The LDS version of the Book of Mormon often interferes with understanding the text. The funeral sermon given by Jacob following the death of his older brother, Nephi, is divided by the LDS Book of Mormon into chapters that disrupt the continuity of his message.
Nephi was approximately 20 years older than Jacob. Nephi married a wife before Jacob was born in the wilderness. Because he was older, Nephi was the undisputed community leader until his death.
Jacob assumed the role of the priestly/prophetic leader upon his older brother’s death. It is clear that Jacob saw their community had drifted into serious sin, and on the occasion of Nephi passing he attempted to correct those lapses.
In Covenant of Christ, the entire funeral sermon is in a single, undivided chapter. That Chapter 2 begins with: “The words Jacob, Nephi’s brother, spoke to the Nephites following Nephi’s death.” (Paragraph 1) The sermon ends with: “This concludes what I said following Nephi’s death. Now I Jacob spoke many more things to the Nephites, warning them against fornication and adultery, the inciting of lust, and every kind of sin, explaining to them their awful consequences. And not even one percent of the doings of this people, who are now becoming numerous, can be written on these plates.” (Paragraph 13)
In this sermon Jacob condemned greed, failing to care for the needy, and taking plural wives. The portion of the sermon dealing with plural wives in the Book of Mormon reads this way: “Wherefore, thus saith the Lord: I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. Wherefore, I, the Lord God, will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife, and concubines he shall have none; for I, the Lord God, delighteth in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes. For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me I will command my people otherwise they shall hearken unto these things. For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands. And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts. For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction. For they shall not commit whoredoms like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts. And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi. Wherefore, ye have known them before, and ye have come unto great condemnation, for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have done.”
In Covenant of Christ this portion of the sermon now reads: “The Lord says: This people are beginning to increase in iniquity; they don’t understand the scriptures, trying instead to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms because of what’s written about David and his son Solomon. Indeed, David and Solomon had many wives and concubines — something offensive to Me, says the Lord. Therefore the Lord says: I led this people from the land of Jerusalem by My power so I could make from Joseph’s offspring a righteous branch that will follow Me. Therefore I won’t let this people do like others did in the past. So, my people, listen to me and hearken to the Lord’s word: No man among you is to have more than one wife — and he is not to have any concubines. I the Lord God delight in women’s chastity and prostitution is an abomination to Me — says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore this people must keep My commandments, says the Lord of Hosts, or the land will be cursed on their account. For in My Wisdom I will have covenant people, says the Lord of Hosts, whom I’ll command and lead, and they will hearken to this commandment to have only one wife. I the Lord have seen the sorrow and heard the sobbing of the daughters of My people in the land of Jerusalem, and elsewhere in My people’s lands, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands. The Lord of Hosts says: I won’t let the cries of the beautiful daughters of this people, whom I’ve led out of the land of Jerusalem, come up to Me against the men of My people, says the Lord of Hosts. They’re not to mislead the daughters of My people — because of their kind, gentle nature — and use their vulnerabilities to subjugate them. If they do this I will chastise them even destroy them if needed, because I’ve commanded them not to commit whoredoms like others did in the past, says the Lord of Hosts. Now, my brothers and sisters, you know these commandments were given to our father Lehi; so you are familiar with them. And you’ve come under great condemnation, since you’ve violated what you were taught.”
In this portion of his sermon, Jacob reminds his people that their father, Lehi, was the one who gave the command to have only one wife. That command was being obeyed by the Lamanites, but not by the Nephites. At the funeral sermon Jacob acted immediately upon assuming the role of the priest/prophet to reaffirm the commandment, and to denounce the sin.
We have no real ability to reconstruct whether Nephi’s age and infirmity prevented him from addressing this problem in the final years of his life. Whatever may have provoked this lapse into disobedience, when Nephi died his brother immediately took up the subject to reform his people. That first sermon of Jacob, following the death of Nephi, is one of the most important clarifications given to us in Covenant of Christ. Whatever mistakes may have been made in the past, we now have a clear clarification to guide us away from this serious error.