After sharing a dream about the Tree of Life with his family, Lehi expressed his worries about his oldest two sons. As his son Nephi describes the conversation:
He said unto us, because of the things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.
And he did exhort them with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off.
1 Nephi 8:36-37
The Come Follow Me manual encourages us to emulate Lehi’s loving concern.
Even if you have studied Lehi’s vision many times, this time think about it the way Lehi did—think of someone you love. As you do, the security of the iron rod, the dangers of the spacious building, and the sweetness of the fruit will take on new meaning. And you will understand more deeply “all the feeling of [the] tender parent” who received this remarkable vision.
Come Follow Me for Home and Church: Book of Mormon 2024, 1 Nephi 6-10
Nephi said that as a result of Lehi’s worries, he exhorted Laman and Lemuel to heed his words, he preached to them, he prophesied to them, and finally, he bade them to follow the commandments of God. Those four verbs reflect different strategies we might use as we encourage the people we love:
- Exhort – Encourage them to make wise choices.
- Preach – Share your convictions with passion and enthusiasm.
- Prophecy – Teach them truths as guided by the Spirit of the Lord.
- Bid – Invite.
Lehi’s words may not have had the long-term outcome he hoped for, but they did get Laman’s and Lemuel’s immediate attention. After Nephi prays to understand his father’s words and receives his own revelation, he returns to camp and finds his brothers “disputing with one another concerning the things which [their] father had spoken unto them” (1 Nephi 15:2). They subsequently ask Nephi a number of questions about their father’s words. (See 1 Nephi 15:7, 21, 23, 26, 31.)
Today, I will uplift and support my children. I will remember Lehi’s thoughtful concern for his children, and I will strive to communicate my love with “all the feeling of a tender parent.”
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