that Adam would represent all of us, that we would bound under the laws given Adam. ] and because man became fallen [ Dropped; descended; degraded; decreased; ruined. ] they were cut off from the presence of the Lord. [ So when Adam partook of the fruit he was cast out of the presence of God - so to are we born into the world out of the presence of God. Moses 5:4]

7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite [ Eternal in scope of time, no measurment in scope of what it covers it covers everything, must break the finite bands of mortality; not infinite in the mathematical sense see D&C 19:4-12. “having no boundaries or limits.” ] atonement [ Russell M. Nelson said: “In the English language, the components are at-one-meant, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means ‘to atone for.’ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning ‘again’; con, meaning ‘with’; and sella, meaning ‘seat.’ Reconciliation, therefore, literally means ‘to sit again with.’ To be seen again with God. …In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace’—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace….While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp.34-5 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 85))] —save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption [ the destruction of the natural form of bodies, by the separation of the component parts, or by disorganization, in the process of putrefaction. ] could not put on incorruption. [ Since all man are going to die sooner or later the atonement could not be completed by man - it had to be completed by someone who would not die - a God. Because of the fall blood became part of man. Blood is corruptable and as a result man is now subject to death. So to become incorruptable our blood must be replaced with the blood of anothers that is incorruptable - the blood of a God would do the trick. Only could be done by someone who was a God, since God's judgements are eternal (D&C 19:4-10 the corruption (sin) could only be overcome by a God who was without any corruption (sin) ] Wherefore, the first judgment [ What was the first judgment? Through the fall Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden called Eden (the presence of God - spiritual death) and became subject to death. So that judgment brought about 2 deaths spiritual and physical. Moses 3:17 "In the day that thou eatest thereof Thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2: 17; see also Moses 4: 17) ] which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. [ Without the atonement (ressurrection) - when death occurred we would have remained that way forever. Our spirit would be separated from our body never to be joined as well. ] And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot [ to cause to be decomposed by the natural operation of air and heat; to bring to corruption. To go back to its natural state. ] and to crumble to its mother earth, [ Interesting choice of words here; they are words that imply destruction. ] to rise no more. [ Unable to know the joy and fuliness that comes only in the ressurrected state. D&C 93:33-34]

8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! [ That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being. ] For behold, if the flesh should rise no more [ So the first part of the mercy of Gods plan is that we will be resurrected; we will not be condemned at death; as a result of the first judgement; we will live again after death. See verse 15. In essence if Jesus did not posess the power to save his body then he would not have the power to save our spirits as well. ] our spirits [ Without a resurrection. So we are talking about the other kind of death now - spiritual death. ] must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more. [ He being the first to fall, he would become our master as he is the master of that awful kingdom.]

9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, [ if we got to the point of realizing that we were never going to enjoy the presence of our Heavenly Father, if we new there was only misery for us through out eternity; then we would eventually become just like satan, we would do everything that we could to get back at our Heavenly Father, to destroy anything that is right, just, moral... The idea is that you cannot associate with evil and not become part of it, and had there not been an atonemant the devil would have eventually worn us out. And we would have all become like him. ] and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, [ Satan resides outside of Gods presence; in essence all of us would have become sons of perdition. Never to be redeemed - continually tormented by Satan ] and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, [ It is Gods presence that brings real joy and happiness, the eternity with him and our loved ones. Satan has none of this and is therefore miserable. ] like unto himself; [ Like he is without the promise of resurrection! ] yea, to that being who beguiled [ Deluded; imposed on; misled by craft; eluded by stratagem; - notice that these are the same tactics that he continues to us today. ] our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh [ near in place, time, or relationship; but not there ] unto an angel of light, [ It might be good enough to trick some people; but those who have seen God are not tricked; like Moses in Moses 1 who sees satan and asks "where is your glory" he has seen the other or greater light from God. ] and stirreth up the children of men [ just like the older brother who knows that something is bad and try's to get his younger brothers to do something that he knows is bad. ] unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. [ Darkness is the absence of light - so his works are designed to draw, to pull out or suck the light out of any place that it may be. ]

10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape [ This way was prepared from the beginning and was part of the plan. who prepared a way out of the grasp of this awful monster. Have you ever thought that maybe the resurrection was something that was earned by everyone by keeping their first estate? All of the laws of God seem to be done with covenants - so maybe the covenant was such that all who kept their first estate would be resurrected - so it in a sense is not a guft to everyone; but was a gift to everyone that earned it in the premotal life.] from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, [a]death and [b] hell , [a]which I call the death of the body, [ Physical death ] [b]and also the death of the spirit. [ referred to here as hell - or being left in a state where the body was without the spirit, and the spirit was not near the presence of God. How does Jacob try to show that temporal death and spiritual death are an “awful monster”? If our spirits are bodies are seperated from each other to dwell with Satan for eternity that would be pretty awful. ]

11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, [ What is the way of deliverance? It is Our Father in Heavens plan of happiness. The Savior would make concession for our sins if we believed in him and repented. The Savior would break the bands of death for all men and as such the ability to be resurrected and live again and can be combined with the ability to be forgiven of our sins and then be able to live for eternity with God. vs 11 - 13 ] the Holy One of Israel, this death, [ Death of the physical body. ] of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, [ While it may seem like a long time to us the plan set forth was never design for death to be more than temporary. meaning ~ 1) Pertaining to this life or this world or the body only; secular; as temporal concerns; temporal affairs. In this sense, it is opposed to spiritual. 2) Measured or limited by time, or by this life or this state of things; having limited existence; opposed to eternal.] shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

12 And this death [ Death of the physical body. ] of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, [ Separation from God and his influences; to die as to things pertaining to righteousness. Lucifer and a third part of the hosts of heaven suffered a spiritual death when they were cast out of heaven (D&C 29:36–37). Spiritual death was introduced into the world by the fall of Adam (Moses 6:48). Mortals with evil thoughts, words, and works are spiritually dead while still alive on earth (1 Tim. 5:6). Through the atonement of Jesus Christ and by obedience to the principles and ordinances of the gospel, men and women can become clean from sin and overcome spiritual death. Spiritual death also occurs following the death of the mortal body. Both resurrected beings and the devil and his angels will be judged. Those who have willfully rebelled against the light and truth of the gospel will suffer spiritual death. This death is often called the second death (Alma 12:16; Hel. 14:16–19; D&C 76:36–38). ] shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; [ Those who are separated from the prescense of God. When we get to the other side we will instantly recall how we felt in the presence of God. We will long for that - and the separation from God; that feeling and knowing that we are not in his exact presence will be Hell. ] wherefore, death [ The grave. ] and hell [ When the spirit is held without the body. ] must deliver up their dead, [ Both the spirit and the body are dead while they are each in their separated state. ] and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; [ So the resurrection then is the ability to call the spirit of man out from hell, and bring the body forth from out of the earth and join them together. something can only be restored when it was that way before - you cannot restore what was not. ] and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. [ Such that all men are resurrected; that their body is rejoined with their spirit. This is the salvation by grace alone - we have to do nothing on our part for this to happen. ]

13 O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God [ The same place that the Savior went before he was ressurrected. It is the place were the righteous spirits go to await the ressurrection. D&C 138. ] must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.

14 Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, [ So first we will see all of our mistakes, all that we have done wrong and will have the guilt associated with those wrong doings. having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; justly subject to a certain accusation or penalty; culpable: What does it mean to have a perfect knowledge of our guilt? How is judgment effected when both parties recognize the guilt? ] and our uncleanness, [ Is there a difference between guilt and uncleanness? How does that compare with the righteous who are finding enjoyment in the knowledge of their righteousness? ] and our nakedness; [ How do our actions show our nakedness? Just as Adam and Eve could do nothing to hide themselves from the all seeing eye of God so to does God see all of our actions, we are naked before him with all of our actions - nothing is hidden to him. Note that there are two groups of people here - those that are naked and those that are clothed. So at the day of judgement, not only will we "have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness" but the righteous, "Being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness." ] and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness. [ Being clothed with “holy garments” anciently (Ex. 40:13), included not only undergarments but also clothing to be worn on the outside of their priestly robes like aprons and caps (Ex. 39 especially footnotes 2a, 28b). Together this clothing symbolized the “robes of righteousness” that all must wear to dwell in the presence of God (2 Nephi 9:14). The scriptures also teach of another requirement to be worthy to enter the presence of God: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart” (Psalms 24:3-4). This means that being symbolically washed on the outside (clean hands) is not enough, we must also be worthy on the inside (pure heart). As Moses learned, those who are not clothed in the glory, power, authority, and protection of God cannot withstand his glory and will wither in his presence (Moses 1:1, 11). Thus, before we first enter the presence of God in the temple today, we too must be washed, anointed, and clothed. Only then are we properly cleansed, empowered, and dressed to stand in His glorious presence.. Note that this part applied to the righteous, those who have enabled the atonement in their lives, After we have seen all of our past sins - those that are righteous and have repented will then see those sins wiped away by the atonement - they are gone and that is where we will find our enjoyment (which is the opposite of guilt)- the knowledge that we really are clean (which is the opposite of uncleanness) and pure enough to dwell with God. Instead or nakedness you will be clothed with the robe of righteousness.]

15 And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto [ "first death" which is physical death. Resurrection perceeds the judgement ] life, [ The next life. ] insomuch as they have become immortal, [ Now having been resurrected man is now in a state that he can appear before God - to be in his presence for judgment. ] they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; [ And who will judge them? The one who was their creator, the one who worked out the resurrection and the atonement, the one who was subject to all sin and pain and overcame the world. The Father hath left all judgement to the son. So the Savior is the and his duty as a member of the god head was to work out the details of resurrection and judgement. The Father knows and has perfect knowledge that it will be fair and complete. Thus enabling the Father to focus primarily on his mission to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. To do this he must continue to be a forward thinking God working and focusing with us to bring us back to him. All the he does is to that end. So he works on his part of the plan while the Savior works on his part. Just as any good presidency each has a role a responsibility and each does them to perfection. ] and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God. [ Seeing themselves as who they really are as compared to God. So the second part of the atonement offers us with the power whereby we may be ransomed from the spiritual effects of the fall and have eternal life again. See also Alma 34:9 ]

16 And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, [ Just as Amulek testified in Alma 34:34 "that same spirit(character) which doth possess your bodies at the tiime that you go our of this life...will have power to possess your body in the eternal world." This is known as the Law of Restoration - You cannot be restored to something that you once were not. See Alma 41; Alma 34:34 ; Mormon 9:14. ] and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end. [ What does this tell us about the character of God? That he will be our judge and as such he will send those who are filthy to places which the filthy dwell. He is not an all-beneficent, all-benevolant God. some do not believe in a God that will do anything but forgive everyone. What does this say about such doctrine? How does this verse correalate with the degrees or glories since he only mentions two groups here We need to remember he is speaking of resurrection at this point and to what will each group be resurrected. So with resurrection there are only two extremes to which a mortal can go. The First Resurrection and the Second Resurrection. The Second Resurrection is the resurrection of damnation and doesn't occur until after all of the sinners suffer 1000 years of agony in the "pit" along with Satan, cf. D&C 76:81-85. After this they are resurrected while Satan is cast into outer darkness, cf. Rev. 20:5-15. ]

17 O the greatness and the justice of our God! [ In the premortal world when we signed on to the plan, we did so with full confidence that God was and would be just. Without the idea of the existence of the attribute justice in the deity Joseph Smith declared men could not have had confidence sufficient to place themselves under his guidance and direction; for they would be filled with fear and doubt lest the judge of all the earth would not do right, and thus fear and or doubt, existing in the mind, would preclude the possibilities of the exercise of faith in him for life and salvation" Lectures on Faith 4:13 ] For he executeth all his words, [ D&C 82:10 I am bound when you do what I say; otherwise he would cease to be God. ] and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.

[ According to Jacob, what are some of the things we must do to be “saved in the kingdom of God”? Answers include 2 Nephi 9:18, 21, 23–24, 39, 41, 50–52 ]

18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed [ Those who have exercised faith in God by working toward the change of their character. ] in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, [ What does it mean to endure the crosses of the world? Matt 16:24 24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." interesting choice of words as Jacob has seen the ministry of the Saviour (2 Ne 2:4; 10:3 just like Nephi 1 Ne. 11; and Isaiah. In other words we truely have to submit to the will of the Father in all things. ] and despised the shame of it, [ What does it mean to despise the shame of the world? See 2 Nephi 9:49. So we cannot have one foot in the world, we cannot allow our heart to be wanting the things of the world - but rather the things of God only. ] they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.

19 O the greatness of the mercy of our God, [ Mercy is the time required for the individual to develop the kind of character God has, it is what makes God -God. So mercy will act over time in order for you to satisfy the demands of justice, or a time when you have developed the character that makes God God, if you have exercised faith unto repentance, which is the change of your character. ] , the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, [ Or Sulphur; a hard, brittle, inflammable substance, of a lemon yellow color, which has no smell, unless heated, and which becomes negatively electric by heat and friction. It is found, in great quantities, and sometimes pure, in the neighborhood of volcanoes. ] which is endless torment.

20 O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it. [How does God progress? - through increase in his creations. Doc of Salvation pg 7-10; Lectures On Faith. ]

21 And he cometh into the world that he may save all men [ Is this saving automatic? No there are requirements placed on man for it to take effect. ] if they will hearken unto his voice; [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". And how do we harken unto his voice? Repent, believe on him and have faith in his power to save, call upon his for remission of sin, do those things which he has asked - baptism; keep the commandments. see verses 23, 24 ] for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, [ The word of interest here to me is the "Pains" of all men - meaning more than the sins; but also the emotional and physical pains, sickinesses, infirmities... Whith such sufferring no one when they see what he went through will be able to declare that he does not understand. though that suffering he purchased us] yea, the pains of every living creature, [ Not the sins but the pains. ] both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

22 And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, [ Who will be ressurrected? everyone, so there is a difference here between saving from the previous verse, and resurrection. All will be resurrected; but not all will be saved. ] that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day. [ Why do we need to be ressurrected? So that we can stand befoe him to be judged. ]

23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, [ Repentance is a word that means ‘the process of changing character,’ i.e. being better than one was before. Repentance is the process upon which exaltation is founded. The word ‘repent’ in both Hebrew and Greek is an archery term that means to ‘take aim again’ having ‘missed the target’ which is the definition of the word 'sin'. To ‘take aim again’ is practice, trying to improve by recognition and habit, allowing for the change of character as our ability changes. Recognizing the need to ‘take aim again’ is an integral part of repentance. If the need for change is unrecognized, there will be no “will” or reason for the change of character.Why then is repentence, and baptism so important? Because these are the beginning steps to developing and showing that we have faith in him. How can one obtain perfect faith without obedience to his commandments? Why is faith in Jesus Christ essential in order to receive all the blessings of His Atonement? ] or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. [ In the celestial kingdom; "Think for a moment, of the greatness of the Being who created the Universe; and ask, could He be so inconsistent with His own character, as to leave man without a law or rule by which to regulate his conduct, after placing him here, where, according to the formation of his nature he must in a short period sink into the dust? Is there nothing further; is there no existence beyond this veil of death which is so suddenly to be cast over all of us? If there is, why not that Being who had power to place us here, inform us something of the hereafter? If we had power to place ourselves in this present existence, why not have power to know what shall follow when that dark veil is cast over our bodies? If in this life we receive our all; if when we crumble back to dust we are no more, from what source did we emanate, and what was the purpose of our existence? If this life were all, we should be led to query, whether or not there was really any substance in existence, and we might with propriety say, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die!” But if this life is all,then why this constant toiling, why this continual warfare, and why this unceasing trouble? But this life is not all; the voice of reason, the language of inspiration, and the Spirit of the living God,our Creator, teaches us, as we hold the record of truth in our hands, that this is not the case, that this is not so; for, the heavens declare the glory of a God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork;and a moment’s reflection is sufficient to teach every man of common intelligence, that all these are not the mere productions of chance, nor could they be supported by any power less than an Almighty hand; and He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God’s own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it; and when once discovered,it will not only receive an acknowledgment, but an obedience to all its heavenly precepts. For amoment reflect: what could have been the purpose of our Father" Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith pg 56. ]

24 And if they will not repent [ Repentance is the process of changing your character. You cannot repent of something that you don't know is wrong. Without knowledge of the Gospel, there is no sin. Repentance is a word that means ‘the process of changing character,’ i.e. being better than one was before. Repentance is the process upon which exaltation is founded. The word ‘repent’ in both Hebrew and Greek is an archery term that means to ‘take aim again’ having ‘missed the target’ which is the definition of the word 'sin'. To ‘take aim again’ is practice, trying to improve by recognition and habit, allowing for the change of character as our ability changes. Recognizing the need to ‘take aim again’ is an integral part of repentance. If the need for change is unrecognized, there will be no “will” or reason for the change of character. ] and believe in his name,[ That is, accept the Gospel. ] and be baptized in his name, and endure [ Enduring to the end does not mean sitting through another block meeting! (That's enduring in the end). Enduring to the end is striving to constantly develop the character that makes God God! If you do that, then that becomes the character you possess when you die—one that is striving to repent—and then mercy steps in to give you the time required to become a God. Turn to 2 Ne 9:25:25. ] to the end, they must be damned; [ It is not will be damned - but MUST BE Damned. Why is it that if men will not repent and be baptised that they must be damned? Because he set that as the standard for belief see verse 23. Because if we do not accept the Savior, if we do not come to him and ask for his grace and mercy; then he as God is bound by the law of agency. Which says that he will not decide for us, we are the ones who must choose, and that decision will rest the basis for those who believed enough in his power to save them, and those who did not believe that he had enough power to save them so they did not choose to follow him; to ask for the atonement in their lives. See D&C 19:15 ] for the Lord God, [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] , the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it. [ It is their choice! ]

25 Wherefore, he has given a law; [ There is but one Gospel law, and it is by that law that we will all be judged. - Bruce R McConkie Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 2:222. That law is repent, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ] and where there is no law given there is no punishment; [ So the real sinners are limited only to those who know the law. This is why the children of Adam and Eve could not sin until after they were taught the Gospel. We cannot be accountable to the Law unless we are under the Law. If we are not under the Law or don’t know the Law or do not understand the Law, mercy steps in to satisfy the demands of justice, satisfying a Law we did not even know about. But there is a stipulation and that comes in verse 27. ] and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; [ So he is making sure that we understand here is that "without the law or without the understanding of the law man is not punished" and to follow that up neither is man punished, nor is he condemned(why because he simple do not understand why he should do something one way or another - without the gospel). We as members need to be very aware of this principle. The fact that the Lord WILL judge us DIFFERENTLY because we have had the gospel in our lives, and we need to also take note that those who do not have the gospel in their lives, well of them we need to be careful how we judge them - as they just may not know better. ] and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, [ Why? If they do not understand the Gospel, they cannot be held accountable to Gospel standards. See Alma 42:13-15. ] because of the atonement;[ Russell M. Nelson said: “In the English language, the components are at-one-meant, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means ‘to atone for.’ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning ‘again’; con, meaning ‘with’; and sella, meaning ‘seat.’ Reconciliation, therefore, literally means ‘to sit again with.’…In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means ‘to cover’ or ‘to forgive.’ Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning ‘a close embrace’—no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace….While the words atone or atonement, in any of their forms, appear only once in the King James translation of the New Testament, they appear 35 times in the Book of Mormon. As another testament of Jesus Christ, it sheds precious light on His Atonement.” (Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp.34-5 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 85)) ]; for they are delivered by the power of him. [ Child or adult. A way of stating just the opposite as well. Where there is a law there is punishment, and where there is punishment there is condemnation, and where there is comdemnation then the only way to apply the mercy of God is to do as vs24 suggests: repent, believe, be baptised, and endure to the end. ]

26 For the atonement [ We all have to come unto Christ and know God. This is key in understanding and comprehending God. ] satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law [ So if you are born without the law, you are not punished according to the law. ] given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

27 But wo unto him that has the law given, [ "Wo" be careful - a warning to Us, Jacob and those whom he is instructing here - as they have been given the law. Where much is given much is expected D&C 82:3. So the real sinners are those who know and understand the law. ] yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, [ Those who have been taught. If we know the truth and do not act according to that truth then it becomes a condemnation to us. So those who have the law and the commandments and do not hold fast to honoring them - then it is open rebellion - they know the law, they know better. What this verse is saying: if the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Church, is true, only Mormons can sin. Everyone else does not have all of the law. Others cannot be held accountable for what we, as Latter-day Saints, know to be true because they have not made the same agreements or covenants. Others do have light and truth and the Spirit of Christ to a certain extent, but they cannot be held accountable to the Word of Wisdom; they cannot be held accountable for what has been revealed in the D&C, or our other revealed scripture, or to the moral codes we have been given. All will be judged according to the light and knowledge they have. He who has more light and knowledge is more accountable. Or If we do not live up to the covenants we make and act according to the knowledge we acquire, that endowed power can become a power of condemnation. ] and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, [ How does one waste the says of his probation? For starters they do not keep the commandments of God, They do not repent, the do not get baptised and finally they do not gain that perfect faith in God, In addition it may include wasting our time on distractions or less important things. ] for awful is his state!

28 O that cunning plan of the evil one! [ Jacob outlines the things that they need to be aware of in order not to repeat the ways of ancient Israel; and th eplans that satan uses on man. What is the plan of the evil one? to see that we do not receive all of the blessings associated with the atonement. How does he do it? ] O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! [ Meant to be a contrast between man and God who... vs 8 "O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace";vs 10 "O how great the goodness of our God"; vs 13"O how great the plan of our God!"; vs 19 "O the greatness of the mercy of our God"; vs 20 "O how great the holiness of our God!" ] When they are learned they think they are wise [ 1 place secular learning above that of God ] , and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". 2 Trangress the commandments of God and waste the day of our probation They think they are smarter than God; then his rules do not apply to them - they can apply the law of justification. Could we also say that they are not willing to submit to the will of God but rather choose to do their own will. ] for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. [ Or all of the so called learning and wisdom of the world can nor will do anythng to save them. There is no profit in allof their learning. ] And they shall perish.

29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". see Col 2:3 "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." ]

30 But wo unto the rich, [ 3 Why is it bad to be rich? Those who place riches above God; the love of money not money itself. ] who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich they despise the poor, [ 4 Because they think thay are better than others because they are rich. ] and they persecute the meek, [ use of money as power to enslave humble, by politicians that set the rules to favor them, those who demand excessive usuary on trade. ] and their hearts are upon their treasures; [ 3 Those who place riches above God ] wherefore, their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; [ 5 Deaf to what? Those who cannot or choose not to hear the commands of the Lord. Note these are those who by their own choice choose not to hear - they can or could hear but have choosen not too. ] for they shall perish. [ How does this deafness cause them to perish? Because if they will not listen then they cannot know the way, and if they do not cimplete the assignmemt give for this life as detailed in verse 23 they must be damned vs 24]

32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; [ 6 Blind to what? Those who are spiritually blind. see 2 Peter 1:8-11 again the same principle that applies in the previous verse to hearing. These are not blind other than they choose to be blind. ] for they shall perish also. [ Why do men perish because of spiritual blindness? If you are spiritually blind you cannot see the hand of God, you cannot see to recognize his wonder and if you do not see that eventually you will begin to believe that he does not exist and fall away.]

33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, [ 7 What does this mean? Those who refuse to cut away the impediments of impurity and sin. There heart is set after doing evil. ] for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day. [ How do we get in trouble without a circumcised heart? Well we are not willing to submit to the commands of God, we will be left to the knowledge of what could have been. ]

34 Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell. [ Lying is the language of hell. Why is that were the liar goes? Because they are just following their master the Father of Lies has earned that name. ]

35 Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, [ 8 Either by doing it themselves or by getting one to commit murder ] for he shall die.

36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, [ 9 Getting men to commit adultery, being unchaste ] for they shall be thrust down to hell.

37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, [10 Those who put anything or anyone before God] for the devil of all devils delighteth in them. [ Why does the devil delight in the worship of idols (American or otherwise- just joke)? If we have put our trust in the idol to save us then if have neglected to put our trust that God will save us, as a result we will not develop that perfect faith (vs23) required in order to save us ]

38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; [ In summary all those who simply choose not to repent, change their ways from sin and follow the Master. We can call these those who have not prepared to be restored to the presence of God (See Alma 5:19; 12:14; 48:23) ] for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins. [ If they do not ask for forgiviness it will not just be granted for them, and they will meet God and shrink because they cannot with stand his presence. ]

39 O, my beloved brethren, [ They are all related. ] remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, [ What is the awfulliness of transgressing against God and not repenting? spiritual death throughout eternity - being cut off from the presence of God through eternity. ] and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, [ What does it mean to be carnally minded? How does being carnally minded lead to spiritual death? ] and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. [ The comparison between the two choices and the result of those choices. What does it mean to you to be spiritually minded? How does being spiritually minded lead to “life eternal”? ]

40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; [ Jacob is letting them know before hand that it is the spirit in which you take council. If you take it as love then you will respond and correct your life; wheras if you are not humble you will reject the message and the messenger and will turn away further. How does this council apply to us today? ] for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, [ Why are words like this hard for the unrighteous and not feared by the righteous? Because the words make the unrighteous change their ways, away from what they want; whereas the righteous want to be like God and know that they need to make daily changes to become like him. One might argue that how we accept council is a good indication of where we are on the path, even what path we are on. ] for they love the truth and are not shaken.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, [ without a bend, angle, or curve; not curved; direct: or a straight path that leads to him ] and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; [ There are no short cuts; we will all be brought to the gate where judgement will be rendered. There is only one gate that leads to eternal life. Will you be worthy to open it? (See also Matt 7:13; John 10:1-2 door equates to gate.) ] for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] is his name.

42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, [ The idea that they are smarter than than God, that they understand better than God, they know what is better for them and their lives; ] and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints. [ Eternal life in his presence ]

44 O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I [ Jacob ] take off my garments, and I shake them before you; [ Symbolic that Jacob has taught them to the point that he is shaking (removing) all sin from his garments - they will not be cast on Jacob they are the peoples responsibility now and what they do with what they have been taught. ] I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; [ God sees everything done both good and bad. Nothing happens that he does not see. So when you are trying to hide; think about what you are doing. ] wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood. [ Just as the Bishop who allows sin to happen, bears that sin; but here Jacob will have none of that - you have been taught and I testify that you will be accountable. This can only be done under the influence of the Holy Ghost. The imagery of shaking the blood of one's cloak appears in the contemporary account of Ezekiel, cf. Ezek. 33. The original source of the imagery may be that of the Levites and priests of Aaron getting the blood of the people's sacrifices upon themselves. ]

45 O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains [ those bound either by the power of God or Satan ] of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.

46 Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, [ Those who have been obedient are entitled to their reward. ] even the day of judgment, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

47 But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?

48 Behold, if ye were holy I would speak unto you of holiness; but as ye are not holy, and ye look upon me as a teacher, it must needs be expedient that I teach you the consequences of sin. [ One of the first and greatest tools that Satan uses in to hide. We saw it first in the Garden of Eden, Satan uses this over and over again trying to get use to hide or not see the consequences of our sin. Alma is suggesting that may work in a very short term; but it will not win out in the long term. ]

49 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; [ hath one and love the other ] and I will praise the holy name of my God.

50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; [ living waters, baptism ] and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; [ money is not required for purchase in the kingdom but the heart is. ] yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. [ How does the Gospel satisfy us? ] Hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, [ What are some things that never perish? How can we “feast” on these things? ] neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

52 Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; [ How does remembering God’s words help us receive all the blessings of the Atonement? In what ways can we do this? ] pray unto him continually by day, [ What are the benefits of praying continually? Never ceasing - we'll if you are talking to him all day long then you are most likely trying to do his will and following him] and give thanks unto his holy name by night. [ Interesting perspective by Jacob - go to him through the day with your troubles that he might guide you but at night just thank him. How does praying and expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father help draw us nearer to Him and His son? ] Let your hearts rejoice.

53 And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions [ see 1 Ne 11:16 Heavenly Father would condescend to have mortal offspring; see 1 Ne 11:26 Jesus Christ would come to the world, live an examplary life, be crucified, atone for our sins and be resurrected ] unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, [ these blessings are not figurative but literal and are to find fulfillment in Lehis decendants, who will eventually become a righteous branch ] but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel.

54 And now, my brethren, I would speak unto you more; but on the morrow I will declare unto you the remainder of my words. Amen.