The second chapter of 1 Nephi describes the reactions of different family members as they leave their home in Jerusalem and set up camp near the Red Sea. Laman and Lemuel complain but are persuaded by their father. Nephi’s heart is softened when he prays. Sam believes the words of Nephi.
Chapter Outline
- Lehi and his family leave their home (v. 1-5).
- Lehi admonishes Laman and Lemuel (v. 6-14).
- Nephi prays and receives amazing promises (v. 15-24).
My Takeaways
- Parents can seek revelation to help guide their families.
- We can overcome negative thought patterns by adopting an eternal perspective.
- God can soften my heart.
Featured Blog Posts
❖ The Lord Commands Lehi to Leave Jerusalem – 1 Nephi 2:1-4
Lehi and Sariah’s Family
The Book of Mormon begins with a family. Not a blissful, idyllic family, but a troubled one. A family with sibling rivalry, parent-child discord, and even marital conflict. In other words, a real family. With God’s help, this family achieved miraculous things: they escaped certain destruction in Jerusalem, traveled through the wilderness and across the…
He Left…His Precious Things – 1 Nephi 2:2-4
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. 3 And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. 4 And it came…
❖ Lehi Speaks to Laman and Lemuel – 1 Nephi 2:9-14
Why Were Laman and Lemuel Unable to Overcome Their Negativity?
It was difficult for Lehi and Sariah to lead their family from their comfortable home in Jerusalem to an undefined destination. Their two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel, didn’t make it any easier. According to their younger brother, Nephi: They did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and…
“They Knew Not…Neither Did They Believe” – 1 Nephi 2:12-13
When we complain, we are usually focused on what we know. We see that something is wrong, and other people either aren’t aware of the problem or aren’t motivated to fix it. But Nephi said that his older brothers complained because of what they didn’t know and because of what they didn’t believe: And thus…
❖ The Lord Speaks to Nephi – 1 Nephi 2:16-24
What Is the Significance of God’s Promise to Nephi?
Like the prophet Abraham, Nephi received a conditional promise from the Lord with an intergenerational impact. After the Lord commanded his father, Lehi, to abandon their home in Jerusalem and “depart into the wilderness” with his family, Nephi’s brothers were angry. Nephi must have also been unhappy about the sudden change, but he prayed, and…
The Mysteries of God
Nephi proactively sought knowledge through prayer. His brothers also had a spiritual experience, as their father taught them with spiritual power. But Nephi’s experience was more durable. Why? Because it came as a result of his own efforts and desire.
Thou Hast Sought Me Diligently, with Lowliness of Heart – 1 Nephi 2:19-20
19 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. 20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a…
Old Testament Foundations
Hardened Hearts
Why would the leader of a nation continue to pursue a harmful course of action in the face of increasing punishments? I’m not talking about Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine in spite of severe international sanctions; I’m talking about Pharaoh’s unwillingness to let the Israelites go free while his country was pummeled by plagues.…
Your Birthright
Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34). We all know this. We might have to be reminded that “pottage” is a soup or a stew and that the original meaning of “mess” was a meal. But what’s a birthright? The word only appears ten times in the Bible, always referring to…
A Land of Promise
Abraham recognized that it was time for a change. “I, Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence,” he wrote (Abraham 1:1). God had promised to lead him by the hand (Abraham 1:18), and take him to “a strange land” where his descendants would become “a great nation” (Genesis 12:1-2). The…
New Testament Parallels
Family Revelation
Raising children is too hard to do alone and requires more knowledge than any parents have. Like Joseph and Mary or Lehi and Sariah, we can receive revelation from God about how to lead our families “in love and righteousness.”
Church History Connections
“Blessed Art Thou”
It is easy to be hard on ourselves. When we feel God’s approval, anxiety can be replaced by confidence. When the Lord directed Lehi to take his family into the wilderness, He prefaced the commandment with the following words of reassurance: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done. 1 Nephi…
“In the Very Hour”
It is more important to be prepared than to have a plan. Plans rely on assumptions about things we can’t control. The most brittle plans rely heavily on these assumptions, while more resilient plans allow for adaptation under changing circumstances. A good plan recognizes that the participants will be actors, not merely executors, and will…
“Seek Not to Be Cumbered”
When 25-year-old William E. McLellin asked Joseph Smith for guidance in October of 1831, his life was in transition. His wife of two years, Cynthia Ann, had died. He had met some missionaries and joined the church just two months earlier. Now, he wanted to know what was next. In the revelation Joseph received in…
All Posts Referencing 1 Nephi 2
- The Heaven and the Earth (1/12/2026)
- Land of Promise, Land of Liberty (2/9/2024)
- Seed (1/18/2024)
- The Mysteries of God (1/10/2024)
- The Promise and the Law (9/27/2023)
- The Eleventh Hour (5/10/2023)
- Crumbs (4/13/2023)
- Family Revelation (1/15/2023)
- Dreams and Visions (11/13/2022)
- Hardened Hearts (3/30/2022)
- Milk and Honey (3/25/2022)
- Your Birthright (2/25/2022)
- A Land of Promise (2/12/2022)
- Going to Egypt (2/11/2022)
- “Especial Care” (11/2/2021)
- A Multiplicity of Blessings (9/15/2021)
- Confounded (6/29/2021)
- “Seek Not to Be Cumbered” (6/18/2021)
- Oblations (5/30/2021)
- “Lest Ye Become as the Nephites of Old” (4/17/2021)
- “In the Very Hour” (4/8/2021)
- “Blessed Art Thou” (3/9/2021)
- “Cut Off from Among the People” (1/2/2021)
- “Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ” – 2 Nephi 31:20 (3/5/2020)
- What Are the Mysteries of God? (1/19/2020)
- Lehi and Sariah’s Family (1/12/2020)
- “They Knew Not…Neither Did They Believe” – 1 Nephi 2:12-13 (1/9/2020)
- What Should I Be Thankful For? (11/28/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Women in the Book of Mormon? (11/11/2019)
- How Can I Recognize the Hand of the Lord in My Life? (10/27/2019)
- How Do Different Forms of Revelation Support One Another? (10/5/2019)
- What Can We Learn from the Crossing of the Red Sea? (8/16/2019)
- Why Were Laman and Lemuel Unable to Overcome Their Negativity? (7/22/2019)
- What Is the Significance of God’s Promise to Nephi? (7/19/2019)
- What Does It Mean to “Keep” God’s Commandments? (7/1/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About Obedience? (6/30/2019)
- Is It Wrong to Complain? (5/2/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Harden Your Heart? (5/1/2019)
- What Does It Mean to Be Steadfast? (4/23/2019)
- What Does the Book of Mormon Teach About the Holy Ghost? (4/17/2019)
- What Can We Learn About Prayer From Nephi? (3/26/2019)
- Thou Hast Sought Me Diligently, with Lowliness of Heart – 1 Nephi 2:19-20 (2/5/2018)
- He…Did Soften My Heart That I Did Believe – 1 Nephi 2:16 (2/4/2018)
- They Knew Not the Dealings of That God Who Had Created Them – 1 Nephi 2:11-12 (2/3/2018)
- He Departed into the Wilderness – 1 Nephi 2:2-4 (2/2/2018)
- He Left…His Precious Things – 1 Nephi 2:2-4 (7/4/2017)
- O That Thou Mightest Be Like Unto This River – 1 Nephi 2:8-10 (8/7/2016)
- I Did Cry Unto the Lord – 1 Nephi 2:16 (4/19/2016)
- 1 Nephi 2:16 He Did…Soften My Heart (1/7/2015)