After living in a tent for some time, Lehi and his family were commanded to begin their journey to the promised land. The following morning, they were given some assistance in the form of a mysterious device—”a round ball of curious workmanship” made of brass. The ball contained two spindles, one of which pointed “pointed the way whither [they] should go into the wilderness” (1 Nephi 16:10). We don’t know the purpose of the other spindle.
This compass, called the Liahona (Alma 37:38), served as a mechanism for receiving revelation throughout their journey. The spindle only pointed the correct direction when the family was living harmoniously. When the brothers tied Nephi up on the ship, for example, “the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work. Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship” (1 Nephi 18:12-13).
While we may not have a tangible device to guide us in our journeys, we can receive similar assistance from the Holy Ghost. When Jared Carter was called to preach the gospel in March 1832, the Lord promised to give him similar guidance:
I will send upon him the Comforter, which shall teach him the truth and the way whither he shall go;
Doctrine and Covenants 79:2
Today, I will seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know where I should go. I will remember that I must be willing to hear His voice and seeking to live in harmony with others in order to receive those messages from Him.
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