Lehi sends his sons back to Jerusalem a second time, this time to invite Ishmael and his family to join them on their journey. The family of Ishmael accepts, but as they travel toward the camp of Lehi, two of Nephi’s brothers become angry with him and tie him up. He is eventually miraculously set free. They beg his forgiveness, and he “frankly” forgives them.
Chapter Outline
- Nephi and his brothers persuade Ishmael and his family to join them (v. 1-5).
- His brothers rebel, and he rebukes them (v. 6-15).
- They tie him up, and he is miraculously freed (v. 16-19).
- He forgives them (v. 20-22).
My Takeaways
- Respect people’s agency when you extend invitations.
- God sometimes strengthens us instead of rescuing us.
- We should forgive “frankly”—generously and without conditions.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Inviting Ishmael – 1 Nephi 7:1-5
The Lord Did Soften the Heart of Ishmael – 1 Nephi 7:4-5
4 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. 5 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his…
1 Nephi 7:4 We Did Gain Favor in the Sight of Ishmael
4 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord. (1 Nephi 7:4) There may be times when people accept a message from an unknown messenger based on…
❖ Nephi Is Freed – 1 Nephi 7:17-19
Give Me Strength That I May Burst These Bands – 1 Nephi 7:17
17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. (1 Nephi 7:17) We learn an…
How Does the Lord Strengthen Us?
Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi affirms that God will take care of the people who strive to obey Him. Nephi listed three ways that God does this: “He doth nourish them” – helps them maintain their physical and spiritual health “and strengthen them” – empowers them to do things they couldn’t…
❖ Nephi Forgives His Brothers – 1 Nephi 7:20-22
Forgiveness
Grudges and resentments are like dead weight which drag us down. Forgiveness is like dropping ballast from a balloon, allowing us to soar to new heights. During the final week of the Savior’s mortal life, Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive someone who wronged him, even suggesting the generous number of seven…
Frankly…
The word “frankly” means “freely.” When we forgive “frankly,” like Nephi, it is without conditions. It is a gift; it doesn’t have to be earned. We give it freely, and in the process, we free ourselves of a burden we would otherwise carry.
Old Testament Foundations
The Book of Judges and the Book of Mormon
Did the authors of the Book of Mormon have access to the book of Judges? They did have the brass plates, which contained “the five books of Moses…and also a record of the Jews…and also the prophecies of the holy prophets” (1 Nephi 5:10-13). It seems reasonable to assume that some version of the book…
“My Spirit Will Not Always Strive with Man”
There is a cryptic passage near the beginning of the book of Genesis. After listing ten generations from Adam to Noah, the author quotes the Lord as saying: My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Genesis 6:3 What does that mean? It sounds like…
An Help, Meet for Him
After Lehi and his family left Jerusalem but before they began their journey to the promised land in earnest, the Lord told Lehi that his group was incomplete. He said “that it was not meet” for Lehi to “take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife” (1…
New Testament Parallels
Blind
After healing a man who was born blind, Jesus taught the Pharisees about spiritual blindness. Unlike physical blindness, spiritual blindness is often willful, caused by trying to prove what we want to believe instead of accepting evidence at face value.
Church History Connections
“Their Bounds Are Set”
Freedom to choose is not the same thing as unlimited power. That seems pretty obvious, but in our pursuit of freedom, we sometimes fail to acknowledge our constraints. And when other people are misbehaving, we may forget that they, too, operate within constraints, seen or unseen. Job pointed out that the ultimate constraint on every…
All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 7
- How to Recognize the Holy Ghost (2/5/2025)
- Called, Chosen, and Faithful (1/30/2025)
- Hearken and Search (1/9/2025)
- Seed (1/18/2024)
- Frankly… (1/17/2024)
- The Title Page and Nephi (1/4/2024)
- Blind (4/30/2023)
- The Book of Judges and the Book of Mormon (6/5/2022)
- The Song of the Sea: Gratitude Builds Faith (4/9/2022)
- Hardened Hearts (3/30/2022)
- “My Spirit Will Not Always Strive with Man” (2/1/2022)
- An Help, Meet for Him (1/7/2022)
- “Their Bounds Are Set” (10/21/2021)
- Oblations (5/30/2021)
- Forgiveness (3/31/2021)
- Lehi and Sariah’s Family (1/12/2020)
- What Are the Roles of Persuasion and Punishment in Motivating Good Behavior? (12/4/2019)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach about Sacrifice? (11/17/2019)
- How Can I Be More Forgiving? (8/7/2019)
- How Does the Lord Strengthen Us? (8/2/2019)
- What Does It Mean to “Hearken?” (7/14/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart? (5/1/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Forgiving Others? (4/27/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Prayers Recorded in the Book of Mormon? (3/28/2019)
- What Can We Learn About Prayer From Nephi? (3/26/2019)
- How Is It That Ye Have Forgotten? – 1 Nephi 7:10-12 (8/6/2018)
- I Did Frankly Forgive Them – 1 Nephi 7:20-21 (2/12/2018)
- The Lord Did Soften the Heart of Ishmael – 1 Nephi 7:4-5 (2/11/2018)
- Give Me Strength That I May Burst These Bands – 1 Nephi 7:17 (7/9/2017)
- 1 Nephi 7:4 We Did Gain Favor in the Sight of Ishmael (1/12/2015)