Brief Biography
Jarom was the grandson of Jacob and the fourth writer on the small plates of Nephi. He seems to have written at a time of increasing cultural development in the land of Nephi. Although he was a prophet like his father, Enos, he does not provide a great deal of information on the subject of his own prophecies (Jarom 1:2). He does, however, provide insight into the state of Nephite society during this time. While he acknowledges the Lord’s great mercy in blessing the Nephites with riches and preserving them from their enemies (Jarom 1:7–9), his words indicate that without persistent and strenuous prophetic effort, the people would fall quickly into apostasy (Jarom 1:3, 10, 12).
Insights into the Words and Phrases
Jarom Son of Enos
Did you know that Jarom uses the metaphor of sharp-pointed weapons to 'point' people to Christ?
Only Jarom uses the words "communion," "dart," "deafness," "machinery," "persuading," "prick," "profaned," "threaten," and "writing." He is the only Book of Mormon speaker who uses the phrase "communion with the Holy Spirit" (Jarom 1:4).
When he describes his fellow Nephites, he speaks of "the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks" (Jarom 1:3). Although some of these characterizations are used by other Book of Mormon speakers, only Jarom uses all four. There are 125 references in the Nephite text to forms of hard: harden, hardened, hardeneth, hardening, hard-hearted, and hardness. There are 30 instances where the word "blind," or the phrase "blindness of their minds," appears. There are also 30 times where forms of "stiff" appear, but the phrase "stiffness of their necks" only appears twice. Nephi is the only other, besides Jarom, to use the phrase. Also, only Jarom uses the phrase "deafness of their ears."
Jarom says that the prophets in his day "did threaten the people" (Jarom 1:10), which, when applied to what prophets do, is unique to him. After Jarom discusses Nephite weaponry---such as the "sharp-pointed arrow" and "the dart and the javelin," all of which have sharp and deadly points (Jarom 1:8)---he then extends that image to the work of prophets, who must "prick" the hearts of the people continually to get them to repent and remain penitent (Jarom 1:12).
Both Jarom and his son Omni are the only writers in the Book of Mormon to characterize their writing on the plates as keeping or preserving their genealogy (Jarom 1:1; Omni 1:1).
The term "Messiah" appears 27 times in the Book of Mormon. Although Jarom’s words are brief, seven of these are from him.
Jarom contrasts the Nephite strictness of keeping the law of Moses with the Lamanites, who "loved murder and would drink the blood of beasts" (Jarom 1:6). Under the law of Moses, drinking blood was specifically forbidden. The Lord told Israel, "I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people (Leviticus 17:10. See also 17:12, 14). Jarom’s reference to this practice and to the Lamanites’ love of murder underscored for him how far the Lamanites had fallen.
In light of this, it is interesting how Jarom views his record. Whereas Nephi had said that the small plates were written for the use of the Nephites, as well as other future purposes known to the Lord (1 Nephi 19:3), Jarom, writing several generations later, sees the record as being written primarily for the benefit of the Lamanites (Jarom 1:2). They would one day be instrumental in the redemption of their fallen brethren.
Jarom’s description of Nephite cultural activities is reminiscent of Nephi’s earlier description of his people. In Nephi’s generation, the people "began to prosper exceedingly" and "multiply in the land" (2 Nephi 5:13). In Jarom’s day, the people "multiplied exceedingly" (Jarom 1:8). Nephi taught his people "to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores" (2 Nephi 5:15). Jarom says the Lord blessed his people that they were "rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel" (Jarom 1:8). Jarom’s words indicate that the Lord richly blessed His people, as He did in Nephi’s generation.
Key Insights
Jarom’s words, though brief, show an ability to use common images (eyes, ears, minds, necks, weapons) to describe attitudes, characteristics, and prophetic activity. His observations of the hardened and fallen state of the Lamanites, with whom his people were often at war, seems to have led him to view his own writings as something that, though unappreciated by many of his contemporaries, could benefit future readers, especially descendants of his current enemies, and lead them to redemption in Christ. As future readers, we can benefit from the words of Jarom, if we turn to our Savior and take advantage of His atonement.