Nephi delighted in the scriptures, particularly the words of Isaiah. Consequently, he studied, talked about, and wrote about them a lot. (See 2 Nephi 4:15-16, 2 Nephi 11:2, 2 Nephi 25:5.)
He delighted in sharing his testimony of Jesus Christ, so he shared it all the time in various ways. (See 2 Nephi 11:4-6, 2 Nephi 25:13, 26.)
As a teacher, he valued plainness, so he worked hard to make his messages easy to understand. (See 2 Nephi 25:4, 7, 20, 28, 2 Nephi 31:2-3, 2 Nephi 33:4-6.)
His brother Jacob delighted in righteousness and abhorred sin. (See 2 Nephi 9:49.)
One of Captain Moroni’s most important attributes, and a key to his military success, was that he “did not delight in bloodshed” (Alma 48:11; see also Alma 55:19). His people followed his example, minimizing harm to their aggressors even as they defended themselves and their families. (See Alma 48:23.)
Unfortunately, Mormon was surrounded by people with very different motivations. “Every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually” (Mormon 4:11). He told his son Moroni that their people “delight in everything save that which is good” (Moroni 9:19). Their brutality caused extraordinary suffering, and ultimately resulted in their destruction.
So what do we delight in?
To delight in something is not to do it reluctantly or dutifully. It is to immerse ourselves in the experience, to savor it, to rejoice in it. We look for ways to engage in activities that delight us. When we don’t have to do anything, we gravitate to things that delight us. So what delights you, and how does that affect your decisions?
- Do you delight in seeking to know and follow the will of God?
- Do you delight in hearing messages from His representatives?
- Do you delight in being a unifier and a peacemaker?
- Do you delight in serving other people?
- Do you delight in learning?
- Do you delight in creating?
In Mormon’s final message to the descendants of the Lamanites, he said, “Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood” (Mormon 7:4). Are we willing to follow President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to lay down our “weapons of war,” whatever they might be? (See “Peacemakers Needed,” General Conference, April 2023.)
Malachi called Jesus “the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in” (3 Nephi 24:1, Malachi 3:1). If we, like Nephi, delight in our testimony of Jesus Christ, we will be overjoyed to see Him when He returns to the earth.
Today, I will think about what I delight in, and I will make needed adjustments. If there are things I need to delight in more, I will double my efforts to do them and to find joy in them. If there are things I need to stop delighting in, I will find ways to let them go.