The cursing of the land - Jacob 3

[theplains]

I had some questions about this Book of Mormon passage.

Jacob 3:3-4 - "But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day 
before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, 
which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing
(linked to 1 Nephi 12:23), shall scourge you even unto destruction. And the time speedily 
cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the 
Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you."

Was the land curse upon those not pure in heart (who did not repent) more or less 
severe than the sore cursing laid upon the Lamanites?

The passage seems to indicate that the cursing of the land was only upon the Nephites. Is
this correct?

The passage seems to say that if the Nephites did not repent, the Lamanites would inherit the
land by default so to speak.  But if the Nephites did repent, God would lead away the righteous. 
But since the Nephites were already supposedly in the choice land above all lands, where would 
God lead the righteous people to if they repented?

Jacob 3:9 - "Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile 
no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against 
them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember 
that their filthiness came because of their fathers."

If the filtiness of the Lamanites came because of their Lamanite ancestors, where did the 
filthiness of the Nephites come from?

Thanks,
Jim

[CV75]

2 hours ago, theplains said:

I had some questions about this Book of Mormon passage.

Jacob 3:3-4 - "But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day 
before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, 
which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing
(linked to 1 Nephi 12:23), shall scourge you even unto destruction. And the time speedily 
cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the 
Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you."

Was the land curse upon those not pure in heart (who did not repent) more or less 
severe than the sore cursing laid upon the Lamanites?

The passage seems to indicate that the cursing of the land was only upon the Nephites. Is
this correct?

The passage seems to say that if the Nephites did not repent, the Lamanites would inherit the
land by default so to speak.  But if the Nephites did repent, God would lead away the righteous. 
But since the Nephites were already supposedly in the choice land above all lands, where would 
God lead the righteous people to if they repented?

Jacob 3:9 - "Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile 
no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against 
them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember 
that their filthiness came because of their fathers."

If the filtiness of the Lamanites came because of their Lamanite ancestors, where did the 
filthiness of the Nephites come from?

Thanks,
Jim

I think the term “for your sakes” means the land is cursed for the rebellious, but not for the righteous, and that the righteous will be separated from the rebellious (it’s a big land).

So the che choiceness is contingent upon righteousness (1 Nephi 2:20; do a word search of the phrase in the Book of Mormon where this is emphasized a number of times). It is a land of promise (meaning the kept promise or covenant by those led into and living in it). Choiceness above all other lands signifies the people in it were expected to honor the Law of Moses while looking forward to Christ (2 Nephi 25:24 and elsewhere), which was the most righteous thing people could do in the earth at that time. The choice land, and its choiceness, was prepared and conditional upon the righteousness of those who are under the covenant to possess it.

I think the severity of different curses depends on the knowledge the cursed possess. But the joy of the repentant (the removal of the curse of sin) is ultimately the same for all through Christ's grace.

Some people have filthy habits imposed upon them through their upbringing by those who had rebelled, and others bring it upon themselves through their own rebellion. Those who have been denied the light are given an opportunity to receive it, but those who rejected it will have to seek out that opportunity (which to me is a harder thing to do).

[ksfisher]

Filthiness in the eyes of the Lord comes because of unatoned for sin.

For the Lamanites this was because their fathers had rejected the gospel, cutting off the children from the saving ordinances of the gospel.

For Nephites, who had been taught the gosepl, it came because of their rejection of Christ as their Savior.

[Marmonboy]

Weren't groups of righteous people periodically led out from the unrighteous into other places where there were opportunities to be righteous? Think Nephi's family, Mosiah I, Alma the Elder, Limhi's bunch, the people of Ammon--all groups who left their lands and either settled new areas or joined up with other good guys.

[theplains]

On 06/11/2016 at 10:17 PM, ksfisher said:

For the Lamanites this was because their fathers had rejected the gospel, cutting off the children from the saving ordinances of the gospel.

Alma 3:6-7 is a little more specific.

It is recorded that the skins of the Lamanites were dark, "according to the mark which was 
set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their 
rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who 
were just and holy men. And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were 
cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the 
sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women."

Regards,
Jim

[cdowis]

In case you are unaware, the Land of the First Inheritance (the land of Nephi)  was taken over by the Lamanites after Mosiah 1 lead a righteous group of Nephites from the land of Lehi to Zarahemla (Omni 12)

Thus, Jacob was specifically talking about "this" land, the land of Nephi and the prophecy was fulfilled in the book Omni.  I am guessing that, among other things, there were Nephites who did not give up polygamy, despite his warning.

Edited November 11, 2016 by cdowis