14 But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.
15 But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.
An important part of goal setting is committing to stick with the goal until it’s completed. If it’s a challenging goal (as it should be), you’ll likely become discouraged along the way, and you might hit some obstacles which make you doubt whether it is achievable. That’s when you need to follow the example of Nephi in the passage above.
When Nephi and his brothers returned to the city of Jerusalem from the tent of their father, their objective was to obtain a set of brass plates containing the scriptures which were in the possession of a wealthy man named Laban. When Nephi’s oldest brother, Laman, visited Laban and requested the plates, he was sent packing. At that point, all of the brothers except Nephi concluded that the task was impossible and were ready to give up and go home. Nephi’s words under those discouraging circumstances demonstrate that he had truly committed to the goal: “As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”
Today, as I encounter resistance and obstacles, I will follow the example of Nephi. I will continue to pursue my goals with determination. Instead of dwelling on the challenges I face, I will turn my attention to figuring out what I need to do to overcome the obstacles and be successful.
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