Jacob 1 – 4
It was not by accident or even simply that Nephi trusted Jacob with the spiritual nourishment of hid people that Nephi gave charge of the small plates to Jacob. Nephi was intentionally splitting the two sets of plates up in order to help ensure that at least one set survived. He may not have known exactly what the Lord wanted in asking him to make two sets of plates but he obviously felt that ensuring the preservation of the record was post of the purpose. in order to accomplish that he sent the two sets of plates to separate people so that they could not be list together by any means.
One of the purposes in anointing Jacob and Joseph to be the spiritual teachers of the people was to not concentrate the leadership of the people in one branch of the family.
I wonder if the Nephites had multiple wives in their early years in order to build up their people until Jacob saw that it was leading to sinful thoughts and practices. Jacob seems to indicate that polygamy had been practiced in Jerusalem before they left.
Add Jacob prophesied, the day came that the Lamanites possessed the land of Nephi and the righteous were led out from among the Nephites under the leadership of Mosiah.
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