Hello on Shakin Saints, I'm Gerard Halverson, welcome to the Book of Jacob.

For the first time in our Book of Mormon study this year, we are seeing the baton being passed from one

Book of Mormon writer to the next. And believe me, there's no better runner for

the second leg of the relay than Nephi's little brother Jacob. I love his book. I

love the man. I named my son after him, and so I am stoked that for the next two weeks it will

be Jacob leading us through our Book of Mormon study. Now that being said I do have to admit,

I miss Nephi already.

If it's true that you never get over your first crush, then well I'll never get over Nephi.

He and his teachings have been life changing for me, and I hope they have been for you.

To see his explanation of the doctrine of Christ, to have his help making sense of

Isaiah, to watch with him his panoramic visions unfold as he tries to invite us all to come to

the tree and partake of the fruit.

I love his 55 chapters, But to have them followed with the seven chapters that Jacob gives us,

oh it's a beautiful foundation upon which Jacob will build. And so let's watch him build it.

Now before we get into his text, I want to spend some time with him as a person.

I think the better we know the man, the more will appreciate and understand the message. And so a little bit

of biographical background. Okay. Now for this, if you want more of this by the way,

uh... BYU Religious Studies Center just published a whole book just on Jacob.

A bunch of colleagues got together and we each wrote a chapter about Jacob.

Some from his life or his ministry or his historical context, I wrote a chapter on Jacob and

the challenges of mental health because I don't think there's anyone in scripture who can

help us navigate that better than he.

...