After warning the people of Jerusalem of their imminent destruction, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family out of the city into the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:1-2). He had to defend this decision many times as the family undertook a difficult journey across the land and the sea to a promised land which God had prepared for them. When the family arrived in the promised land, Lehi testified that they had been led to that place “by the hand of the Lord” (2 Nephi 1:5-6, 10).
Many years later, Lehi’s descendants discovered another group of people who had also been led “by the hand of the Lord” from Jerusalem to the American continent at about the same time (Omni 1:16).
And the Jaredites, another group of people who had traveled to the American continent much earlier, were also directed by the hand of the Lord (Ether 2:6).
King Benjamin acknowledged the hand of the Lord in his reign (Mosiah 2:11). Alma and his armies were strengthened by the hand of the Lord as they defended themselves against the Amlicites (Alma 2:28). Multiple Book of Mormon prophets saw the hand of the Lord in the preservation of the records of their people (Mosiah 1:2-5, Alma 37:4, Mormon 6:6, Mormon 8:26).
But the prophet Nephi warned us that we will be tempted to ignore or deny the hand of the Lord in our lives. People will tell us that there are no miracles and that God is not actively involved in our lives. (See 2 Nephi 28:6.) How can we overcome this?
President Henry B. Eyring has found it useful to write every day how he has seen the hand of the Lord in his life:
I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.
More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened (“O Remember, Remember,” General Conference, October 2007).
Today, I will follow President Eyring’s example. At the end of the day, I will intentionally review the experiences of the day and look for evidence of the hand of the Lord in my life. I will strive to be cognizant and grateful for the blessings I and my family receive from God.
I love that lesson from Elder Eyring and started keeping a journal to record how I saw the hand of the Lord in my life. While I’m not as faithful as Elder Eyring in journaling everyday, I can append my testimony to his that it is a powerful exercise in gratitude to pause each day and reflect on how the Lord has blessed me. Thanks Paul!
On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 3:00 AM Book of Mormon Study Notes wrote:
> Paul Anderson posted: “After warning the people of Jerusalem of their > imminent destruction, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family out > of the city into the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:1-2). He had to defend this > decision many times as the family undertook a difficult journ” >
Thanks for the comment. It’s so easy to miss the blessings we receive every day unless we dedicate the time and attention to notice them. As President Eyring pointed out, such an exercise not only builds gratitude, it also builds our faith in God.