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 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 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 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 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 your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am of your blood. (2 Nephi 9:44)
And we did our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the , answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their 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 which I am under to God, to mine office with , and that I might 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 is as a of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end. (2 Nephi 9:16)
For he his saints from that monster the devil, and death, and , and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment. (2 Nephi 9:19)
they are from that awful monster, death and , and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment (2 Nephi 9:26)
loose yourselves from the pains of that ye may not become to the devil, to be cast into that lake of fire and brimstone which is the second . (Jacob 3:11)
And according to the power of , for justice cannot be denied, ye must go away into that of fire and brimstone, whose flames are unquenchable, and whose smoke ascendeth up forever and ever, which lake of fire and brimstone is . (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.