Lehi found “a round ball of curious workmanship” on the ground outside his tent. It showed them where they should travel in the wilderness, and it worked according to their “faith and diligence and heed.” When Nephi later broke his bow, he made a new one out of wood and asked his father where he should go to find food.
Chapter Outline
- Laman and Lemuel humble themselves (v. 1-5).
- The sons of Lehi marry the daughters of Ishmael (v. 1-8)
- Lehi discovers the Liahona, and they begin traveling (v. 9-13)
- The broken bow (v. 14-32)
- Ishmael dies, and Laman and Lemuel are humbled by God after threatening Lehi and Nephi (v. 33-39)
My Takeaways
- Accept corrective feedback with gratitude and humility.
- The Lord sends help when we need it.
- It takes effort and faith to hear and follow the Holy Ghost.
- Guidance from God comes incrementally, sometimes in the form of adversity.
- We can overcome debilitating thought patterns with faith and hope.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Nephi Rebukes His Brothers – 1 Nephi 16:1-4
The Guilty Taketh the Truth to Be Hard – 1 Nephi 16:1-3
1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear. 2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I…
❖ The Liahona – 1 Nephi 16:9-13
What Is the Liahona?
When God commanded Lehi to leave the city of Jerusalem, he obeyed immediately. He took his family three days’ journey into the wilderness and set up camp by a river in a valley. The family camped in that valley for a long time: long enough for Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem twice—once…
A Round Ball of Curious Workmanship – 1 Nephi 16:9-10
9 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his journey into the wilderness. 10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to…
By Small Means
After describing the operation of the Liahona, Nephi tells us that God can accomplish great things by small means. In the same way, small but consistent interactions with our children can have an extraordinary positive impact in their lives.
My Liahona
Like the pointers on the Liahona, the Holy Ghost can point us in the right direction. Like the writing on those pointers, the Holy Ghost can also provide specific messages. The Holy Ghost will guide us according to our faith, diligence and heed.
❖ The Broken Bow – 1 Nephi 16:14-32
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…
I, Nephi, Did Make out of Wood a Bow – 1 Nephi 16:18-20, 23
18 And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food. 19…
Springless Bows and the Blame Game
Nephi’s brothers blamed him for breaking his bow, but their own bows had previously “lost their springs.” Blaming and complaining may have come naturally, but they were not helpful. We need to override those thought patterns and engage in positive action.
Old Testament Foundations
Going to Egypt
I’ve been reflecting today on Abraham’s time in Egypt. God led him to the land of Canaan and promised that his descendants would live there, but shortly after, Abraham and his family moved to Egypt, seeking relief from a severe famine. (See Genesis 12:6-10, Abraham 2:18-21.) Abraham’s grandson Jacob moved to Egypt years later, again…
What Is It?
Shortly after passing through the Red Sea on dry ground, the children of Israel became hungry and worried aloud that they would starve to death. In response, God promised Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4). The following day, as they emerged from their tents, they discovered scattered across the ground “a…
“Him That Rebuketh in the Gate”
Nobody likes to be corrected. Our brains are really good at constructing arguments to prove that we are right. We bristle when we are chastised, and even if we are able to override the initial defensive instinct and be civil, we can’t seem to escape the initial sting and the instinctive desire to ignore or…
Church History Connections
“The Way Whither We Should Go” – 1 Nephi 16:10
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…
All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 16
- Avoiding Deception (2/21/2025)
- Hearken and Search (1/9/2025)
- Springless Bows and the Blame Game (2/1/2024)
- My Liahona (1/31/2024)
- By Small Means (1/30/2024)
- Zoram (1/12/2024)
- “What Great Things” (1/5/2024)
- “Him That Rebuketh in the Gate” (11/19/2022)
- Joshua and the Book of Mormon (5/26/2022)
- His Hands Were Steady (4/10/2022)
- What Is It? (4/7/2022)
- Your Birthright (2/25/2022)
- Going to Egypt (2/11/2022)
- Day by Day (10/9/2021)
- “The Way Whither We Should Go” – 1 Nephi 16:10 (7/13/2021)
- Stirred Up (1/9/2021)