Jarom’s Record

Jarom’s brief addition to the record teaches the following:

Even at this early period, the Nephites who kept the record understood that it would be for the benefit of the Lamanites (see Jarom 1:2).
Apostasy was rampant among the Nephites (see v. 3).
There was a strong group of believers who “had communion with the Holy Spirit” and kept the commandments (see vv. 4–5).
The Nephite laws were exceedingly strict (see v. 5).
The Lamanites were more numerous than the Nephites and had degenerated into a primitive state of existence (see v. 6).
The Nephites were led by righteous men and thus prevailed in battle (see v. 7).
The Nephites had expanded beyond a simple agricultural form of society (see v. 8).
Only constant preaching kept the Nephites from being destroyed by the Lamanites. Jarom recorded that their prophets “did prick their hearts with the word” (v. 12). It was this principle that later motivated Alma to resign his position as chief judge in order to preach the gospel (see Alma 4:19, 31:5).