O Be Wise

O Be Wise

I'm busy so I'll have to do a short one this week but one of my favorite verses in The Book Of Mormon is Jacob chapter six verse twelve:

"O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:12)

Jacob, one of the most effective gospel teachers in The Book Of Mormon, is characterized by his love of his people, and his faithfulness in fulfilling his calling to teach them. Jacob inherited that "anxiety" of his father Lehi. The anxiety for the eternal welfare of the souls of his family. He repeatedly expresses that he feels responsible to warn and teach his people so that their sins might not come upon his head at the last day.

I feel that as a parent I am responsible in that same way. If I do not teach my children the gospel of Jesus Christ I am the one who will be held responsible on judgment day.

I am grateful for God's reminder through the scriptures to "be wise". It's so obvious that it seems like it may not even be worth saying; but I think we can all agree that it is worth saying (or hearing) once in a while.

These were Jacob's last words before he bid us farewell. As a man who saw God and heard his voice, I think he is someone worth listening to.

I love the simplicity of this verse. It reminds me of one of the psalms and the proverbs. An expounded version of Jacob's counsel might be found in Proverbs chapter two:

 1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

 6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

 10 ¶When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

 13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

 14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereh with her words;

 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

 18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

 19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

 20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.