The Death of Ishmael

The trials given to Lehi's people continued.  In 1 Nephi 16:34 we read of Ishmael's death.  We don't know the cause of his death, but the mourning and accusations of his daughters seems to indicate that a lack of food contributed to it.  Or maybe they were looking to lay blame anywhere they could.

I know from personal experience that death is always difficult to deal with, but unexpected death can be especially heart-breaking.  Here are the words of Ishmael's daughters: "and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger."

So they were grieving, they were hungry, and they were tired, and all these things contributed to their hearts being hardened, so much so that when Laman suggested that they murder Lehi and Nephi, their hearts were stirred up to anger.  Actually, I see upon reading more deeply that the daughters were grieving, but it was the sons of Ishmael who Laman appealed to for his mob action.


Trials have a way of bringing out the best or worst in people.  We can usually go along all right when things are going smoothly, but when things get hard, we usually react in one of two ways.  Some people increase their devotion to God, humble themselves, ask what God would have them do, and grow spiritually.  Others blame the Lord and harden their hearts and turn away from God.  They don't have enough faith in the Lord and understanding of His plan to trust that He will always do what is best for them. They don't understand the marvelous blessing that death is.  Without this understanding, and thinking that death is the end, they ask how a loving God could allow these things to be.  They rail against God and curse Him and turn away from Him.


Again, I am moved to thank God for the faith and knowledge and understanding I have of His great Plan, of His lovingkindness, of his great gift of peace.

Lehi's Trial

I have my own theory about Lehi's murmuring which occurred when Nephi's bow was broken.  You remember how everyone murmured and complained when they were suffering for want of food.  And we're always a little disappointed that even Lehi is in the midst of this complaining.  Then after Nephi had made a new bow he went to Lehi to learn where to go to hunt.

1 Nephi 16:25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly ^achastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.

Now, if you will go with me to 2 Nephi 3:1, we will read the words of Lehi to his son Joseph many years later:  And now I speak unto you, Joseph, my ^alast-born. Thou wast born in the wilderness of mine afflictions; yea, in the days of my greatest sorrow did thy mother bear thee.

Note the use of the word "sorrow" in both verses.  Lehi was in the depths of sorrow because of his lack of faith and his murmuring, and later he recalls that as being his greatest sorrow.  But what was going on besides the loss of a bow and great hunger?  Sariah was giving birth to her 2nd son born in the wilderness.  (We don't know when the daughters were born).  Can you imagine Lehi's concern and worry about his small children, and especially a wife giving birth in a time of possible starvation?  

I say it's time to cut Lehi some slack and have compassion on his concern for his family.  This also relates to my post from yesterday about times when the Lord gives us a commandment, and then seems intent on making it difficult for us to complete that commandment.  Lehi was probably thinking, "I've been faithful in doing everything You asked of me, but my family is starving!  Why are You making it so difficult for us to go to this promised land?"

The answer, of course, is faith in the Lord's love for us.  Even trials and suffering, as much as we hate to think about it, are for our good and will bring us blessings.  If we remember that He loves us and wants what's best for us, we can work with faith to fashion a new bow, and rely on Him to show us where the food can be found.

The Broken Bow

We learn in 1 Nephi 16 about Nephi breaking his bow, and what a trial it was for everyone.  The other bows had lost their spring, and there was no way to obtain food.

The broken bow was no one's fault; it just happened!  Sometimes in our lives, it feels as if our bow is broken.  Some of the feelings that might have come to them (and probably come to us) were: Why did this have to happen?  What did I do to deserve this?  Why me?  How can I move forward now with this broken bow?  I'm just trying to do those things the Lord asked of me, but how can I possibly do them with this huge handicap?

We all know of people who are trying so hard to do the Lord's will, and sacrificing (seemingly) all to obey His will, and then some tragedy or trial or affliction comes to them, and they're left wondering how they can possibly complete their task.  Cancer strikes, or financial problems, or other problems, and they wonder how they can make bricks if they have no straw.

If only we could all be like Nephi and look for the next alternative and go and fashion a bow out of wood.  We should move forward with all the courage we can muster, and affirm our faith that the Lord is in charge and that He will get us through our wilderness if we humble ourselves and follow Him.

We Shall See Him As He Is

Twice in the scriptures, this phrase is used:  
. . . when he shall ^bappear, we shall be ^clike him; for we shall ^dsee him as he is.


One of the times is in 1 John 3:2 and the other is Moroni 7:48.  I've always loved the idea that we would be like Him, but was unsure about what it meant to see Him as He is.  Some people have explained that seeing Him with a resurrected body, not just a spirit body, is what is meant.  But during my prayers this morning, the thought came to me that I was full of gratitude for the knowledge that God and His Son are not like the gods worshiped by the majority of the Christian world.  They worship a god who is "without body, parts, or passions".  The god of the holy trinity is so confusing that people have been debating it for thousands of years, and if you do a Google search, you see that many people are still struggling with the concept.


A popular description of why God does the things He does is that it is for His own good pleasure.  So our God is moving us around as puppets for the enjoyment of the show?  He is playing a game of Sim World for the entertainment we provide?  It makes me think of Q on Star Trek.  These Q had all power, but played with species and peoples and worlds just to watch them squirm or see what they would do.  Everywhere you go, you see examples of gods that are Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient, but have no love.  How can anyone worship a God who is all powerful, everywhere-present, and knows all, but views our lives and our loves and fears and desires and hopes with detachment and amusement or scorn?


The God I worship has all power, but is filled with love and compassion.  The Son endured unimaginable pain and suffering for us while the Father suffered as He watched and allowed His Only Begotten to suffer such pain.  These are not passionless Gods.  They have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice to provide and succor and comfort all of us.


If I want to go where God goes and do as He does and be like Him, I must realize what He's like as much as I can.  I must study His works and His words, and talk to Him frequently and fervently, and emulate Him more and more.  He loves us; He serves us; He comforts us and sacrifices for us.  This is a God worth worshiping.  

He Beheld Not the Filthiness

Nephi is explaining Lehi's dream to his brothers and they want to know about the river of water.  Nephi tells them that the water was filthiness and ". . . so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water."

In our lives we are surrounded by filthiness, as much as we would like to avoid it.  We certainly don't want to go wading in it, but Lehi's experience  teaches us that if we fill our minds and lives with good, uplifting things we can tune out much of the worldly and unworthy parts of the world around us.


I remember hearing a story about President David O. McKay being at a Pioneer Day parade in Salt Lake.  Someone later asked him if he wasn't scandalized at the short skirts of the cheerleaders and pom pom girls in the parade.  He replied that he hadn't noticed any short skirts; he only saw some lovely, sweet young ladies.


"Unto the pure are all things pure", according to Titus 1:15.  We need to focus on the good, the uplifting, the holy; studying our scriptures, attending the temple and our church meetings, being righteously engaged in service and other good causes.  Only then can we travel through the World that we are "in but not of", and "[behold] not".

Chosen to Minister

In Nephi's vision, he was shown Jesus' ministry to His people after His resurrection.  Jesus chose twelve apostles who would minister to the people on the American continent.  The angel told Nephi, "Behold the twelve disciples of the Lamb, who are chosen to minister unto thy seed."

The phrase "chosen to minister" was interesting to me.  If we apply that phrase to our lives, it seems to be telling us that at times we are also "chosen to minister" to people whom we are called to serve.  Minister means to give service, care or aid.  As I think about my callings, I need to ponder how I can best care for those I serve, to aid them, or give service, .  As I minister, I should be contributing to their comfort or happiness.


This is different than simply giving a lesson or planning an activity.  The end result, the objective, is to bless these people's lives, to make them better, to bring them closer to Christ.  If I focus on an activity or lesson without thinking about ministering to those I'm teaching, I'm simply filling an assignment.


The other part of the phrase is the "chosen" part.  Out of the thousands of people who gathered to witness the coming of Christ in America, only Nephi and twelve others were chosen to minister as apostles.  And only I (and my partner) have the calling of visiting teacher to those sisters we visit.  Only I have the calling of choir director in the ward.  Only I have the calling of Relief Society Meeting Coordinator.  If I neglect these callings, or do them halfheartedly, or simply go through the motions, who will step in to do these duties?  No one else has been chosen.  Others have their own assignments.  My callings are where I have been "chosen" to serve.

What Desirest Thou?

1 Nephi 11:2-3 And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what ^adesirest thou?   

The question, "What desirest thou?" really can reveal who we are and where we are headed.  If we can truthfully look at our desires and honestly prioritize them, we can know where we are going.  Maybe it's easiest to evaluate our desire based on our actions.  Because what we do is a physical evidence of what we want.  

If I say I want to become a great pianist, and spend my days watching television, then obviously my desire to be a pianist isn't very strong.  Our actions and our desires have to be aligned for us to progress.

The general conference talk from April 2011 by Lynn G. Robbins discusses this idea.  He talks about DO and BE and says in order to BE the person we want to be, we must DO the things to get us there.  We may pretend to BE a righteous person, but in secret we are DOING things we shouldn't be doing.  Or we may DO good things to be seen of men, but have wicked motives.  Which brings me back to desires.

In my times of contemplation, of worship, of prayer, I truly desire to be the best daughter of my Heavenly Father that I can be.  But then life interferes and I may slight my scripture study, or ignore a prompting to call my neighbor, or snap at my husband.  However, if I focus on my righteous desires, I will prioritize scripture study, try harder to listen to the Spirit, attend the temple and apologize to my husband.  My desires will be fulfilled as my righteous actions lead me closer to my Father in Heaven.

We Heeded Them Not

Nephi tells this part of his father's vision of the Tree of Life:  And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of ^ascorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

One of Satan's powerful tools is ridicule and he uses it brilliantly.  Having the approval and acceptance of others is a basic human need, and when we don't get it, it can be devastating.   


This scorn can come in many ways.  Sometimes it comes from those close to us, from family or friends or acquaintances.  Other times it may be more generalized, as when national figures such as athletes or movie stars or comedians or politicians ridicule the church, or righteous standards.  Our society loves to support and praise immorality and drug use and drunkenness, while scoffing at virtue and sobriety and honesty.


But Nephi simply says, ". . . we heeded them not".  He didn't struggle with it, he just ignored it.  He later tells us that those people who paid attention to the ridicule coming from the spacious building fell away and were lost.


A lady in my ward told about someone at work who has set a goal to get her to drink a cup of coffee.  She keeps saying that it's just one cup of coffee and it won't hurt her.  So she asks her several times a day if she'd like a cup of coffee.  This sweet young woman just turns her down over and over.  She heeds her not.

Exceedingly Great Joy

Who doesn't want "exceedingly great joy"?  But how do we get it?  What must we do?

Lehi gives the answer as he recounts his dream of the Tree of Life.  The thing that gave him exceedingly great joy was to partake of the fruit.

It's not always easy or convenient to partake of the fruit.  Sometimes it involves sacrifice.  But the reward is so great!

It's interesting to me that the very next thing Lehi did after he partook of the fruit and experienced such joy was to look around for his family.  Of course he would want to share such joy with his loved ones.  What point is there in keeping joy to yourself?  When your loved ones experience joy also, it multiplies your own joy.  Who hasn't watched their children tearfully bear their testimony, while tears ran down their own faces?  We rejoice in the righteous lives and examples of our children.  We rejoice in our Savior.  We rejoice in the Fruit.  This is true joy.

Partaking of the Fruit

In Lehi's account of his dream of the Tree of Life, he tells us about the fruit, which Nephi later tells us represented the Love of God., the sacrifice of our Savior.  Lehi tells us that he did partake of the fruit.  And I've been pondering about whether we partake of the fruit in our lives.

I had written something on partaking of the fruit yesterday, but wasn't happy with it.  So I just left it on the screen and went away to do other things.  Today, when I came back to edit it, there was nothing there.  It's OK.  I would have started over anyway.  I've thought and pondered during the course of the Sabbath day what partaking of the fruit looks like, and the ways in which we do or do not partake.

The most obvious answer is that when we accept the Gospel, we partake of the fruit.  In the vision, many people found their way to the Tree, using the Rod of Iron, and partook of the fruit, but then fell away because of the cares of the world, or the peer pressure of the finely-dressed people in the Great and Spacious Building.  What I'm trying to say here is that we don't just partake once and then we're set for life.  That's a lot like the Born-Again theory.  Just say it once and you never need to worry again.

No, in our Church, we believe that we must keep pressing forward, keep partaking of the fruit.

In my mind, I could see a video game with little clusters of fruit here and there in our little video world.  We wander through this world, and if we pick up those clusters of fruit, here some and there  some, a little bell rings and we accumulate extra points (the Spirit).  But what if we wander around and ignore the fruit and miss the extra points?  What if we don't partake?

At church yesterday, it seemed that we'd be partaking of the fruit by just being there.  At least that seems like what should happen.  We partook of the Sacrament.  That would be partaking of the fruit, right?    But were we thinking about what to make for dinner, or about the Savior?  We listened to the speakers.   Were we focusing on the message presented or were we dozing?  Did we sing the hymns with joy and the Spirit, or were our minds elsewhere, if we sang at all!  Don't get me started on that one!  How can we have the Spirit in our meetings when half of the people never even open their mouths?

The same principle applies in so many area of our lives.  We can partake of the fruit as we pray and study our scriptures.  Or we can go through the motions and miss the fruit and miss the blessings.

Sometimes I do better than other times.  But I desperately want and need to have the Spirit with me at all times, and so I want to try harder to partake of the fruit whenever and wherever I have the chance.

Tender Mercies

Lehi talks about the tender mercies of the Lord in 1 Nephi 8:8 while recounting his dream of the Tree of Life.  That reminded me of Elder Bednar's talk in conference in April 2005.  He said: " . . . I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence."

We need to open our hearts and our eyes to see the tender mercies around us.  If we just attribute everything to coincidence, we shut our minds to the blessings that the Lord is pouring out on us.  Elder Bednar said:  "We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live."

It's so easy to just crash through our days, trying to get everything done that we often miss seeing the beauty around us.  A beautiful sunset, a rainbow, a toddler's smile, a kind touch from a friend, so many things will lift us and bless us if we pause and listen with a grateful heart. 
 

Words of a Prophet

Nephi rebuked those brothers and others who were rebelling, saying, " . . . thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak." (1 Nephi 7:15)

Nephi's words seem very harsh, but he tells his brothers clearly that he's not speaking of himself, but what he has been instructed of the Lord.  Prophets can speak very clearly and pointedly, and we need to take heed to their words.

Our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, usually speaks more gently than Nephi did at this time.  But we can always be confident that when he speaks in General Conference, he speaks the words that the Spirit of the Lord constrained him to speak.

So, if someone asks us what our Prophet said in our last conference as he was constrained by the Lord, could we answer them?  I had to go look at the April Conference 2011 records to remember.

Here are some of his statements:

• I declare that the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inspired of Almighty God.
• . . . your sacrifice could be setting aside the time in your busy lives to visit the temple regularly.
• Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.
• . . . may we make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend the temple and to have the spirit of the temple in our hearts and in our homes.
• May we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice for us, that we might have eternal life and exaltation in our Heavenly Father’s kingdom.

 I pray that I can take the words of our living prophet into my life and my heart, and follow his teachings and instructions with faith that he is speaking the words of the Lord.

Ye Have Forgotten

"How is it that ye have forgotten . . .", Nephi asks this of his brothers three times in 1 Nephi 7.  He is chastising them for rebelling on their journey back to his parents in the wilderness.

Remembering is so important in remaining faithful and keeping the Spirit with us.  It's mentioned in both of the sacrament prayers. 

Nephi mentions three things that he wishes his brothers would remember.

• Ye have seen an angel of the Lord.  We also have had spiritual manifestations - testimony builders - that we need to keep in remembrance and never forget.
• What great things the Lord has done for us.  We are so blessed!  And it's so easy to forget those blessings and begin to take them for granted.  Counting our blessings and praising the Lord for them protects us against the hard-heartedness that Laman and Lemuel demonstrate.
• The Lord is able to do ALL things for his children IF they exercise faith in Him.  Nothing is too hard for the Lord, yet we doubt and fear.  We need to follow Nephi's example and GO and DO.

 The cross-references to the word "forgotten" are worth looking at.  This one from Deuteronomy 4:9 says, "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;".  One way of remembering is to teach the things you know to others.  This embeds them deep down into our hearts.

Look up the word "remember" and you find many wonderful verses.  Remembering is a great key to joy and happiness in this life and in helping us return to our Heavenly Father and having eternal exaltation in the next.

 

Being Grieved for the Hardness of Their Hearts

1 Nephi 7:8  As they returned from adding Ishmael and his family to their group, Laman and Lemuel and some of Ishmael's sons and daughters rebelled against Nephi, wanting to return to Jerusalem.  Nephi was forced to rebuke them, and tells us that he was grieved for the hardness of their hearts.

I love the cross-references for the word "grieved". 

• Mosiah 28:3  Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.
• Alma 31:2  For it was the cause of great sorrow to Alma to know of iniquity among his people; therefore his heart was exceedingly sorrowful because of the separation of the Zoramites from the Nephites.
• 3 Nephi 17:14  And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel.
•  Moses 7:41  And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Enoch, and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men; wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook.

This grieving for the wickedness of men isn't just annoyance or momentary worry.  This is gut-wrenching, quake-and-tremble, exceedingly sorrowful, eternity-shaking misery.  I can tell I'm not there yet, because when I see wickedness I mostly shake my head and am disgusted.  Nephi's kind of grieving is based on love for those people who are sinning.  If you don't love them, you really don't care that much what they do.  This is another manifestation of charity, or the pure love of Christ.  Charity loves those people, and "suffereth long" for their sins.  I pray to be filled with this love.

She Was Comforted

The return of Nephi and his brothers brought much joy and celebration to Lehi and Sariah.  In 1 Nephi 5:1-8 we read of Sariah's worries and fear concerning her sons' safety and her joy at their return.

Lehi had a testimony of his calling, but Sariah was apparently only following him out of obedience or habit.  Then came her test.  Her sons were gone for possibly weeks or months.  What if they were dead?  Was Lehi really inspired to leave behind everything and head off into the wilderness, or was he a fool?  Sariah had to know these things for herself.  She needed great faith.  She was comforted by the words of Lehi and probably the Spirit, and when her sons returned, she had her faith confirmed and I'm sure she grew in testimony and power.  She was to have many more challenges and trials, and her mission lasted the rest of her life, but she now had more spiritual strength.

It seems to me a lot like our feelings when we left on our mission.  We worried about what we might need to do, about how our families would fare while we were gone, about whether or not we would be capable of doing all that was required of us. Sometimes as couples leave for their missions, the wife is more afraid than the husband.  Possibly, he filled a mission in his youth and she didn't.  He may have held more leadership positions through their lives; he may have had more time to study the Gospel. 

But the wife needs her own testimony of the work.  She needs to know that the Lord will build on her personal strengths and experiences, whatever those are.  She needs to "wax strong in the presence of God".  Spending time at the temple, fasting, personal prayer, scripture study - all of these things can bless her life and strengthen her testimony.  Then, as Sariah, she will be comforted.

Led by the Spirit

In 1 Nephi 4 we read that Nephi went forth inside the walls of Jerusalem to find Laban.  And he was "led by the Spirit".  I don't have words to describe how deeply I desire that gift.  But it is no easy thing.

Elder Richard G. Scott gave a talk called "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance".  In it he says, "I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability to be guided by the voice of the Spirit. Our Father expects you to learn how to obtain that divine help by exercising faith in Him and His Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Were you to receive inspired guidance just for the asking, you would become weak and ever more dependent on Them. They know that essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn how to be led by the Spirit."

So just asking or wishing for spiritual guidance is not enough.  We must struggle and practice and work hard to achieve that ability.   Brother Scott then tells of some personal instances when he received spiritual promptings, and as he carefully and faithfully recorded them, he asked if there was more he should know, and was given more inspiration.  This happened several times.  Obviously, being given guidance isn't enough.  We need to respond to the direction with promptness and obedience and then ask for more.  This takes a lot of faith.  It's easy to get direction and then decide that it's too much trouble, or question the promptings we were given.

I sincerely hope that I can do better at being led by the Spirit.

Wherefore Can Ye Doubt?

Nephi was just starting on his journey of leadership, and he had the difficult task of trying to teach and persuade his older brothers.  Anyone who has an older sibling knows how the pecking order works, and we learn very young that younger kids don't boss older kids around.  But this was to be Nephi's lot for the remainder of his life.

As he preached and urged and encouraged his brothers to return to Jerusalem, to believe the words of the angel, and to try one last time to get the plates, he reminded them of Moses dividing the waters of the Red Sea.  He hoped to build on their faith in their history, and to show that if the Lord helped Moses, He would surely help them.  Then he said, (verse 3) " . . .wherefore can ye doubt?"

As I remember the miracles which brought my ancestors to the gospel, as I look around me at the miracles that are part of my life, I need to ask myself the same question:  Wherefore can I doubt?  The Lord won't leave me alone to deal with my problems.  He will stand by me and guide me and love me through any trials that may come.  He wants what's best for me.  Wherefore can I doubt?

Let Us Go Down to the Land of Our Father's Inheritance

Was Nephi inspired when he suggested to his brothers that they go gather up the riches that they had left behind to barter with Laban for the plates?  My first thought was that he was only relying on his own ideas at this time.  But upon pondering it, I've changed my mind.  Nephi knew how important the plates were, that they were worth far more than the gold and silver and riches that they were offering to Laban.  He tells his brothers (and us) that the temporal reason for their importance would be in the preservation of their language.  But the spiritual reason was that they needed the words of the prophets to keep them closer to the Spirit - the same reason we're encouraged to study the scriptures today.

So Nephi and his brothers offered to trade Laban the riches for the plates, but he chased them out and kept the riches.  I think the brothers needed to try all avenues which seemed logical and possible, to explore every avenue available.  Because the method that worked in the end was obviously miraculous and no one could possibly claim that they had obtained the records by their own efforts or ideas. 

And since they had already brought all the gold and silver and riches, they had paid for the plates in full.  They didn't steal them, but they prepaid and had to wait for the Lord to help them collect on the debt.

Covenants and Promises

1 Nephi 2:20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall ^aprosper, and shall be led to a ^bland of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

Nephi sought the Lord and was obedient, keeping His commandments.  The Lord promised him that as he continued to be obedient and faithful, he would be blessed in the following ways:

• He would prosper - one person said that prospering isn't so much about things of this world, but a promise of the "riches of eternity".
• He would be led to a land of promise - See D&C 112:10  Sometimes the Lord takes us by the hand and leads us where he wants us to go.  He doesn't push, he doesn't shove, he doesn't simply point.  He takes our hand and guides and directs, as you might with someone who's blind.
• This land of promise is prepared by the Lord - Whether this refers to earthly blessings that the Lord has in store for us, or to eternal blessings, the Lord is preparing and has prepared wonderful, glorious blessings that we can't see right now.  Visualize a hostess preparing for guests to arrive.  She cooks delicious food and decorates the house and lays out the fine china and best linens.  Her thoughts are about pleasing her guests in every way possible.  The Lord can prepare much more wonderful things than we can imagine, because He knows our likes and dislikes.  He knows what will make us happy.  Our "land of promise" that He is preparing for us will indeed be "choice above all other lands".

 

Seek Him Diligently

1 Nephi 2:19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy ^afaith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.

 20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall ^aprosper, and shall be led to a ^bland of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

Nephi learned that, like his father, he was also blessed of the Lord.  Then the Lord enumerates how Nephi earned his blessedness.

• Faith
• Sought Him diligently
• Lowliness of heart

So faith in the Savior, earnest and diligent prayer, and humility have schooled the young Nephi and brought him to the point that the Lord tells him, "Blessed art thou".

Then he is instructed to obey the Lord's commandments.  And as he does so, he is given certain promises:

• He would prosper
• He would be led to a land of promise.

As we look at Nephi's life, we see that he had many trials and hardships and heartaches.  But it is obvious that those promises of the Lord were fulfilled.  He did prosper as he was blesseed with a righteous posterity and in spiritual growth and strength.  And he and those with him were led to a land of promise to become a great people.

I'm grateful for Nephi and his example.

He Did Soften My Heart

The state of our hearts has a lot to do with whether or not we accept the words of God.  The scriptures often speak of being hard-hearted, and here in 1 Nephi 2, Nephi tells us that the Lord "did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father". 

In order for us to believe, we need to be open to belief.  We need the desire that Nephi spoke of.  But Nephi already had that desire when he prayed, and then the Lord blessed him even more by softening his heart.  

Gerald Lund spoke of the condition of our hearts in a conference talk in 2008: 

The heart is a tender place. It is sensitive to many influences, both positive and negative. It can be hurt by others. It can be deadened by sin. It can be softened by love. Early in our lives, we learn to guard our hearts. It is like we erect a fence around our hearts with a gate in it. No one can enter that gate unless we allow him or her to.

In some cases the fence we erect around our hearts could be likened to a small picket fence with a Welcome sign on the gate. Other hearts have been so hurt or so deadened by sin that they have an eight-foot  chain-link fence topped with razor wire around them. The gate is padlocked and has a large No Trespassing sign on it.   . . . the condition of our hearts directly affects our sensitivity to spiritual things. 

Keeping our hearts pure and soft involves avoiding sin and pride and envy and those things which move us away from the Lord.   I pray that the Lord will soften my heart also, that my desires will always be to Him, that I can return to His presence.

Blessed Art Thou

The Lord praised Lehi, saying "blessed art thou", for being obedient and attempting to teach the people of Jerusalem as he had been instructed.  He thanked him for being faithful in a difficult assignment.  This is not the only place in the scriptures where this phrase is used.  The Lord also said this to Nephi, Moses, Mary (the mother of Christ), Oliver Cowdery, King Lamoni's wife, Peter, Alma, Nephi (son of Helaman), and many others.

Sometimes as we go about our assignments, we get discouraged and think that no one notices or cares.  But the Lord always cares.  For me, it's easy to worry too much about impressing the people around me and to forget that it's not the glory of the world that I should be seeking.  The Lord is watching, and as I humbly go about my family and church assignments to the best of my ability, I will be blessed and loved for it.

Having Great Desires

 1 Nephi 2:16  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the ^amysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did ^bvisit me, and did ^csoften my heart that I did ^dbelieve all the words which had been spoken by my ^efather; wherefore, I did not ^frebel against him like unto my brothers.

Nephi gives us a formula for receiving personal revelation from the Lord.  

• He had great desires.
• He cried unto the Lord.
• He was humble, with the help of the Lord.
• He believed the words of the Lord.
• He was obedient to the Lord.

Brother M. Russell Ballard spoke at BYU in 1979 and said this:
Oh, the power there is in having a desire to know with all your heart the things of God! Do not permit your quest to become a doctor, lawyer, scientist, educator, salesman, or marketing executive overshadow your quest for a testimony of the divine mission of Jesus Christ, the divine mission of Joseph Smith, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and the knowledge that we are led by a prophet of God, even Spencer W. Kimball. Oh, that that assurance would burn in our hearts! Oh, that we would have the desire burning in our hearts, with all of the power we are capable of mustering, to know the mysteries of God! That the spirit might be educated and prepared for that great day of promise when we will go back into the presence of our Heavenly Father!

Our desires are what shape our actions. We may think we want to do the Lord's will, but our actions may prove otherwise.  If we end up frittering away our time at trivial things, we should examine our desires, because we will surely find that the desire to do good wasn't "great" enough to inspire action.  

Here's a good article on personal revelation and how it relates to desires.

 

He Hath Written Many Things

 1 Nephi 1:16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in ^avisions and in ^bdreams; and he also hath written many things which he ^cprophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.

Apparently Lehi was very good at writing in his journal, as was Nephi himself.  Although Nephi doesn't give us a full account of his father's writings, he tells us that he wrote many things including his dreams, visions, and prophesies.

I haven't had visions or prophesies or meaningful dreams, but I still have a responsibility to keep records of my life for my family and myself.  Our leaders have counseled us to keep journals.  Wilford Woodruff spoke of the importance of journal-keeping:

… Instead of neglecting this branch of our work let every man who can, keep a journal and record events as they pass before our eyes day by day. This will make a valuable legacy to our children and a great benefit to future generations by giving them a true history of the rise and progress of the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth in this last dispensation, instead of leaving it to our enemies to write a false history of the true Church of Christ. ¹⁴

We are not apt to think of the importance of events as they transpire with us, but we feel the importance of them afterwards. We are living in one of the most important generations that man ever lived on earth, and we should write an account of those important transactions which are taking place before our eyes in fulfillment of the prophecies and the revelations of God. There is a great flood of revelations fulfilling in our day, and as they are transpiring before our eyes we want a record made of them. 15

Great and marvelous are thy works

Lehi was overwhelmed by the things which he saw and read and experienced.  His soul rejoiced and his whole heart was filled, and he praised God.
 
1 Nephi 1:14 . . . Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty!  Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy ^apower, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who ^bcome unto thee that they shall perish.

Too often we fail to express gratitude to the Lord, and even when we do thank Him, we seldom praise His name.  Our hymns of praise are one of the few ways we praise the Lord, and most of the time during those hymns, our minds are distracted into other things.  We have been commanded to "praise the Lord".