What Jarom Teaches Us

Jarom, the great-grandson of Lehi, the grandson of Jacob, and son of Enos, is given the plates by his father and told to update the record. Was it necessary for him to go into detail like his father or grandfather had before him? He had a few observations that were brief, succinct and to the point as he wrote down:

1. Behold it is expedient that much should be done among this people because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks.
2. God is exceedingly merciful unto them and has not as yet swept them off form the face of the land.
3. There are many among us who have many revelations.
4. They are not all stiff-necked, and have faith, as well as have communion with the Holy Spirit.
5. After 200 years, the people have become strong in the land, observe the Law of Moses, keep the Sabbath Day holy, neither profane nor blaspheme.
6. There are twice as many Lamanites as Nephites scattered on the face of the land, and the laws are very strict.
7. Jarom did not write down his own prophecies and revelations, for they were the same as those of his father and grandfather, for what more could be written.
8. My fathers have revealed the plan of salvation and that sufficeth me.
9. We have many times withstood the Lamanites and swept them away out of our lands, and began to fortify our cities, or whatsoever place of our inheritance.
10. We have multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, as well as weapons of war.
11. And thus being prepared to meet the Lamanites, they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.

12. The prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land.
13. Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already had.
14. After 238 years and many wars, contentions and dissensions, the prophets were continually stirring the people up unto repentance.
15. I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are small. But behold, my brethren, ye can go to the other plates of Nephi; for behold, upon them the records of our wars are engraven, according to the writings of the kings, or those which they caused to be written, and I deliver these plates into the hands of my son Omni, that they may be kept according to the commandments of my fathers.
    Obviously, the Lamanites were far more numerous than the Nephites, and loved murder, coming many times against the Nephites in battle, the latter only able to arm and defend themselves. The Nephite kings and leaders were mighty men in the faith of the Lord, teaching the people the ways of the Lord. Once having removed the Lamanites from their land, the Nephites began fortifying their cities.
    Throughout Nephite history until the very end (when grace had left the Nephites), all battles took place on Nephite territory. In fact, at the end, Mormon told the Nephites: “it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them. Behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed“ (Mormon 4:4).

The Nephites in Jarom’s time prepared for war—they were very proficient in building, making things, working with metal, including machines for war—but being armed did not provide them with security, only a means of not being overrun and destroyed. It was keeping the commandments that saved them as a people and as a nation, right up to the end when they violated the very precepts of righteousness and attacked their neighbor.
    And it came to pass that the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land. To keep the people in line, “the prophets of the Lord did threaten the people of Nephi, according to the word of God, that if they did not keep the commandments, but should fall into transgression, they should be destroyed from off the face of the land” (Jarom 1:10).
    Jarom seems to be one of those quiet men of history, fervent in his testimony, and valiant in his defense of his country and its beliefs. He wrote little, depending upon the words of previous prophets to his own, and reminding the people of who they were and what they already had been told and about what they had been warned.
    He understood the value of his heritage and of the prophets of his day preaching that heritage to the Nephites.
    Unfortunately, for the Nephites, Jarom’s son, Omni, though a patriot himself, was a self-proclaimed “wicked man,” who did not live up to the commandments of the Lord. It is easy to see that Jarom teaches us to look to the commandments, i.e., what the prophets have already preached, to follow the prophets, and not be trying to state or restate what is already known. From a geographical point, Jarom teaches us to follow the simple statements of the prophets and not try to come up with wild, new, and controversial ideas of our own--but to stay the course and pay attention to what we have been told.