Once again we see the phrase “began to be old,” which occurs in descriptions of leaders who are about to die. Jacob finds that he is about to die, and, therefore, concludes his record. He knows that he will write no more.
It is a sad farewell. He was of a family forcibly driven from Jerusalem, and then across an ocean to a new world. He was a leader in a community which had been taught true principles, but had often not been able to keep them. They were involved in wars and contentions. Jacob’s melancholy conclusion is that “we did mourn out our days.” Jacob may have been a righteous man, but he suffered the knowledge that he had not been able to lead his people to the righteous path as he fervently desired.
Jacob ends with the word recorded as adieu. For some reason, much has been made of that word. It was a normal part of English speech after the Norman domination where French was the official language of the court in England. It is no more surprising to see adieu than it would be to see good-bye. Both are words that are part of the translation. Neither is original to the Nephite language. We don’t know what word Jacob wrote, only that it was translated as the fully understandable adieu.