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.