Jacob’s First Sermon – 2 Nephi 6-10

Setting

Shortly after Nephi and his people separated themselves from the families of Laman and Lemuel, Nephi’s brother Jacob spoke to them. He told them that Nephi had asked him to explain some of the words of Isaiah.

Purpose

Jacob’s purpose in delivering this sermon was to help the people understand the gathering of Israel and to recognize that it was relevant to them.

Outline

1. Introduction: I’m anxious for your welfare (2 Nephi 6:2-5).
2. Jacob quotes and explains Isaiah 49:22-23: “Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and…queens thy nursing mothers.” The people in Jerusalem have already been taken captive. Eventually, God will bring them home, and the Gentiles will help (2 Nephi 6:6-15).
3. Jacob quotes Isaiah 49:24-26, 50, 51, 52:1-2: God has power to deliver you. Don’t give up on Him (2 Nephi 6:16-18, 7, 8).
4. These blessings will come to your children. Through the Atonement, the Savior will overcome both physical and spiritual death (2 Nephi 9:1-27).
5. But those who harden their hearts, including the rich and the learned, will fail to receive the blessings God is offering them (2 Nephi 9:27-38).
6. The invitation: turn away from your sins, and turn to God (2 Nephi 9:39-49).
7. Jacob quotes Isaiah 55:1-2: God wants to bless you (2 Nephi 9:50-54).
8. [Day 2] How the gathering applies to us: God’s promises extend to all those who are scattered, including those of us who are on “the isles of the sea” (2 Nephi 10:1-22).
9. Conclusion and admonition: Reconcile yourselves to God’s will so that you can be saved by His grace (2 Nephi 10:23-25).

My Takeaways

What does the gathering of Israel mean to me? As Jacob taught his people in this sermon, the prophecies of Isaiah on this topic are not merely abstractions about a distant people in another time. They are applicable to my life today. After reviewing Jacob’s words, I can think of at least three ways to apply these prophecies in my life:

1. Every time I help another person grow closer to God, I am participating in the gathering of Israel. President Russell M. Nelson recently told the youth of the Church, “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, 3 June 2018). I can participate in the gathering by inviting other people to take actions which will bring them closer to God.
2. God sometimes scatters some of His children so that He can gather others. When I find myself in uncomfortable circumstances, I can ask myself, “Why has God placed me here? Whom can I serve?” I can have confidence that God has the power to save me and the people around me.
3. The scattering and gathering of Israel are symbolic of the effects of the Fall of Adam and Eve and the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. I am subject to physical and spiritual death, which have distanced me from God. But like scattered Israel, I can remember that, through God’s grace, I can be reconciled to Him. As Jacob teaches in this sermon, I need to overcome pride, which would hold me back from accepting God’s help.

Blog Posts about Jacob’s First Sermon

• The Plan of Salvation (4/18/2024)
• The Joy of the Saints (4/16/2024)
• General Conference and the Welfare of Our Souls (4/2/2024)
• Jesus’s Ministry to Captive Spirits (3/30/2024)
• Mercy (3/26/2024)
• The Remnant Shall Return (3/5/2024)
• “Wise in Their Own Eyes” (2/29/2024)
• Beautiful Garments (2/25/2024)
• Lehi and Jacob (2/24/2024)
• Like a Flint (2/23/2024)
• Joy and Gladness (2/22/2024)
• His Holy Order (2/21/2024)
• Spiritually Minded (2/20/2024)
• Awake and Arise! (2/7/2024)
• Jesus Is the Christ (1/7/2024)
• Belonging (1/6/2024)
• The Title Page and Nephi (1/4/2024)
• Righteous Still (12/29/2023)
• No Darkness (12/2/2023)
• Perfected Through Suffering (11/4/2023)
• Busybodies and Busyness (10/21/2023)
• Learning from General Conference (9/26/2023)
• Out of Much Affliction (9/16/2023)
• Wisdom and Foolishness (8/22/2023)
• Atonement and Reconciliation (8/13/2023)
• Only by His Grace (8/11/2023)
• They Know Not (6/21/2023)
• Rich Toward God (5/5/2023)
• Veritas Liberabit Vos (4/29/2023)
• From Their Sins (1/6/2023)
• Repentance and Resolutions (1/1/2023)
• Sacrifice and Thanksgiving (11/24/2022)
• Hunters and Fishers (10/12/2022)
• When I Called (10/9/2022)
• Without Money (10/2/2022)
• “In the High and Holy Place” (9/30/2022)
• “Look unto Abraham…and Sarah” (9/28/2022)
• Waiting Upon the Lord (9/23/2022)
• The Wilderness Shall Blossom (9/18/2022)
• Seasons (8/30/2022)
• O Be Joyful (8/26/2022)
• The Rock of Our Salvation (8/20/2022)
• “I Will Gather Them from Thence” (7/20/2022)
• “With Everlasting Kindness” (7/16/2022)
• Neither to the Right Hand nor to the Left (7/13/2022)
• “Holiness to the Lord” (5/7/2022)
• In Paradise (4/16/2022)
• Milk and Honey (3/25/2022)
• Glory (12/28/2021)
• The Creator (12/21/2021)
• Mother Eve (12/4/2021)
• Thanksgiving (11/25/2021)
• Songs of Everlasting Joy (11/20/2021)
• Knowledge (11/11/2021)
• Let Your Hearts Rejoice (11/7/2021)
• Pavilion (10/22/2021)
• The Ancient of Days (10/13/2021)
• “Put on Thy Strength” (10/8/2021)
• Endowed with Power (9/2/2021)
• Light (8/28/2021)
• Confounded (6/29/2021)
• Songs of Everlasting Joy (6/20/2021)
• Brimstone (6/10/2021)
• Endure in Faith (6/8/2021)
• Rich and Poor (5/23/2021)
• Family Financial Management and Section 48 (5/9/2021)
• A Standard for My People (5/1/2021)
• Paradise (4/3/2021)
• No End (3/23/2021)
• Promises to Covenant Israel (3/18/2021)
• “With the Voice Together Shall They Sing” (3/13/2021)
• “That Ye May Not Shrink” – 2 Nephi 9:46 (2/27/2021)
• “They Shall Not Be Ashamed That Wait for Me” (1/24/2021)
• “Fear Ye Not the Reproach of Men” – 2 Nephi 8:7 (1/23/2021)
• Wisdom and Knowledge – Moroni 10:9-10 (12/17/2020)
• “All That We Could Do” – Alma 24:11, 15 (7/2/2020)
• “He Hath Lied Unto Us” – Alma 10:28, Alma 12:3 (6/12/2020)
• “I Have Spoken Unto You Plainly” – Alma 5:43 (6/3/2020)
• “That I Might Rid My Garments of Your Blood” – Mosiah 2:27-28 (4/17/2020)
• Active, Aware, and Joyful (2/16/2020)
• “According to the Flesh” – 2 Nephi 10:2 (2/15/2020)
• Death and Hell – 2 Nephi 9:6-26 (2/14/2020)
• “Fear Ye Not the Reproach of Men” – 2 Nephi 8:7-8 (2/13/2020)
• “Do Not Spend Money for That Which Is of No Worth” – 2 Nephi 9:51 (2/12/2020)
• “They Shall Not Be Ashamed That Wait for Me” – 1 Nephi 21:23, 2 Nephi 6:7 (2/11/2020)
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• What Does the Book of Mormon Refute? (12/29/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Affirm? (12/28/2019)
• What Is Meekness? (12/22/2019)
• What Is Wisdom? (12/13/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Creation of the Earth? (12/8/2019)
• When Should I Express Gratitude? (11/29/2019)
• What Is the “Great and Abominable Church?” (11/22/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Be Ordained? (11/8/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the United States of America? (10/28/2019)
• What Does It Mean to “Cast Out Devils?” (10/24/2019)
• How Much Power Does the Devil Have? (10/22/2019)
• What Are Some Things That I Can’t Delegate? (10/10/2019)
• Will We Be Judged by the Apostles? (10/9/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Add to Our Understanding of the Resurrection? (10/4/2019)
• Why Are We Blessed When We Are Reviled? (9/9/2019)
• Why Is It Important to Lift Up Our Heads? (9/7/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Be “Puffed Up?” (9/6/2019)
• What Do We Need to Do to Be Saved by Grace? (8/30/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Education? (8/29/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Be Saved “In and Through” the Grace of God? (8/27/2019)
• How Can I Manage Time More Effectively? (8/21/2019)
• Who Is the House of Israel? (8/14/2019)
• What Is the Gathering of Israel? (8/13/2019)
• What Is Zion? (7/31/2019)
• How Should I Deal with Anxiety? (7/10/2019)
• What Is the Relationship Between Obedience and Agency? (7/2/2019)
• What Should I Do When I Feel Guilty? (6/24/2019)
• What Is the Plan of Redemption? (6/16/2019)
• What Is the Role of Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in the Book of Mormon? (6/14/2019)
• How Does Isaiah Point Us Toward Christ? (6/1/2019)
• Which of Isaiah’s Writings Are Quoted in the Book of Mormon? (5/31/2019)
• How Can Recognizing Parallelisms Help Me Understand Isaiah? (5/29/2019)
• Why Is Isaiah So Difficult to Understand? (5/28/2019)
• Why Is Isaiah Quoted So Much in the Book of Mormon? (5/27/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Fear? (5/8/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Happiness? (5/6/2019)
• What Does It Mean to Consecrate Something? (5/4/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Resurrection? (4/21/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Finances? (4/2/2019)
• What Is the Significance of the Title “the Mighty One of Jacob?” (3/12/2019)
• How Do Book of Mormon Prophets Use the Title “Savior?” (3/11/2019)
• What Does It Mean for Jesus to Be Our “Redeemer?” (3/10/2019)
• Why Is Jesus Called “the Holy One of Israel?” (3/8/2019)
• What Is the Significance of the Names and Titles of Jesus in the Book of Mormon? (3/3/2019)
• What Is a “Probationary State?” (2/8/2019)
• How Is the Word “Atonement” Used in the Book of Mormon? (1/30/2019)
• What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Grace? (1/28/2019)
• Why Does the Book of Mormon Quote from the Bible? (1/20/2019)
• That Which Will Give Them the True Knowledge of Their Redeemer – 2 Nephi 10:2 (6/11/2018)
• And Also from Everlasting Death – 2 Nephi 10:25 (6/10/2018)
• They Who Have Endured the Crosses of the World – 2 Nephi 9:18 (6/9/2018)
• That Ye Might Know Concerning the Covenants of the Lord – 2 Nephi 9:1-3 (6/8/2018)
• Look unto the Rock from Whence Ye Are Hewn – 2 Nephi 8:1-3 (6/7/2018)
• He Waketh Morning by Morning – 2 Nephi 7:4-5 (6/6/2018)
• Shall the Prey Be Taken from the Mighty? – 2 Nephi 6:16-18 (6/5/2018)
• In Their Arms, and…Upon Their Shoulders – 2 Nephi 6:6-7 (6/4/2018)
• Put on Thy Strength – 2 Nephi 8:24-25 (9/10/2017)
• Who Art Thou, That Thou Shouldst Be Afraid of Man? – 2 Nephi 8:12-13 (9/9/2017)
• All Ye that Kindle Fire – 2 Nephi 7:10-11 (9/8/2017)
• Who Will Contend with Me? – 2 Nephi 7:6-9 (9/7/2017)
• We Are Not Cast Off – 2 Nephi 10:20-22 (8/26/2017)
• Come Buy and Eat – 2 Nephi 9:50-51 (8/25/2017)
• I Am Desirous for the Welfare of Your Souls – 2 Nephi 6:3 (8/24/2017)
• That Which Cannot Satisfy – 2 Nephi 9:51 (9/2/2016)
• The Way for Man Is Narrow, but It Lieth in a Straight Course – 2 Nephi 9:41 (2/27/2016)
• They Who Are Righteous Shall Be Righteous Still – 2 Nephi 9:15-16 (2/24/2016)
• He Suffereth the Pains of All Men – 2 Nephi 9:21-22 (1/13/2016)
• He Executeth All His Words – 2 Nephi 9:17 (1/10/2016)
• My Salvation Shall Be Forever – 2 Nephi 8:6 (1/8/2016)
• 2 Nephi 10:24 Reconcile Yourselves to the Will of God (2/19/2015)
• 2 Nephi 10:20 We Are Not Cast Off (2/18/2015)
• 2 Nephi 9:54 On the Morrow (2/18/2015)
• 2 Nephi 9:42-43 The Wise, and the Learned, and They That Are Rich (2/16/2015)
• 2 Nephi 9:25 Where There Is No Law Given, There Is No Punishment (2/16/2015)
• 2 Nephi 9:41 He Employeth No Servant There (2/15/2015)
• 2 Nephi 9:16 They Who Are Righteous Shall Be Righteous Still (2/14/2015)
• 2 Nephi 8:6-8 But My Salvation Shall Be Forever (2/14/2015)
• 2 Nephi 7:1-3 Is My Hand Shortened at All That I Cannot Redeem? (2/12/2015)
• 2 Nephi 6:3 I Am Desirous for the Welfare of Your Souls (2/11/2015)