As Lehi’s and Ishmael’s families traveled in the wilderness, they experienced a catastrophic challenge: Nephi broke his steel bow, leaving the family unable to obtain food. (See 1 Nephi 16:18-19.) The family was apparently already hungry and fatigued, and this development exasperated them. Laman, Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and Lehi all complained about their circumstances.
As he relates this story, Nephi mentions a detail in passing which seems quite significant to me. After telling us that he was “afflicted with [his] brethren because of the loss of [his] bow” (meaning, I think, that they blamed him for their lack of food), he adds, “and their bows having lost their springs…” (1 Nephi 16:21).
Really? It sounds as if Laman and Lemuel had previously stopped hunting because their bows didn’t work any more! To blame Nephi, who was the only one still providing food for the family, seems like a prime example of fixating on motes while ignoring your own beams! (See Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:41-42, 3 Nephi 14:3-5.)
In fairness, it’s hard to think clearly when you’re hungry and tired, and they had to worry not only about their own well-being but about their families. Our perceived options tend to narrow when we are under significant stress, and we may find it harder to think outside the box and identify novel solutions. Making a new bow from available materials, as Nephi did, may seem like the obvious next step, but if they had never done it before, it’s not surprising that the idea wasn’t front and center under these circumstances.
But the fact remains that blaming and complaining did nothing to improve their situation. It was a waste of time and energy, when they desperately needed to spend their time and energy productively. Only Nephi took positive steps to solve the actual problem, and when he acted in faith, he succeeded in obtaining food for the family. (See 1 Nephi 16:23-31.)
I can definitely relate to Laman and Lemuel in this story. When I encounter difficulties, it’s easy to catastrophize, and it’s easy to blame, and neither of those activities helps me solve the actual problem.
Today, I will follow Nephi’s example of positive action. I will address challenges with faith, and I will avoid the temptation to engage in unhelpful thought patterns, including complaining and blaming others.
I have been thinking about how Laman and Lemuel’s bows lost their spring. As pointed out by others (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jennifer-paustenbaugh/when-your-bow-breaks/), in many cases, a bow losing its spring is often the fault of the person who uses the bow and doesn’t take care of it. This is something Nephi could have pointed out to his brothers, but instead of caving into contention, he kept the goal in mind.
That’s a great insight! Thanks for sharing it, and I also enjoyed the devotional address. I agree that Nephi is a good example of staying focused on the goal instead of getting distracted by the interpersonal challenges.