Jacob is a character like no other in the Book of Mormon.

He cares for the feelings of others and he cares for women. No other person in the book shows much sign for bothering about either.

He is also melancholy. His is not the typical Book of Mormon message of “be righteous and you’ll prosper.”

Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world.

The time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.

Cite about cross and living out life as a dream. While the Book of Mormon is a gloomy book of failure and doom, Jacob is the only prophet who reacts this way. I’ve been reading The God Who Weeps lately, and the contrast couldn’t be greater.

Is the Book of Mormon historical? Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.