Jarom
Overview
The Book of Jarom is a brief but theologically and historically dense text within the Book of Mormon narrative, purportedly written by Jarom, the son of Enos, covering a period of roughly 200 to 238 years after Lehi's departure from Jerusalem. Jarom explicitly states his reluctance to write extensively about his own prophecies or revelations because he believes his predecessors have already sufficiently revealed the 'plan of salvation.' The text serves primarily as a historical bridge and a theological reinforcement of the Nephite prosperity covenant: the promise that obedience to God's commandments guarantees material and territorial success, while disobedience guarantees destruction. Jarom describes a stark dichotomy between the Nephites and the Lamanites. The Lamanites are depicted as numerous, bloodthirsty, and hostile, while the Nephites are characterized by their strict adherence to the Law of Moses, Sabbath observance, and the laws of the land. Notably, Jarom claims the Nephites experienced massive technological and material advancement during this era, explicitly listing the production of gold, silver, buildings, machinery, iron, copper, brass, steel, and various weapons of war. Theologically, the text presents a highly developed, pre-incarnate Christology. Jarom records that the prophets, priests, and teachers labored diligently to keep the people from destruction by teaching the Law of Moses alongside its ultimate intent: to persuade the people to look forward to the Messiah and believe in Him 'as though he already was.' This synthesis of Old Covenant law observance with explicit New Covenant Christian faith is a hallmark of Book of Mormon theology. The text concludes with Jarom passing the small plates to his son Omni, maintaining the genealogical and record-keeping mandate of his lineage.
Key Figures
- Jarom: The narrator and record-keeper, son of Enos, who maintains the genealogy and reinforces the theological link between obedience and prosperity.
- Enos: Jarom's father, who commanded Jarom to write and keep the genealogy.
- Omni: Jarom's son, to whom the plates are delivered at the end of the record.
- Lamanites: The antagonistic group described as numerous, loving murder, and drinking the blood of beasts, serving as a constant military threat and divine scourge.
- Nephites: The covenant people who, when obedient to the prophets and the Law of Moses, are blessed with immense material wealth, technological advancement, and military victory.
- Prophets, Priests, and Teachers: The spiritual leaders who continually prick the hearts of the Nephites with the word of God, stirring them to repentance and pointing them to the Messiah.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Anachronistic/Pre-Incarnate Christology
Assertion
Old Testament-era peoples possessed explicit knowledge of Jesus Christ and exercised faith in Him as if He had already come, while simultaneously practicing the Law of Moses.
Evidence from Text
...teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come, as though he already was.
Evangelical Comparison
In Evangelical theology, based on passages like Colossians 1:26 ('the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints') and Hebrews 1:1-2, God's revelation is progressive. The Old Testament saints looked forward to a promised deliverer and were justified by faith in God's promises, but they did not possess the explicit, fully-orbed Christian theology of the New Testament. The Law of Moses served as a 'shadow of the good things to come' (Hebrews 10:1), not a concurrent practice alongside explicit Christian worship. The Book of Jarom, however, asserts that Nephite prophets taught the people to believe in the Messiah 'as though he already was' hundreds of years before His birth. This collapses the biblical distinction between the Old and New Covenants, presenting a fully developed Christian soteriology operating simultaneously with Levitical law. This creates a significant theological friction point regarding the nature of biblical prophecy, the purpose of the Incarnation, and the historical unfolding of redemptive history.
The Prosperity Covenant
Assertion
Strict obedience to God's commandments directly results in material wealth, technological advancement, territorial security, and military victory.
Evidence from Text
But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying, That inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land.
Evangelical Comparison
The Book of Jarom heavily emphasizes a transactional relationship with God: obedience yields gold, silver, machinery, and military dominance, while disobedience yields physical destruction ('swept them off from the face of the land'). This echoes the Deuteronomic covenant given specifically to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. Evangelical Christianity recognizes the Deuteronomic covenant as historically specific to theocratic Israel. Under the New Covenant, Jesus and the Apostles explicitly promise that believers will face tribulation, persecution, and suffering in this world (John 16:33, 2 Timothy 3:12). Spiritual prosperity (Ephesians 1:3) is guaranteed, but material wealth and physical safety are not metrics of a believer's faithfulness. The Book of Mormon's universalization of this prosperity doctrine often leads to a performance-based faith where material success is viewed as a barometer of spiritual standing.
The Plan of Salvation
Assertion
The comprehensive framework of human redemption was fully known and revealed by the ancient patriarchs/fathers.
Evidence from Text
For what could I write more than my fathers have written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation? I say unto you, Yea; and this sufficeth me.
Evangelical Comparison
When Jarom refers to the 'plan of salvation,' a Latter-day Saint reader understands this through the lens of modern Mormon theology, which includes pre-mortal existence, the necessity of mortal probation, and the potential for exaltation to godhood in the celestial kingdom. Evangelical Christianity defines the plan of salvation strictly as God's redemptive work through the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, justifying sinners by grace alone through faith alone. While Evangelicals agree that Abraham and the patriarchs understood the promise of a Redeemer (Galatians 3:8), they reject the anachronistic insertion of the comprehensive Mormon 'Plan of Salvation' into ancient history, as it relies on extra-biblical revelations that contradict the biblical doctrines of God, man, and grace.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text asserts that Old Testament-era people practiced the Law of Moses while simultaneously possessing an explicit, fully developed Christian theology, and it ties spiritual faithfulness directly to material wealth and technological advancement.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between Jarom and Evangelical Christianity centers on the doctrines of progressive revelation and the nature of the New Covenant. Evangelicals hold to a biblical theology where God's redemptive plan unfolds progressively. The Old Testament saints were justified by faith in the promises of God, but the specific mechanics of the Incarnation, the cross, and the Church were 'mysteries' hidden until the New Testament era (Ephesians 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:10-12). The Law of Moses was a tutor to lead to Christ (Galatians 3:24), but it was a shadow, not the substance. Jarom collapses this historical progression. It posits a civilization that simultaneously observes the strict, localized Law of Moses while possessing an explicit, fully realized Christian soteriology ('believe in him to come, as though he already was'). This anachronistic Christology fundamentally alters the biblical narrative of how God interacts with humanity through distinct covenants. Furthermore, Jarom reinforces a strict prosperity gospel—equating righteousness with gold, silver, steel, and military dominance. This contradicts the New Testament ethic where Christ's kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36) and where believers are promised spiritual riches in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) alongside earthly trials and persecutions.
For All Ages
Imagine watching a movie about George Washington, but in the movie, he is using an iPhone and flying a helicopter. You would know something is wrong because those things didn't exist yet. In the Bible, God revealed His plan slowly over time. The people in the Old Testament knew God would send a Savior, but they didn't know all the details about Jesus yet; the rules they followed were like clues pointing to Him. But the Book of Jarom says the people living hundreds of years before Jesus already knew everything about Him and worshipped Him exactly like Christians do today, while still doing Old Testament sacrifices. It also says that if you obey God, He will make you rich with gold and steel, but the Bible says Jesus' followers will often be poor and face hard times.
Friction Points
Progressive Revelation / Biblical Christology
Asserts explicit, fully developed Christian faith existed concurrently with Old Covenant law observance hundreds of years before the Incarnation.
Sola Scriptura
Introduces extra-biblical prophets, new historical narratives, and new scripture (the plates) as authoritative.
Theology of Suffering / New Covenant Blessings
Equates spiritual obedience directly with material wealth, technological advancement, and military victory.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Plan of Salvation"
In This Text
The comprehensive framework of existence, which in broader LDS theology includes pre-mortal life, mortal probation, and progression to degrees of glory/exaltation.
In Evangelicalism
God's redemptive work to save sinners from eternal wrath through the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, resulting in eternal life with God.
"Law of Moses"
In This Text
A set of strict rules observed concurrently with explicit Christian faith to ensure physical preservation and prosperity in the Americas.
In Evangelicalism
The Old Covenant given specifically to national Israel at Sinai to reveal sin, govern the theocracy, and serve as a temporary shadow pointing to the coming Messiah.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Preservation from physical destruction by enemies, material prosperity, and ultimately, spiritual redemption through the coming Messiah.
How Attained: By keeping the commandments, observing the Law of Moses, repenting when warned by prophets, and looking forward to the Messiah with faith.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is heavily tied to physical and material metrics: if the society is prospering and defeating the Lamanites, they are in God's favor. Spiritually, assurance comes from communion with the Holy Spirit according to one's faith.
Comparison to Sola Fide: While Jarom mentions 'faith' and believing in the Messiah, this faith is inextricably linked to strict obedience to the Law of Moses and the laws of the land to avoid destruction. Evangelical Sola Fide (Romans 3:28, 4:5) teaches that justification is entirely apart from works of the law. Jarom presents a system where faith in Christ and works of the law are blended to maintain covenant standing.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Keep the genealogy
- Write for the benefit of the Lamanites
- Keep the law of Moses
- Keep the Sabbath day Holy
- Keep the commandments to prosper in the land
- Look forward unto the Messiah and believe in him to come
Implicit Obligations
- Repent continually when pricked in the heart by the word
- Prepare militarily to defend against the Lamanites
- Labor diligently in teaching and exhorting (for leaders)
Ritual Requirements
- Observance of the Law of Moses
- Observance of the Sabbath day
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- Jarom mentions that the Nephites had steel, iron, and machinery around 400 BC. How do you reconcile this with the fact that archaeologists haven't found evidence of these technologies in the ancient Americas?
- In Jarom, the prophets teach the people to believe in Jesus 'as though he already was' hundreds of years before He was born. Why do you think the New Testament says the mystery of Christ was hidden in past ages if the Nephites already knew it so clearly?
- Jarom ties keeping the commandments directly to getting rich in gold and silver and winning wars. How does this compare to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, where He says His followers will face persecution and shouldn't store up treasures on earth?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Law pointing to the Messiah
This concept perfectly mirrors the Apostle Paul's teaching that the Law was a guardian or schoolmaster designed to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith.
Pricking the heart to repentance
The Word of God is living and active, piercing the heart to reveal sin and our need for a Savior. This is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit through Scripture.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
Because the text explicitly links obedience to material prosperity and physical preservation, a believer may internalize the belief that financial hardship, illness, or tragedy are direct results of their own personal sin or lack of faith. This creates a heavy burden of performance and can lead to deep shame during normal life struggles.
The constant threat of being 'swept off from the face of the land' or 'destroyed' if commandments are not kept instills a fear-based motivation for obedience. The prophets must 'continually' stir them up to avoid annihilation, leaving little room for the resting in the finished work of Christ and the secure assurance of salvation found in the biblical Gospel.