First Nephi 18:2

Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

When we do the Lord's work, we must do it his way. We cannot work after the manner of men, for if we do God's work the world's way, we will fail. Our first task is to find out how he wants us to work to accomplish our assignment and then to follow those instructions. Only by doing the Lord's work in the Lord's way will we succeed.

First Nephi 18:1

And it came to pass that they did worship the Lord, and did go forth with me; and we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.

We do not necessarily get step be step instructions from God all in one handy user manual. He gives us a line and then lets us work with it for a while. He asks us to go as far as we can. When we hit the end of our ingenuity or understanding, he gives us another line and lets us take more steps.

First Nephi 17:51

And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?

God is not stingy with his power.  He is willing to use it constantly in our behalf.  He has preformed miracles for others, and he will perform miracles for us. He is not partial or capricious.  Anyone who exercises faith, humbles himself, trusts in Christ, and seeks diligently can receive manifestations of God's power in his life. God works by power. Whenever we see his power in action, we call it a miracle. Miracles are acts that defy limited human reason, but they do not defy God's reason. He can empower us to do anything he wants done. His power can remove the constraints by which we normally operate in the world. If we are willing to accept it, and set aside our personal fears and doubts, God can do many wonderful things through us.

First Nephi 17:48

And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him.

The power that filled Nephi was accompanied by a tangible feeling and a physical,  electrical force. In that moment,  Nephi was transfigured by a physical manifestation of God's power,  similar perhaps to how the Savior was transfigured before his disciples on the mount or Moses was transfigured as he descended  from Sinai. Nephi was changed, at least temporarily.  He was beyond mere mortality at that moment.  He was experiencing the baptism of fire in a dramatic way.  Not his physical flesh but the fleshliness of the natural man was being burned away,  and refined spirit was the result.  The insulating dross that normally restrained his eternal spirit was stripped away, and the real Nephi, who had lived in the presence of Elohim and Jehovah for eons, shone through.

Because of the manifestation of God's power,  Nephi was delivered from the evil intentions of his brothers to destroy him.  If we seek for it and live for it,  God will manifest his power in our lives to deliver us from the evil intentions of Satan, our former brother, to destroy our souls. As we let the Lord fill our lives with light and power, we can say to Satan, "Touch me not. "

First Nephi 17:45

 Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.

Nephi chastised his brothers for their rebellion against God. He was flabbergasted that they could have had so many blessings, spiritual experiences, and concrete evidence of God, and yet they turned their backs on him. He testified that the Lord had tried to reach them through sweet whisperings, and when that failed, he tried thunder and earthquakes. God did not want to give up on Laman and Lemuel. Neither does he want to give up on us. If we experience God's thunder and earthquakes in our lives, we know two things. First, he has probably been whispering to us for a long time, and we have been ignoring him. Second, he hasn't given up on us yet. When the noise stops, we should listen again for the sweet whisperings.

First Nephi 17:41

And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

Nephi often drew parallels between the forty-year journey of his ancestors in the Sinai desert and the journey of his family on their way to a new promised land. Here he reminded his family that Jehovah had allowed poisonous serpents to attack the ancient Israelites as a way to get them to stop complaining and start obeying. The commandment the Lord wanted them to follow was the simplest possible thing: just look up at a brass object prepared by Moses. If the afflicted people would only exercise enough faith to just look at the object, God would heal them. It was so simple, yet many refused to obey even that almost insignificant instruction from their prophet; and as a result, they died. The prophet today does not ask us to do some monumental thing. He asks only that we pray daily, read the scriptures, attend church, hold family home evenings, pay tithing, get a temple recommend. If we can just do these simple things, we will learn to come unto the Savior, who will save us from all the sin with which we have been bitten. We can be healed, but only if we obey.

First Nephi 17:40

And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt.

God chooses us when we choose him. Surely he loves all his children, but the relationship between a loving Father and a loving child is richer, deeper, more penetrating and sustaining than the strained relationship with a wayward child. Just as parents weep different kinds of tears over children who are faithful and those who reject them, our Father in Heaven weeps with joy on the one hand and sorrow on the other. He loves us all, but he loves us differently depending on how we love him.

First Nephi 17:35

Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity; and the fulness of the wrath of God was upon them; and the Lord did curse the land against them, and bless it unto our fathers; yea, he did curse it against them unto their destruction, and he did bless it unto our fathers unto their obtaining power over it.

The chosen people may have advantages, but they are not predestined for heaven. Righteous obedience and sincere repentance are the keys to heaven's gate, not our ancestry, our heritage, the color of our skin, or the circumstances of our birth.

First Nephi 17:30

And notwithstanding they being led, the Lord their God, their Redeemer, going before them, leading them by day and giving light unto them by night, and doing all things for them which were expedient for man to receive, they hardened their hearts and blinded their minds, and reviled against Moses and against the true and living God.

The stubbornness of Laman and Lemuel is not so far fetched. The children of Israel saw greater signs than did Nephi's brothers, and they rebelled as well. It is not the signs we see but the faith in our hearts that determines conversion.

First Nephi 17:18

And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

Laman and Lemuel are the poster children for dimwitted stubbornness! Their repentance was always fervent but short lived. They never changed their lives. Their momentary remorse never reached deep enough to lead to conversion. They never instituted regular, sincere prayer, scripture study, church attendance, and daily repentance, which invite the Holy Spirit and lead to true conversion. Thus the slightest stone of trial or weed of doubt sent them into instant apostasy. They never "got it" about faith because they never reached for it. They were never willing to be responsible agents. They always saw themselves as victims. How sad!

First Nephi 17:15

Wherefore, I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence.

Nephi knew that it would be the Deliverer who would ultimately deliver his mortal body into the temporal promised land and his immortal soul in the eternal promise land of heaven. Nevertheless, he also knew he had to qualify for deliverance through obedience. He may swing the hammer and shake the saw, but it is God's ship he is building to cross God's ocean to reach God's promised land. After all we can do, we can't do very much. But what we do counts.

First Nephi 17:14

Yea, and the Lord said also that: After ye have arrived in the promised land, ye shall know that I, the Lord, am God; and that I, the Lord, did deliver you from destruction; yea, that I did bring you out of the land of Jerusalem.

Seen in their proper perspective, the big trials in our lives teach us and testify that God is at work in our lives. From an eternal perspective, when we reach the promised land of exaltation, we will truly realize that it is only through the power of the Atonement and the grace of God that we are saved and exalted.

First Nephi 17:13

And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

Keeping the commandments does not necessarily rescue us from the wilderness, but it makes the wilderness experience successful in that we learn to follow the Lord and depend on him. When he becomes our light, the wilderness is not nearly so dark and bleak.

First Nephi 17:9

And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

Elder L. Tom Perry taught, "It is seldom that the Lord will do for us what we can do for ourselves." Nephi knew that he would need carpentry tools to build a ship. He could have asked the Lord to give him tools. After all, the Lord had already provided the liahona. But he knew that the Lord wants us to learn to be as self sufficient as possible. When he analyzed the situation, he knew he could make tools if he had iron, and he could smelt iron if he had ore, and he could mine ore if he just knew where to find it. Finding hidden ore was the one thing he could not do on his own. So that is what he asked for. We ought to ask only for what we cannot do for ourselves.

First Nephi 17:6

And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

Bountiful was a stopping place, but not a destination. The family's journey was not done, but God provided a place for them to rest and prepare for the next challenge. We may find ourselves at a temporary resting place during our mortal journey. We never "arrive" in this life, but God gives us opportunities from time to time to rest and catch our breath before plunging into the next part of our journey. We should use these times well but not expect them to last.

First Nephi 17:5

And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.

God knew exactly where Lehi and his family were going and what they needed at each juncture in the journey. They may have suffered, but he did not let them perish. He also knows where we are going in this life and exactly what we need at each juncture. We may suffer from time to time, because that is part of the mortal experience, but we won't perish if we follow the Lord's directions.

First Nephi 17:3

And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

Keeping the commandments did not change Nephi's circumstance. But he was changed and strengthened so he could deal with his circumstance. Sometimes we just have to go through things. But we don't have to suffer.

First Nephi 16:39

And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.

Isn't it interesting that despite the fact that Laman and Lemuel are in total rebellion and are threatening murder, God still speaks to them. They get to hear the voice of God, albeit in chastisement, whereas even the most righteous among us rarely get such a privilege. When the brothers eventually fall completely out of grace, they fall a long ways. 

Sin is a mistake; but iniquity is a constant choice to sin. The brothers will eventually stop turning away their anger and repenting. Their knowledge of God will turn to their everlasting condemnation.

We also read in this verse the continuing theme of the Book of Mormon: repentance, obedience and humility bring prosperity. It is a winning formula.

First Nephi 16:29

And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

The miraculous Liahona teaches us many lessons about spiritual guidance and revelation. Just like Lehi, we get what we need when we need it. Line upon line.

First Nephi 16:28

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.

We cannot force the spirit to work for us. It is a delicate balance. We must diligently listen and obey all the time. And we must act in faith when we think we get instruction. We learn the language of the Spirit through trial and error. With experience, we eventually get it.

First Nephi 16:24-25

And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.  And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.

God does not cast us off, He just waits quietly and patiently for us to repent.

First Nephi 16:23

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?

When bad things happen, we can sit around and complain, or we can go to work and make them better. While the murmurers sat around like lumps, Nephi took action. The other important lesson to take away from this incident is that Nephi always honored his father and the prophet, which happened to be one in the same in his case. When we obey the prophet, things will work out.

First Nephi 16:21

Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.

Nephi is in the same boat as the rest of the family. He acknowledges that things are bad, but he doesn't blame God or others. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Life is not always fair. Nephi is nevertheless accountable. He owns his situation, regardless of how he got where he is, and he is preparing to do something about it.

First Nephi 16:20

 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.

Complaining is contagious. We can lose our perspective if we are surrounded by negative people. The people we choose to be with impact our lives for good or ill. We must choose our companions wisely.

First Nephi 16:18

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.

Laman and Lemuel, ever the pessimistic murmurers, love to play the blame game. Their poor attitude is evidence of a classic lack of accountability. They are always the victims -- in their own minds. When we are victims, we are objects on which the outside world foists troubles and problems. God did not create us to be objects, but to the actors, not to be acted upon, but to act. With the right attitude, our problems do not make us victims, they make us heroes.

First Nephi 16:17

And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.

In mortality, even when we are fully engaged in the work of the Lord, we have to give time for temporal needs. Our bodies get tired and need to be nourished. God knows all about our bodies, and He will not hold our mortality against us. After all, mortality is His gift to us.

First Nephi 16:16

And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.

Things go better when we follow the Holy Spirit. He will lead us to where we should go. And along the way we will find what we need to sustain us and empower us to keep going.

First Nephi 16:15

And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.

The Lord did not provide an abundance or a surplus so Lehi's family could be comfortable and at ease. He provided from day to day. They had to learn faith that the morrow would take care of itself. "Give us this day our daily bread," says the Lord's prayer, not give us this week our allotment and to spare. The blessings we receive today are big enough for the challenges we face today. Each day is enough to focus on. We keep our faith day by day.

First Nephi 16:11

And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.

Nephi knew from where his blessings came. Though he had gathered the provisions, he testified they were gifts from God. No matter how hard we work, the results of our efforts are always gifts from God.

First Nephi 16:13

And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer.

When a Hebrew faces God, he faces east. His covenant hand, therefore, is in the south. So south-southeast is the covenant direction towards God. The directions stated in Nephi's account of his travels are not just a set of compass coordinates. They tell us the direction of his heart. His heart is set on a covenant with God, and his face is always towards his Master. No matter which physical direction we may be headed, spiritually we always want to be going east, where the sun and the Son rise.

First Nephi 16:10

And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness.

Lehi and his family are the recipients of a miracle in the form of a brass ball, which we learn later is called the Liahona. The Liahona is a tangible symbol of a spiritual truth for a group of Jews who live the Law of Moses, which is full of symbolic truths. The instruction manual that comes with the Liahona -- actually it is printed right on the ball -- informs Lehi that this tool will guide him and his family through the wilderness to the promised land. The spiritual truth symbolized by the Liahona is the power of the Holy Ghost. Just as the Liahona revealed to Lehi what he needed to know to take his family safely through the wilderness of the Arabian desert, the the Holy Ghost, who is no less a miracle than a shiny brass ball in the middle of the desert, will reveal to us how to take ourselves and our family through the wilderness of mortality. The Liahona landed Lehi in the Promised Land. The Holy Ghost will likewise land us in the promised land of the Celestial Kingdom.

First Nephi 16:5

And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.

At this point Laman and Lemuel are not past feeling or redemption. But the more often they repent and then sin again, the harder they become and the less likely they are to repent again. Trifling with sin and repentance is spiritually lethal.

First Nephi 16:4

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.

Thankfully the Lord exhorts us with all diligence and does not give up on us, though we may look as hopeless to Him as Laman and Lemuel look to us.

First Nephi 16:2

And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.

Simply put, the truth is hard for the guilty who don't want to hear it. Those who love the truth, however, welcome it even when -- no, especially when -- it informs them of changes they need to make.

First Nephi 15:35

And there is a place prepared, yea, even that awful hell of which I have spoken, and the devil is the preparator of it; wherefore the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken.

Mormons reject the notion of a binary judgment of heaven or hell. Rather, they believe in degrees of glory, which people attain to based on their quality of faith. We cannot escape the statements of the Book of Mormon, however, that at least some of God's children will find themselves in a place without glory. If hell is the place prepared by Satan, then it cannot be one of the three kingdoms of glory, which are prepared by God. So therefore it must be outer darkness where only justice reigns, and mercy does not reach at all. Satan's kingdom is not the place for ordinary sinners who were born in darkness or have lost their way. Recall that Nephi is speaking here to his brothers, who have seen an angel and who do not sin ignorantly. It is such as these, who have known light but have deliberately chosen darknes,s who will find themselves in a darkness that has no end.

First Nephi 15:34

 But behold, I say unto you, the kingdom of God is not filthy, and there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God; wherefore there must needs be a place of filthiness prepared for that which is filthy.

Christ has paid for all sins and is ready and willing to make our garments white by his blood. Nothing stands in his way of redeeming every one of us except one thing: our agency. If we remain filthy, it is by our own choice.

First Nephi 15:32

And it came to pass that I said unto them that it was a representation of things both temporal and spiritual; for the day should come that they must be judged of their works, yea, even the works which were done by the temporal body in their days of probation.

What we do in this life matters. Make no mistake, we cannot earn our way into heaven, but we can disqualify ourselves. Christ's atonement can wipe away our sins, heal our wounds, right our wrongs, dissolve our failures, strengthen our weaknesses, and enable us through grace to come to him. He cannot make us, however, what we do not want to be. He cannot manufacture faith if we do not choose to believe. He cannot repent for us, he cannot be baptized for us, and he cannot force us to receive the Holy Ghost. If we do not do the basics of gospel living, the atonement will have no effect in our lives.

First Nephi 15:24

And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.

Having earlier taught us how to receive personal revelation, Nephi now provides guidelines for how to avoid personal apostasy.

1. Listen to and obey the word of God, which is the personal revelation we receive as the answer to our inquiry. We must respond and do what the Lord tells us to do when we ask him for instructions.
2. Do not get distracted by contradictory ideas or the persuasions of others. When those moments come, as they inevitably do, when we start to wonder if the answer we got was real, do not doubt. Remember. If it was true then, it is true now. Stay focused.
3. Know that temptations and fiery darts will come. The Apostle Paul taught us to hold tight to our shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts. Hold the shield high and with a firm grasp. Trust it. No weapon has been formed by man or Satan that can overpower God.
4. Keep our eyes open and our feet on the path. As a skydiving instructors tells all of his first-time students, "After you jump from the plane and are hurtling at 120 miles per hour through the air, if everything around you seems black and you cannot see the ground, open your eyes!" And avoid the temptation to take a few steps down other attractive paths just to see if maybe they are better than the path God has set you on. They are not. Stay the course. See rule #2 above.

The result: We will not get lost.

First Nephi 15:21

And it came to pass that they did speak unto me again, saying: What meaneth this thing which our father saw in a dream? What meaneth the tree which he saw?

Nephi scolded his brothers for not inquiring of the Lord for answers, and then he answered their question. And they still refuse to inquire for themselves. They are content to be taught by Nephi. They are losing out on the great source of knowledge, even personal revelation. They prefer to be spoon fed rather than do the work to learn for themselves. We all need teachers to get us started on the path to knowledge. At some point, however, the Lord expects us to turn to the Holy Ghost for the deeper knowledge we need. The ministrations of inspired teachers and even the scriptures themselves can take us only so far down the path to discipleship. We eventually must learn directly from the Master.

First Nephi 15:11

Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

If we want to receive revelation from God, here is the user manual for contacting him and getting answers. The steps are simple to understand, although not always easy to execute perfectly:

1. Soften our heart and prepare it to receive an answer. Be open to the answer that will come and be prepared to change in response to it.
2. Ask. The key, of course, is to know what to ask for. We need the Holy Ghost to teach us what to pray for. 
3. Have faith -- faith in Christ that he is our advocate, faith in the Father that he hears and answers, faith that he loves us and wants to answer us, faith that he always gives good gifts to his children.
4. Believe that an answer will come. While we choose to believe, we cannot set boundaries on the Lord and how he works with us. Belief therefore requires patience and a determination to stay the course with our inquiry.  See step #1 above.
5. Keep the commandments. To be sure, we do not buy answers with our good works. The mercy and grace of the atonement are always at the heart of anything we merit from God. Nevertheless, while we wait for an answer, we must continue to refine our character and strive for discipleship to demonstrate our trustworthiness to the Lord.

The result: God will make known to us what we need to come unto him.

First Nephi 15:10

Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

We are commanded to ask God for knowledge. If we do not go to God for knowledge, we are not keeping one of his most fundamental commandments. Now, God does not give futile or capricious commandments. He does not command us to ask him for knowledge if he does not intend to respond. Therefore, we can approach him with confidence that he will honor our request. We may not get the answer we want or expect, but God will always answer. It is the character of a loving Father to want to communicate with his children.

First Nephi 15:9

And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

Nephi's brothers foolishly assumed that they would get no answer, so they did not bother to ask. One of the most oft-repeated verses in scripture is "Ask, and he shall receive." God has great things in store for us. How do we know we will not get an answer if we do not ask?

First Nephi 15:8

And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

The key to learning is inquiring. The Lord will not tell us about what we do not ask. The modern-day dispensation of the gospel began with an earnest question by a young boy, which he took to the Lord. Joseph Smith could not possibly have imagined the path on which his simple question would set him. I am grateful that he was wise enough as a teenager to understand the law of asking.

First Nephi 15:6

And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.

God can strengthen us to deal with and overcome our afflictions. We may have to pause a moment and let him work in us. We are still mortal. But if we turn our afflictions over to the Lord, he will help us carry them.

First Nephi 15:5

And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall.

We are afflicted and pained when those we love suffer. A parent's heart breaks when a child goes astray, and they seriously grieve. The atonement of Christ can eventually heals our grief, even a sorrow as deep as for the loss of a loved one, be it temporal or spiritual.

First Nephi 15:3

For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

The Spirit of man, or the natural man, does not understand the things of the spirit. If we are going to learn things of God, we must ask for the spirit of God.

First Nephi 14:11

And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

The great and abominable church is a-political. It is not restricted to communists or fascists or royalists. It ignores national and cultural boundaries. It spans religions and creeds. It is everything except the truth, and it takes many forms. It is virtually invisible because it is everywhere.

First Nephi 14:10

And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

There's no neutral territory. Since the true church was restored, people have a choice. If they do not choose the truth, they choose the lie by default. If they do not choose light, they remain in darkness. There is no shadow, no gray, no half truth.

First Nephi 14:4

For behold, this is according to the captivity of the devil, and also according to the justice of God, upon all those who will work wickedness and abomination before him.

Those who choose Satan will eventually get their desire and will become one of his captive minions. Those who want Satan to rule will have the opportunity to experience his rule forever.

First Nephi 13:39

And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true.

Even though the Bible has been altered by the great and abominable church, it still contains truth. It is still of great worth, even if it is not perfect. The Book of Mormon has been published to establish and witness to the truth of the Bible. God, however, has not stopped there. The words of the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the testimonies of Hebrew prophets and apostle dead for many centuries. Is God still able to speak today? And can He speak to others besides Hebrews? The answer is Yes, and the proof is yet more scripture, written by prophets in modern times. Nephi saw yet more books coming forth to support the truth of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These books we have today in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, namely, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. And God is still not done speaking to modern man. Thus we have the Proclamation to the World about families, The Living Christ: the Testimony of the Twelve Apostles, and numerous other pronouncements, admonitions, statements, and testimonies by the prophets and apostles of our own day. And "we believe that [God] will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Pearl of Great Price, Article of Faith:9) What a marvelous day in which to live!

First Nephi 13:30

Nevertheless, thou beholdest that the Gentiles who have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations, upon the face of the land which is choice above all other lands, which is the land that the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father that his seed should have for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which are among thy brethren.

This is our legacy. God has lifted up America as a beacon to the world of what can be accomplished by a free people who worship Christ. Today the American nation is squandering that legacy by denying God, ignoring His commandments, and losing our sense of wonder and gratitude for His blessings.

First Nephi 13:29

And after these plain and precious things were taken away it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles, yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, thou seest—because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God—because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.

Nephi saw in vision that the bible was corrupted from the very beginning. What is clear is that the corruption is not the fault of accidental mis-copying by scribes or mis-translation by scholars. Changes were made deliberately and with malice of forethought by a secret combination with an agenda.

The Bible has been an enormous blessing to Christian believers, but also a stumbling block. People stumble when they are on the path and trying to make progress but then trip over something they do not see or understand. People have stumbled over the Bible for nearly two thousand years. It has brought Christianity to a significant portion of the world, which is obviously a good thing; but it has also been the source of theological and political divisions that have resulted in inquisitions, bigotry, wars, and genocide. How can a book of such holy truth produce such unholy consequences?

The Book of Mormon is the antidote to the poison laced by the great and abominable church between the lines of the beloved Bible. It shines a light into the darkness and makes the stumbling blocks visible. I love the Bible and the many devoted and courageous men and women who risked all and gave their lives to preserve and perpetuate it, as imperfect as it may have been, because it was all they had. I love the Book of Mormon because it upholds and illuminates the wonderful truths of the Bible while clearing away the stumbling blocks of mystery and philosophy. Together they are an unassailable witness for Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

First Nephi 13:26

And after they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles, thou seest the formation of that great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away.

Recompiling of the Bible seems to be coincidental with the formation of the great and abominable church. The original aim of the great and abominable church seems to have been the perversion of the scriptures. What came forth from this mysterious period were the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. This book contained enough truth to make it compelling and plausible, but enough contradictions and mysteries to make it hard to understand.

The Book of Mormon is God's secret weapon against the great and abominable church. Written from original sources, uncorrupted, buried in the earth for fourteen hundred years, this record God held in reserve, to come forth in the last days to substantiate the truths of the Bible while sweeping away the sophistries and enigmas introduced by the great and abominable church of philosophical illusions.

First Nephi 13:20

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that they did prosper in the land; and I beheld a book, and it was carried forth among them.

A connection exists between prospering and the scriptures. Prosperity comes in many forms. We think of prosperity primarily as financial, but we can prosper in many ways. Spiritual prosperity is an obvious benefit of reading the scriptures. We also prosper in our families, our communities, and in our nations when we abide by the principles in the scriptures.

I think it is interesting that Nephi first commented on prosperity of the people and then mentioned the coming forth of the Bible. Prosperity in technology has made possible the ubiquitous presence of the Bible. Before Gutenberg, Bibles, and indeed all books, were hand-crafted works of art and extremely expensive. Literacy and knowledge were limited to the very rich and the very elite. Prosperity has brought the Bible into virtually every home that wants one. And with the inexpensive availability of the Bible has come a vast library of books. Public libraries in America and other countries make this knowledge available at virtually no cost to anyone who is willing to walk in. Indeed, the Bible has brought untold prosperity to people all over the world in many ways. It is phenomenal to think of what one book has done for mankind. The publishing of the Book of Mormon could not have happened without the Bible preceding it.

First Nephi 14:7

For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken.

Agency is the key. We all have opportunity. What we do with it and how we react to it makes all the difference.

First Nephi 13:5

And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.

Apparently there are levels of abomination. Some false churches are more abominable than others, and the one that Nephi was being shown was the most abominable of all.

These abominable acts of the church of the devil may be both physical and spiritual. In the early history of Christ's church after He ascended to heaven, the apostles and believers were literally tortured and killed. In modern times, at least in Western society, the torture and murder of the saints are not so literal but nevertheless very real. The deceptions perpetrated by the great and abominable church may kill the faith even of the most elect of believers. It may cause them to torture themselves with guilt. It may bind them down with false superstitions and yoke them with heavy burdens of ritualism and tradition and make them captives of false teachings. These are the powers of darkness against Paul warned us: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). We must be aware and vigilant.

First Nephi 13:4

And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church.

Four times in four verses it is repeated that Nephi sees nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. It is clear that this large church is an invention of the Gentiles that spans international boundaries. The great and abominable church is not a single church or a single nation. It is a shadowy congress of churches, systems of belief, governments, and other organizations that oppose and seek to destroy the true church of Christ and the gospel. Only two camps exist. "He that is not with me is against me," said Jesus (Matthew 12:30). We are either in the one church or the other, regardless of our denomination, culture or nationality.

First Nephi 12:4

And it came to pass that I saw a mist of darkness on the face of the land of promise; and I saw lightnings, and I heard thunderings, and earthquakes, and all manner of tumultuous noises; and I saw the earth and the rocks, that they rent; and I saw mountains tumbling into pieces; and I saw the plains of the earth, that they were broken up; and I saw many cities that they were sunk; and I saw many that they were burned with fire; and I saw many that did tumble to the earth, because of the quaking thereof.

Nephi saw in perfect detail the great destruction that would occur in America at the time the Savior is crucified. It fascinates me that time is irrelevant to God. All things are present before Him in an instant. He sees the end from the beginning and all points in between. He is never surprised.

His knowledge does not violate our agency, however. The fact that He can see the consequences of our choices and actions does not take away from us the responsibility for them. I think one of the things we can learn from Nephi is that God will reveal to us the results of our choices and actions if we ask Him. I believe He is willing to tell us where the road leads that we are following, and we can use that knowledge to alter our course if we don't like the outcome. God will never force down a path, either for good or ill. We are always free to choose.

First Nephi 12:1-3

 And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea. And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people. And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them.

Nephi sees the future of his people. The Land of Promise is the land to which his little family is now headed. It is the American Continent. Many generations come and go, the people become very numerous, they built many cities. They become very wicked and have many wars. There is slaughter throughout the land.

This vision does two things for Nephi. First, it gives him hope. He and his family will cross the ocean safely, and his family will survive and thrive in the Promised Land. Second, the vision tells him things will not go smoothly for his family. The contention he has been living with among his own brothers will extend into the generations that follow. It is a warning that he has much work to do to set his family on a path that will avoid the disasters and wars that the Lord has shown him.

We all face choices, our actions have consequences, and what we do now can have great influence on the generations that follow us. God may know the end from the beginning, but that knowledge does not invalidate our agency. We must still make good choices and do our best to help our posterity choose wisely.

First Nephi 11:14

And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

It is interesting to me that one messenger departed in the middle of Nephi's vision and another came to deliver another part of the lesson. The Lord brings different people into our lives at different times to deliver messages and lessons to us. Perhaps it is the special relationship we create with a person that allows us to hear a message that we would ignore from anyone else. Maybe it is an experience that person had that makes the lesson more relevant to us. Or maybe it is just the right time in our lives.

On the other hand, we may be that special messenger whom the Lord has prepared to teach someone in a unique way that the other person is prepared to receive.

The point is that God uses many people to teach us, and He uses us to teach many people. It is the celestial version of the World Wide Web. We can all be a part of it if we are prepared, if we listen, and if we obey.

First Nephi 11:3

And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.

My question is: why did Nephi want a replay of his father's vision? He said he believed his father. He didn't need a testimony. What he wanted was more knowledge. He knew that his father could not put all he had learned from his vision into words. Nephi wanted to know it all, and he knew the only way he could learn it all was to see it all.

When we want to know more than what the mere words of the scriptures can teach us, we can ask to see what the prophets saw.

First Nephi 11:1

 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.

Nephi gives us a formula for revelation:

1. Desire to know
2. Belief or faith that we can know
3. Ponder and study

Alma taught, "If ye can no more than desire to believe, let that desire work in you" (Alma 32:27). The desire to believe and to learn is a gift. We then have to believe that God will answer the desire that He placed in us to begin with. Knowing that God is unchanging and no respecter of persons is essential to this belief. If He reveals a thing to others, we can have confidence He will reveal the same thing to us. Finally, we have to do our homework. We must exert our best efforts to understand what God has already revealed to others. We must extend our faculties to the limit, and then the Lord will open them the rest of the way. The Lord explained to a young Oliver Cowdery after he had failed to help Joseph Smith with translating the Book of Mormon, "you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me" (D&C 9:7). When we apply Nephi's formula for revelation, we can be assured that the Lord will reveal to us all that we need to know to come unto Him and serve Him. He will withhold nothing from us that is for our good.

First Nephi 10:17-19

And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all the words of my father, concerning the things which he saw in a vision, and also the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost, which power he received by faith on the Son of God—and the Son of God was the Messiah who should come—I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men. For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him. For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. What a magnificent truth! God must be the same in all ages because He is supreme. No one else is better, and He cannot get any better. If He could be better, then He wouldn't be God. But He is God, He always has been and He always will be, and so He does not change.

Likewise, the world's need for God does not change. We have always needed Him, and we always will. Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses -- they are their people needed God, and He was there for them. He spoke to them. The Jews needed God in 1 A.D. and John the Baptist was born, and God spoke to him. We need God in 2016 just as desperately as any people who have ever lived. If He spoke in the past, why does He not speak today?

I testify that He does speak today. He started speaking in 1820 to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon testifies that He will always speak when people of faith seek Him.

First Nephi 10:6

Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.

The Book of Mormon is a witness for Jesus Christ. It stands as a companion to the Bible as a second testament to the divine sonship of Jesus and his role as the Redeemer and Savior of the world. Statements like the one in this verse appear all throughout the book. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of the Latter-day Saint religion. This is because it teaches powerfully of the Chief Cornerstone, who is Jesus Christ. Just as the Cornerstone was a stumbling block to the Jews in 34 A.D., who were blinded by false expectations of the Messiah in their day, the keystone is a stumbling block to many in 2016 A.D. who are blinded by false expectations that God is silent in our day, He has done His work, left His mark, and now He watches the world grope about in the dim light of the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. To those, however, who are willing to approach God about the truth, the keystone of the Book of Mormon can become a steppingstone to a new understanding that God is not done with us, He still has something to say, He is still making His mark on honest and sincere hearts, and He does not watch us grope in darkness because He has offered us additional light. When we read the Book of Mormon, the light goes on and the darkness flees.

First Nephi 9:6

But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

As God's children we should take great comfort in knowing of His omniscience and omnipotence. He has made a way for us to accomplish whatever He asks of us, and He has the power to bring His will to pass. We may have to struggle with our challenges and trials, but we need not fear defeat. God will never be defeated, and if we are on His side, neither shall we be defeated. Nephi can testify of these things because he has experienced God's knowledge and power in his own life. It is so plain to him that he sums up his expression of faith in four words of fact: "and thus it is."

First Nephi 8:33

And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.

The secret to avoiding temptations – heed them not. That was Jesus’s formula. “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (D&C 20:22).

First Nephi 8:9

And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.

Lehi's answer came immediately after he prayed. He did not have to beg and plead endlessly to receive mercy. The Lord was instant with his help. The spacious field of hope was practically in reach the whole time. Lehi just needed eyes to see it. The Lord did not miraculously make the field appear. He just enabled Lehi to see what had been his deliverance all along.

First Nephi 7:19, 21

And it came to pass that they were angry with me again, and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life.
And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father.

Nephi instantly forgave his brothers at the first sign of contrition. “Frankly” also describes how the Savior forgives us when we repent. When we are rebellious, he is slow to hear our cries; and sometimes he lets us toil through difficult storms until the fourth watch, but when we want to repent and return to him, he is like the father of the prodigal son. When we are yet a far way off, he will run to us, fall on our necks, and kiss us.

First Nephi 7:18

And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.

Though Nephi prayed for strength to break the band's himself, ultimately it was God's strength that delivered him. God removed the bands. If we pray for strength to overcome whatever holds us down, God will answer that prayer with his own power.

First Nephi 8:8

And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.

Why do we wander in darkness for a long time before thinking to pray? When we finally get weary of the darkness, we turn to the Lord. We don't have to wait that long.

First Nephi 8:3

And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.

The gathering of literal, physical seeds, which introduced this chapter, becomes an allegory for Lehi's vision of the future of his seed or posterity. Lehi receives a gift of knowledge about the future of his family. Alone in the wilderness, headed for an unknown promised land, reason suggests that this little band will not survive. Yet the Lord has big plans for this family, and he gives peace to Father Lehi’s heart by letting him know that his journey is not in vain. If we ask him, God will let each of us know that our journey in this life is not in vain.

First Nephi 8:2

And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.

God will send us messages of hope and intelligence in the wilderness. Indeed our wilderness experiences are designed at least in part to prepare us to receive greater light and knowledge.

First Nephi 8:1

And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.

The introduction to this chapter is not a trivial detail. Nephi tells that that the family has been gathering seeds just before he reports on his father’s dream about about a tree and fruit and about gathering his family (his seed). The Lord has many ways to prepare us for messages he wants us to receive. Even the trivial and mundane things we do each day can have significance if we are listening and willing to receive instruction.

First Nephi 7:22

And it came to pass that we did come down unto the tent of our father. And after I and my brethren and all the house of Ishmael had come down unto the tent of my father, they did give thanks unto the Lord their God; and they did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto him.

An interesting literary turn of events occurs here. Nephi had been writing in the first person singular (“I”) and plural (“we”) up to this point. In this verse, however, he switches to third personal plural (“they”) in describing the celebration and sacrificial offerings at his father’s tent. Did he not participate in the thanksgiving ritual with his family? Or was this more of a ritual of repentance and atonement for his brothers and the family of Ishmael who had tried to kill him? Ultimately, we cannot repentant for another. We cannot change another's will or override their agency. We can teach and exhort, but each must "come to himself", as did the prodigal son. In the meantime, we pray, watch, and wait. Nephi had to let his brothers make their own burnt offerings. He could not do it for them.

First Nephi 7:17

But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.

Of all the things Nephi could have prayed for, he prayed for deliverance and strength. When we are weak and beset with trials, these are two things we can always pray for.

First Nephi 7:15

Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto Jerusalem ye shall also perish with them. And now, if ye have choice, go up to the land, and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go ye will also perish; for thus the Spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak.

We always have our agency, but we do not get to choose the consequences.

First Nephi 7:14

For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land.

God has great patience, but he is able to judge when men are hardened beyond reach. He expelled Lucifer when he knew he could not be turned.  Men can likewise become so determined to choose evil that their time of probation is wasted. Rather than let such evil corrupt the next generation, he may destroy those who harden themselves against him. He does not hate them, he loves them. If they will not repent in mortality, perhaps they will change their minds on the other side of the veil. Hope is not lost until the final judgment at the last day. Hardening of the arteries is a disease; hardening of the heart is a choice.

First Nephi 7:10

How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord?

Signs and angels do not convert. They strengthen only those who already believe or are willing to believe.

First Nephi 7:9

How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord?

Nephi cannot relate to his brothers' spiritual hardness. It is easy for Nephi to believe because he chooses to believe, he wants to believe. He does not understand that his brothers don't want to believe. He is still a young man, inexperienced and somewhat self-centered. He cannot comprehend that others don't think and feel as he does. For him it is cut and dried. You are in or you are out. How might things have turned out differently if he had had some empathy for his brothers and approached them from a position of sympathy instead of scolding? He could have been a little more human. I am grateful to have the vantage point of the scriptures to watch a prophet grow into his full stature. It gives me hope for myself.

First Nephi 7:5

And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father.

The Lord did not override Ishmael's agency or force or coerce him. He softened his heart by testifying to him through the Holy Ghost that it was God's will that Ishmael join his family to Lehi's. It was really Ishmael who softened his own heart. Soft-heartedness is a gift as well as a talent.

First Nephi 6:4

For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

Nephi wrote all that he wrote with one purpose in mine, namely, to persuade us to come to God and be saved. His words are powerful and convincing to those who will read them. He is not trying to draw people to himself. Likewise, Joseph Smith did all that he did, not to gather people to him personally, but to gather them to Christ. We do not worship men, we worship Christ and the Father. Nevertheless, God inspires men to help us and guide us. We follow prophets not for the sake of the prophets but because they lead us to Christ. If we put our faith in any man, including a prophet, we will be disappointed. When we put our faith in Christ, however, we will be saved.

First Nephi 5:22

Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them [the brass plates] with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.

An essential item to always take with us when we enter a wilderness experience is the scriptures. Nothing will sustain us and strengthen us as much. They will lead us in the direction we should go, They will also make us familiar with the voice of the Lord, so that when he calls us from the wilderness, we will recognize his voice and follow his lead.

First Nephi 5:19

Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed.

The brass plates are the source document from which Nephi, Jacob and others quoted old world scripture in the Book of Mormon. They were all the scripture they had, and they cherished them. Lehi prophesied that someday we will have these plates. It would be wonderful to have these additional prophecies and revelations, but only if we have put to good use the word of God we already have in the Standard Works.

First Nephi 5:17

And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed.

Lehi understood the value of the scriptures, which nearly costs his sons their lives to obtain. He wasted no time in digging into them. He did not just read them, he searched them. As a result of his study, he was filled with the Holy Ghost and the spirit of prophecy. Searching the scriptures invites the Spirit and fosters revelation. If we want more personal revelation in our lives, the place to go is the scriptures.

First Nephi 5:10

And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.

Despite their grumbling and murmuring, Laman and Lemuel helped Nephi acquire the brass plates of precious scripture. I wonder if the two brothers ever even looked at the plates they risked their lives to get. They showed no evidence of knowing anything about their contents. Having the scriptures is one thing, reading them is another. Dusty scriptures on a shelf are as useless as a bag of sand.

First Nephi 5:9

And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

When we are thankful and full of gratitude, we are more inclined to sacrifice from our abundance. It can also work the other way: when we sacrifice from our abundance, we can grow more thankful for what we have. If we are missing the spirit of gratitude in our life, a willing sacrifice will bring us the sense of thankfulness we may be missing.

First Nephi 5:8

And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

Sometimes we just need some assurance from the Lord to solidify our faith. Stephen Wilcox calls these moments "fleeces". He recalls a story from the Old Testament where a young man named Gideon was called by the Lord to lead the army of Israel against their enemies. The Lord promised the inexperienced leader that he would be victorious. Gideon believed the Lord, but he needed some reassurance that he had heard the instructions and the promise correctly. So he asked the Lord to make dew to fall on the ground overnight but to leave a patch of sheep’s wool – a fleece – on the ground dry. Surely only the Lord could control the dew of the air. In the morning the ground all around was wet, but the wool was dry. Not quite satisfied, just in case the dry fleece was a coincidence, Gideon asked for one more assurance. This time he wanted to reverse the process and have the fleece get wet while the ground remained dry. On the next morning the ground was dry, but Gideon was able to wring the water out of the fleece. Brother Wilcox says that sometimes when we face particularly difficult tests of our faith, we may need a “fleece” to reassure us that we are hearing the word of the Lord correctly.

First Nephi 5:5

But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.

Lehi, like Abraham, believes that God will keep his promises. Abraham believed God's promise of endless posterity, even though He commanded Abraham to kill his only son. A land of promise would mean nothing if Lehi had no posterity to inherit it. He is sure of the promised land, and so he is sure God will preserve his sons, just as God preserved Abraham's son. A promise of eternal life would be empty if we cannot be with the ones we love the most.

First Nephi 5:2

For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

Sariah uses the word "visionary" to mean one who hallucinates. In other words, a crazy person. She had strong enough faith to follow her husband into the wilderness and to leave her nice home behind. But when it looked like his visions had failed and had led to the death of her sons, she stopped believing. We may think our faith is strong when things seem to be working out, but when things start to go wrong, we may doubt. Sometimes God gives us answers and then tests our faith when the answers seem to take us in an unexpected direction. Do we have enough faith to follow the direction we received, or do we want to take over, use our own compass, and pull the Lord's hands off the steering wheel?

First Nephi 4:6

And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

I often feel like Nephi, lunging into the darkness without knowing where I am going.

Elder Boyd K. Packer related: “Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.’”

Elder Richard G. Scott further taught: “What do you do when you have prepared carefully, have prayed fervently, waited a reasonable time for a response, and still do not feel an answer? You may want to express thanks when that occurs, for it is an evidence of [Heavenly Father’s] trust. When you are living worthily and your choice is consistent with the Savior’s teachings and you need to act, proceed with trust. As you are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, one of two things will certainly occur at the appropriate time: either the stupor of thought will come, indicating an improper choice, or the peace or the burning in the bosom will be felt, confirming that your choice was correct. When you are living righteously and are acting with trust, God will not let you proceed too far without a warning impression if you have made the wrong decision.”

First Nephi 4:3

Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.

Nephi could not comprehend his brothers' doubtfulness. To a believing heart, even the slightest hint of truth strengthens faith. To a doubting heart, even the strongest proofs are insufficient. We choose belief or doubt, and our choice colors all that we see and think. Nephi could not convince his brothers because they did not want to be convinced.

First Nephi 3:14

But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.

The brothers were all disappointed that Laban had refused to hand over the plates. But only Nephi was not discouraged. For him the refusal was only a setback, not an insurmountable obstacle. Sometimes our first best effort is insufficient to change something that needs to be changed. We learn what doesn't work, and then we try another approach. Go back to verse 7.

First Nephi 3:9

And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.

Nephi is having a wilderness experience within a wilderness experience, a trial within a trial. He was faithful enough to follow his father into the wilderness, so now the Lord gives him a harder and more personal test. With greater gifts come greater challenges. If we pass a test of faith, we should not think that the Lord is done with us. He has only just begun.

First Nephi 3:8

And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.

Lehi could tell his son had been blessed because he exhibited faith. Faith is a gift from God. We do not manufacture it. Nevertheless, we must prepare ourselves for the gift, we must ask and seek for it, and we must receive and act on it. Because Nephi showed faith, Lehi knew he had prepared himself and sought for it. Such an one is always blessed.

First Nephi 3:6

Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

Faithful obedience brings the Lord's favor. Because Nephi's heart is right and he is anxious to be obedient, when a commandment comes, he is ready to try. Attitude is the key to happiness and joy in the work of the Lord. The Lord loves a willing heart.

An Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, provides a brief explanatory overview of the Book of Mormon, its background and importance. This book is another testament of Jesus Christ and serves as a companion scripture to the Holy Bible. If you wonder why I spend the time sharing and commenting on verses from the Book of Mormon, please watch this 2-minute video.

First Nephi 3:4

Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

Lehi had food, shelter and his family, but he lacked one more essential to his wilderness experience. He needed scripture. To launch into the wilderness without the word of God is like going into battle without armor. I have pondered why did not Lehi go back himself to get the plates? Too dangerous perhaps. But more importantly, the Lord had a test planned for Lehi's sons. Sometimes the Lord's plan may not seem optimal to our finite minds, but he often has a bigger plan for us than just picking up some brass plates.

First Nephi 3:1

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. 

We can assume that Nephi went to his father's tent to tell him about his wonderful experience. Personal revelation from God is not something you blog and tweet about on the Internet, but it is certainly appropriate to share with your family in a proper setting in your home. I'm sure the son was excited to tell his father that he was a witness to his father's testimony.

First Nephi 2:24

And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

Scourges and trials are not punishments. They are designed to get our attention and to help us focus on what is really important. God is not interested in punishment, He is intent on saving us.

First Nephi 2:20

And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

“Land of promise” is always a metaphor in the scriptures for exaltation. Prospering materially and temporally is good, but it is not the point of mortality. Spiritual prosperity is what we are after, and exaltation in the celestial kingdom – the true land of promise – is our eternal goal.

First Nephi 2:18-19

But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. 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. 

Being the good brother and faithful witness that Nephi was by nature, he tried to bear his testimony and share his spiritual experiences with his other brothers, just as he had done with his brother Sam. Unlike Sam, however, who accepted Nephi’s testimony, Laman and Lemuel rejected him. Nephi’s experience prepared Joseph Smith for the experiences that would shortly come into his life as he began to share his message from the Lord. A few would accept his witness and others would reject him. We can expect the same in our own lives. As every missionary can attest, some will listen, but many will not. That does not mean, however, that we should stop trying.

It is interesting that the Lord came to Nephi not when Nephi was praying for himself, but when he was praying for his wayward brothers. Praying for others is an essential element of our prayer life and our spiritual development.

First Nephi 2:17

And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.

Once we have had an experience with the Spirit, we naturally want to share it with others. That can be a scary proposition, for we could experience rejection and even ridicule. Nephi, however, was a good brother, and he overcame whatever natural trepidation he may have had in telling his brother about his experiences. How relieved Nephi must have been when Sam accepted his testimony! At last he had someone with whom he could share his deepest and most sacred feelings. We all need to associate with others who believe as we do. For this very purpose the Lord has organized us into families and provided the organization of the Church. We come together in our families and our congregations to bolster and strengthen each other. Faith is a marvelous gift, and a place to share that faith is also a gift of God.

First Nephi 2:16

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.

A believing heart is a gift. As Alma taught, we begin with just a desire to believe. If we ask God in faith to help us believe, he is quick to answer such a prayer.

First Nephi 2:14

And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them.

When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we can act and speak with power. To be filled with the Holy Ghost sounds like the Spirit does something to us, as if he pours himself into us. In a sense, that is true. The Holy Ghost does work upon our hearts and souls and burns away the dross of the natural man like a refiner's fire. The initial action, however, is not his but ours. He does not split us open and jump inside. Rather, we open ourselves to the power and influence of the Holy Ghost, which is already present in the world and surrounds us every minute.

The light is everywhere present, but we, like wearing a black hood at noonday, do not allow ourselves to see it. We lift the hood ever so slightly, and for a brief moment some light comes in. The small amount of light may hurt our eyes because they are not adjusted to it yet, and we may drop the hood again because we are uncomfortable. The light outside, however, does not diminish.

Others who do not wear hoods tell us how marvelous the light is and how much better life is when we can see the light all the time. From time to time we lift the hood a little higher for a little longer. Our eyes begin to adjust, and we start to see the possibilities. When we get tired of living in the dark, we finally remove the hood and look around at the beautiful world the way it was meant to be seen, not shrouded in self-imposed darkness, but illuminated with brilliant light. The light of the sun never changed. What changed was our desire to invite the light in and remove the obstacle that kept the light out.

When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit does not suddenly show up on our doorstep. Like the sun, his influence has surrounded us all along, looking for the slightest crack in the hood we have pulled tightly over our hearts to keep him out. To the degree that we lift the hood of sin, pride, stubbornness, rebellion, and self-will, the light of the Spirit naturally pours in, anxious to fill the void. The only thing that keeps us from being filled with the Holy Ghost all the time is us. God never withholds His Spirit, but we withhold it when we do not let it in.

Just as sunlight is the ultimate source of all power on the earth, the influence of the Holy Ghost is the source of all true power in our lives. The Holy Ghost IS power. We cannot receive an increase in the presence of God's Spirit in our lives and not receive an increase in power. Like a chain reaction, when we let a little of the Spirit into our lives, we receive power to open ourselves further to let even more of the Spirit in, which brings more power to let even more Spirit in, until eventually we reach the logical and inevitable conclusion that we are filled. This is our intended outcome, the state that God wants all His children to achieve. His whole plan is set up to enable and encourage us to reach this state. It is not reserved for a chosen few. The fact that only a few choose to reach this goal does not mean that God would withhold this magnificent blessing from anyone who chooses to live a life that qualifies for it. The Holy Ghost is a gift from God that is just waiting for us to receive.

The power of the Holy Ghost first works on us and then works in us and through us to reach others. We are like lumps of charcoal. At first we are dark, cold, and lifeless. If we stay close enough to the light of the Spirit, a spark warms and then ignites a small corner of our lump. If we don't extinguish it, the heat will spread through us until we glow brightly. By ourselves our glowing heat cannot do much. But if we touch another lump of charcoal, we can ignite it and start the process in him. The purpose of the power of God is first to ignite us and then to enable us to ignite others. The more power we have, the better we become and the more we can help others. We are on this earth first to receive salvation for ourselves and then to help others receive it. Anything else we may do or accomplish in life is secondary to these two objectives.

One additional note: Confounded is not the same as converted. When we teach, we have to be careful not to simply confound our learners. We must lead them to conversion. Lehi was a great man and a good father, but he pushed his sons when they repeatedly rebelled and complained. Lehi was human, and he had human impatience. Isn't it nice to know that even great men are still human? It gives me hope.

First Nephi 2:13

Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father.

If we put our trust in worldly power, we will be disappointed, for there will always be someone bigger and stronger and more powerful. Only God is guaranteed to be stronger than everyone else.

First Nephi 2:12

And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.

If we are to avoid the mistakes of Laman and Lemuel, we must understand the dealings of God. The church, the scriptures, and the Holy Ghost teach us of God's dealings. If we don't know God, we will find ourselves fighting against him.

First Nephi 2:11

Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart.

Those who focus on worldly wealth feel they will perish without the trappings of the world. They believe their life is in their things. Without their things they have no worth and no purpose. Satan tells us that we can buy anything in this world with money. God says we don't need money for the most important things in life.

Book of Mormon, First Nephi 1:14-15

And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

This is the doctrine of Christ and the gospel of hope. Christ will ultimately save those who come to Him and follow Him and believe in Him. Though we deserve to perish forever in outer darkness, Christ will snatch us from our deserved fate and rescue us from our sins and shortcomings and bring us into His presence. We do not trust in ourselves, but we trust in Him who is mighty to save. He saves us from eternal death, not because we have earned it, but simply because He loves us. Christ's sole purpose in His magnificent life is to bring God's children into immortality and eternal life with Him. He has done, and will do, everything in His infinite power to accomplish His goal. All we have to do is choose to let Him do it for us. We just have to choose Christ and stop fighting Him, and He will set the Atonement to work in our lives, pour out His spirit upon us, teach us and tutor us, refine us through challenges and trials, and then bring us home. He does all the work, and we just have to submit, do our best, and be grateful.