Jacob's personality -- Part 1

I know, it's a bold title. But I have thought about it since reading Grant Hardy's "Understanding the Book of Mormon". His book analyzes the writings of the three main authors, Nephi, Mormon and Moroni, to get under their skin. Jacob is not included but might perhaps be the fourth main author. His words are found in the Book of Jacob and 2 Nephi 6-10, except for the longer Isaiah and Zenos quotes in there.

I made a few posts a while back, pointing out "distinct Book of Mormon voices". Sometimes, certain expressions are typical for a particular Book of Mormon author. I noticed a couple of typical Jacob expressions too and I wonder if they say something about him as a person. Consider this:

Nevertheless, I speak unto you again; for I am desirous for the welfare of your souls. Yea, mine anxiety is great for you; and ye yourselves know that it ever has been. For I have exhorted you with all diligence (2 Nephi 6:3)

For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should happen unto them. (Jacob 1:5)

And ye yourselves know that I have hitherto been diligent in the office of my calling; but I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been. (Jacob 2:3)

Behold, my beloved brethren, I will unfold this mystery unto you; if I do not, by any means, get shaken from my firmness in the Spirit, and stumble because of my over anxiety for you. (Jacob 4:18)

Except for these quotes by Jacob, being anxious about other people's welfare is only expressed once by Alma (Alma 13:27) and once by Lehi (2 Nephi 1:16) in the Book of Mormon, at least as far as I was able to find. Another one:

O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood. (2 Nephi 9:44)

And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1:19)

Now, my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God. (Jacob 2:2)

Alma talks a lot about having your garments washed white in the blood of the Lamb. But the idea of not having your garments stained from the sins of the people you address, is only mentioned more than once by Jacob. We will consider a third example and then discuss in part 2 if this can help us learn something about Jacob's personality.

their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end. (2 Nephi 9:16)

For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. (2 Nephi 9:19)

they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment (2 Nephi 9:26)

loose yourselves from the pains of hell that ye may not become angels to the devil, to be cast into that lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death. (Jacob 3:11)

And according to the power of justice, for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that lake of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is endless torment. (Jacob 6:10) 

The lake of fire and brimstone is mentioned several times in the Book of Mormon. Once by Nephi, once by Alma (and once sarcastically by the leaders in Ammonihah), once by King Benjamin and 5 times by Jacob. He keeps returning to that sea of fire and brimstone in his sermons. What do we make of all this? I will try to get to that in part 2.