Lehi’s family boards their newly built ship. While at sea, some of them begin to behave rudely, and when Nephi calls them out, they tie him up. A storm ensues, and the Liahona stops working until they repent and untie him. They arrive at the promised land.
Chapter Outline
- They complete and board the ship (v. 1-8).
- Actions: Some family members misbehave and then bind Nephi (v. 9-11).
- Consequences: A nonfunctioning compass and a severe storm (v. 12-20).
- They untie Nephi and arrive at the promised land (v. 21-25).
My Takeaways
- We need quiet places to pray and hear God’s voice. The temple can be one of those places.
- The adversity we experience may help other people grow.
- Complaining causes us to turn inward. In contrast, praising God turns our thoughts outward.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ Nephi Goes to the Mount to Pray – 1 Nephi 18:3
I, Nephi, Did Go into the Mount Oft – 1 Nephi 18:3
3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things. (1 Nephi 18:3) This week I’m studying the role of the temple in the gospel. Even before the first mention of the temple in the Book of Mormon, while…
❖ Nephi Endures Being Bound – 1 Nephi 18:11-20
There Was Nothing Save It Were the Power of God…Could Soften Their Hearts – 1 Nephi 18:17-20
17 Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even…
1 Nephi 18:16 I Did Not Murmur Against the Lord Because of Mine Afflictions
16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions. (1 Nephi 18:16) In this short verse, Nephi gives us several strategies to short circuit our instinctive tendency to complain when faced with challenges: Look unto God – Complaining causes…
Old Testament Foundations
Bereaved
“Thou shalt live together in love,” said the Lord, “insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:45). And President Russell M. Nelson said, “The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life” (“Doors of Death,” General Conference, April 1992). The word “bereaved” means deprived of…
Beth-El
As Jacob followed his parents’ guidance and traveled to Padan-Aram, he stopped for the night at a place called Luz. While he slept, he had a spiritual dream in which he saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder. The Lord Himself stood at the top and reaffirmed to Jacob the promises He had made…
The Fall and the Temple
By partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve introduced not only physical death but also spiritual death into the world: they were immediately separated from God’s presence. He would no longer walk in their garden and have periodic face to face conversations with them. Alma said, “It was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed…
New Testament Parallels
Stay on the Ship
The centurion who transported Paul to Rome learned by experience that Paul was inspired and increasingly heeded his counsel. Laman and Lemuel learned the same lesson as they set Nephi free. There is safety in following an inspired leader.
Church History Connections
Patterns
When the children of Israel constructed the tabernacle in the wilderness, they built it according to a pattern which the Lord revealed to Moses. “Look that thou make them after their pattern,” the Lord said, “which was shewed thee in the mount” (Exodus 25:9, 40). The objects in the tabernacle, such as the candlestick, were also made “according…
If Ye Are Prepared…
When Nephi and his people “had prepared all things,” including “much fruit and meat from the wilderness, and honey in abundance,” and other provisions, they boarded the ship they had built to travel across the ocean (1 Nephi 18:6). The brother of Jared and his people did the same before embarking on their journey: When…
All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 18
- Two Trees: Lehi on Opposition and Agency (1/20/2026)
- Family History and Belonging (12/2/2025)
- Your Most Holy Places (11/1/2025)
- Creatures, Living Things, and Beasts (7/16/2025)
- Reverence (7/13/2025)
- Sacred Spaces (2/17/2024)
- Motivating Laman and Lemuel (2/3/2024)
- “That I May Make Tools” (2/2/2024)
- Stay on the Ship (8/3/2023)
- A Desert Place (3/28/2023)
- “Tossed with Tempest” (3/1/2023)
- The Manna Ceased (5/28/2022)
- “There Shall Be a Place” (5/18/2022)
- What Is It? (4/7/2022)
- Bereaved (3/17/2022)
- The Sons of Jacob (3/5/2022)
- Beth-El (3/2/2022)
- Your Birthright (2/25/2022)
- The Fall and the Temple (1/14/2022)
- Patterns (8/31/2021)
- “The Way Whither We Should Go” – 1 Nephi 16:10 (7/13/2021)
- If Ye Are Prepared… (4/16/2021)
- How Can I Receive Guidance from God? (1/29/2020)
- How Did Nephi Deal with Adversity? (1/28/2020)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Jacob (Israel)? (8/9/2019)
- Why Were Laman and Lemuel Unable to Overcome Their Negativity? (7/22/2019)
- What Is the Liahona? (6/13/2019)
- How Can I Be a Better Listener? (5/12/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart? (5/1/2019)
- How Should We Respond When Others Threaten or Attack Us? (4/28/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be Sober? (4/20/2019)
- What Can We Learn About Prayer From Nephi? (3/26/2019)
- There Was Nothing Save it Were the Power of God…Could Soften Their Hearts – 1 Nephi 18:17-20 (2/18/2018)
- There Was Nothing Save It Were the Power of God…Could Soften Their Hearts – 1 Nephi 18:17-20 (7/31/2017)
- I, Nephi, Did Go into the Mount Oft – 1 Nephi 18:3 (10/30/2016)
- I Did Look unto My God – 1 Nephi 18:15-16 (9/23/2016)
- 1 Nephi 18:16 I Did Not Murmur Against the Lord Because of Mine Afflictions (1/26/2015)
- 1 Nephi 18:3 I Did Pray Oft Unto the Lord (1/24/2015)
- 1 Nephi 18:2 It Was Not After the Manner of Men (1/23/2015)