Jacob concludes this subsection of his discourse by extolling Jehovah’s plan. It is one that will allow the righteous to inherit the kingdom of God. Importantly, that ability to inherit “was prepared for them from the foundation of the world.” That is important because it underscores that even the difficulties inherent in earthlife due to agency were part of the plan. Perhaps here Jacob is reflecting on Isaiah 51:13, which noted that Jehovah was humankind’s “maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth.”
There is an interesting word choice in verse 18 as well. Jacob speaks of the those “who have endured the crosses of the world.” Clearly, the meaning is that the righteous will be subject to the problems created by humankind’s agency, but the use of the word cross is anachronistic.
Because the Book of Mormon is a translation, the presence of the term is not problematic, but the plate language would have had some other phrase that conveyed that meaning.
Jacob also reprises the theme of the monster, death and hell. He will repeat this later as well. This continues to touch Isaiah’s discussion of Rahab from Isaiah 51:9 (2 Nephi 8:9).