In Jacob 7, we read of a man named Sherem who told the Nephites that there would be no Christ—no Savior, no Messiah. He said the law of Moses was all there was.
Jacob, a prophet, asked Sherem a simple question: Did he believe the scriptures?
Sherem said yes, he believed the scriptures.
Jacob’s response was bold and devastating: “Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ” (Jacob 7:11).
Oh snap!
In other words, it’s ridiculous to say you believe the scriptures but that you don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the whole point of the scriptures!
We can shake our heads at how misguided Sherem was, but he’s not alone in “believing” the scriptures while sometimes failing to internalize them. For example:
- If we don’t feel obligated to help the poor and needy (however we can), then we may need to ask ourselves whether we really believe—or understand—the scriptures.
- If we don’t try and treat others with kindness and respect even when they have different beliefs, then it’s fair to wonder if we, too, have failed to understand the scriptures.
- If we think that someone who’s facing a challenge must have been unrighteous … well, we need to go back and read the scriptures again. We missed something!
You get the idea. You’d probably say “yes” if someone asked whether you believe the scriptures. But do you have attitudes, habits, or philosophies that contradict the scriptures? That might be something to think about this week!