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; 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, for they love the truth and are not shaken.
After recounting their departure from Laman and Lemuel and the establishment of the Nephite people, Nephi then includes in his record some of the words of his brother Jacob, who has been ordained to teach the people. Jacob begins his message by teaching from the words of Isaiah so the people will know the covenants of the Lord and the blessings that await them if they are faithful. He then teaches them the great plan of happiness and the power of the atonement.
The reason the atonement is necessary is because man is fallen and subject to laws he will inevitably break. The atonement will save those who repent, but Jacob gives a long list of wo for those who break the laws. Verse 39, which is what I wrote about yesterday, is the first verse following this list of wo. Jacob naturally urges the people to remember the awfulness of transgressing the law and to remember that to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life eternal.
In verse 40, Jacob encourages the people to remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. After such a long list of things that will thrust them down to hell, it's understandable that the Nephites might need a reminder of the Lord's goodness. But even though his words might seem hard, they are only hard to those who are not righteous. The righteous do not fear the truth; they love it and are not shaken.
We are often reminded of the awful punishment that awaits those who break the commandments. Some of those reminders come when we ourselves give in to temptation and suffer because of it. The sorrow is painful, but we must remember the greatness of the Lord. What we have to remember in those times is not the punishment we are receiving, but that the Savior performed the atonement so we wouldn't have to suffer the full effects of our sins, which culminate in spiritual death. That should always be at the forefront of our minds. The Lord is great because he overcame all things. We are often weak and give in to temptation, but he resisted temptation.
I will make an effort to reveal in my journals the greatness of the Holy One of Israel as I have experienced the power of the atonement lifting me from death and hell and filling me with joy. My children need to know of his greatness, and they need to know that I knew of that greatness.
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