After having called the wicked to repentance in the last chapter, Jacob now consoles and comforts the righteous. Jacob had such love for the righteous of his people that the thought of enlarging their wounds was a burden to his soul. He had said, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained…to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds…But…I must do according to the strict commands of God and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations, in the presence of the pure in heart, and the broken heart (Jacob 2:9-10). His promise to the righteous is that if they pray with exceeding faith, the Lord will console them and comfort them. This great promise is available to all who diligently seek the Lord.
A woman, who had just found out that her 4 year old boy had epilepsy, records her emotions on the first night in the hospital with her son:
"This was a frightening time for me, and I felt I was the one who most needed comfort and reassurance. My son did not sense my concern as he happily played with the toys in the playroom.
"After he fell asleep, I felt all alone and began praying to Heavenly Father for peace and comfort. I reached into my bag of belongings and felt my Book of Mormon. It was like finding a friend. I wondered which passage to read to find the help I needed at that moment. I prayed again that I would be able to find a scripture that would give me peace, comfort and hope. I opened the Book of Mormon to this passage (Alma 36:3) and as I read, I felt great peace come over me, knowing of God’s love for me and my son, and knowing the Holy Ghost was there supporting me in this trial.
“That was 20 years ago. It’s been an uphill fight for our family as our son has battled epilepsy and depression. I have never forgotten the promise made to me in that scripture. We rejoice at the very success of our son and recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives.” (Betty L. Whiting, Church News, Mar. 28, 1998)