The 1981 Institute Manual on the Book of Mormon states:
"As one reads 2 Nephi 9 one notices the interesting way that Jacob approaches each of his subjects: always in terms of God's goodness and greatness. For instance verse 8 begins, 'O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace!' Verse 10 begins, 'O how great the goodness of our God.' Look also at verses 13, 17, 19, and 20. Each item Jacob mentions is an attribute of God: God is full of wisdom, goodness justice, mercy, and holiness.
The prophet Joseph Smith has said:
'By a little reflection it will be seen that the idea of the existence of these attributes in the Deity is necessary to enable any rational being to exercise faith in Him; for without the idea of the existence of these attributes in the Deity men could not exercise faith in Him for life and salvation; seeing that without the knowledge of all things, God would not be able to save any portion of His creatures; for it is by reason of the knowledge which He has of all things, form the beginning to the end, that enables Him to give that understanding to His creatures by which they are made partakers of eternal life; and if it were not for the idea existing in the minds of men that God had all knowledge it would be impossible for them to exercise faith in Him.' (Lectures on Faith, fourth lecture, v. 11, p. 43)