Because we know Jacob was born during the eight years Lehi’s family wandered in the wilderness, he would have been between forty-seven and fifty-five years of age when he wrote his book. “Some think Jacob a lesser character, yet Elder Neal A. Maxwell calls him the ‘great poet-prophet,’ and Robert J. Matthews considers Jacob ‘the outstanding doctrinal teacher of the Book of Mormon.’ Jacob’s sensitivity to the challenges women face reminds us of Luke; his empathy for suffering reminds us of Job. Yet his voice is unique—right down to his final adieu” (Conkling, “Gentle Power of Jacob,” 7).