After rebuking the children of Israel for hypocrisy and negligence, the Lord goes on to explain why He hasn't disowned them. "Behold, I have refined thee," He says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" (1 Nephi 20:10). (See also Isaiah 48:10.) Our trials can feel like a furnace. When we are experiencing... Continue Reading →
Will Ye Not Declare Them? – 1 Nephi 20:6
The very first passage from Isaiah which Nephi quotes opens with an indictment. The prophet addresses himself to the people who claim to be the covenant people of God but who aren't acting like it: Hearken and hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth... Continue Reading →
How Can I Receive Guidance from God?
Today I reviewed 1 Nephi 16 through 18, searching for principles that will help me receive guidance from God. Here's what I've learned: God gives us help along the way, not all at once at the beginning of the journey. As Lehi's family traveled in the wilderness, the writing on the Liahona "was written and... Continue Reading →
How Did Nephi Deal with Adversity?
I've written a lot on this blog about dealing with adversity, but I still have a lot to learn. Today, I've looked at Nephi's response to specific challenges: the broken bow, the death of his father-in-law, the commandment to build a ship, and being tied up during their sea voyage. Here's what I've learned: The... Continue Reading →
1 Nephi 16-22: “I Will Prepare the Way Before You” (January 27-February 2)
After Lehi's dream and Nephi's vision, the family was ready to resume their journey toward the promised land. The last seven chapters of 1 Nephi describe the rest of their journey and the subsequent teachings of Nephi to his brothers. Lessons from the Journey (1 Nephi 16-18) On the morning that they left their camp, Lehi found... Continue Reading →
What Does It Mean to “Dwindle in Unbelief?”
dwindle - Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength (Oxford English Dictionary) Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Nephi learns from the Spirit that, without the brass plates containing the scriptures, his family would "dwindle and perish in unbelief" (1 Nephi 4:13). King Benjamin later emphasized this point to his sons: "Were it not for... Continue Reading →
Nephi’s Vision
The prophet Nephi was so impressed with his father's dream and his father's prophecies that he prayed to see what his father had seen. As a result, he saw a sweeping vision in which an angel showed him many future events and used them to explain the symbols from his father's dream. Today, I summarized the... Continue Reading →
Harden Not Your Hearts – 1 Nephi 15:11
The 95th psalm tells us not to harden our hearts if we want to hear God's voice (Psalm 95:7-8). Nephi tells his brothers the same thing when he hears them arguing about the meaning of their father's words. "Have ye inquired of the Lord?" he asks. "We have not," they reply, "for the Lord maketh... Continue Reading →
“Wrought Upon” – 1 Nephi 13:12-13
After observing an odious society in which the wealthy oppressed the poor, Nephi saw some people from that society cross the ocean to the "land of promise" where his family's descendants would live. The process began with a single individual: And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the... Continue Reading →
“Armed with Righteousness” – 1 Nephi 14:14
Nephi saw a future day in which the forces of evil in the world ("the church of the devil") would fight against the followers of Jesus Christ ("the church of the Lamb"). Statistically, there would be no contest. The forces of evil would be numerous, with "dominion over all the earth." The disciples of Christ... Continue Reading →