Lesson 1: Commandments Come from God, not Men
In the first 5 verses of 1 Nephi 3, Lehi says to Nephi that it was the Lord commanding Lehi's sons to go and get the plates. Nephi understood and believed this, which is why he was willing to "go and do." Laman and Lemuel did not understand or believe; they thought Lehi was telling them what to do, which is why they murmured.
We are not so different. When we understand and believe that the word of wisdom is a commandment from God, we willingly obey without murmuring. When youth understand and believe that the standards and guidelines in For the Strength of Youth are actually from God (not from church leaders), their attitude becomes like that of Nephi. All of us want to do God's will and most of us are willing to sacrifice worldly pleasures to do His will; however, few of us are willing to sacrifice worldly pleasures to blindly do the will of ecclesiastical leaders.
Does it make sense then why gaining a testimony of the commandments (that they are from God and not man) is soooooo critically important? This testimony is what separates the Nephi's from the Laman's.
How does one gain a testimony of the commandments? Jesus taught: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:17). Jesus says to do His will in order to know it is His will - this is a pretty good test. I have done this and that is how I know that these commandments are from God. I would also suggest praying to our Heavenly Father and asking for Him to reveal the truth of these things to you. This should be combined with your efforts to do His will. Remember that by the power of the Holy Ghost you "may know the truth of all things."
Lesson 2: The Lord Is Pleased with Those Who Obey with a Willing Heart
In 1 Nephi 3:6, we read, "Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured." Why was Nephi going to be favored of the Lord? Because he was going to do the will of the Lord without murmuring. We have covenanted to be obedient, and we know we need to keep the commandments, but how is our attitude? Jesus taught, "If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15)." If we show our love through our obedience, then it should be obvious that willful, even cheerful, obedience more profoundly shows our love and appreciation to God. No wonder He is pleased with those who obey without murmuring!
Lesson 3: The Lord Only Gives Us Commandments We Can Keep
In 1 Nephi 3:7 we find a classic scripture where Nephi declares:
"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."Nephi testifies that we can trust God, that He will help us accomplish the things that He commands us. If you have ever struggled because of how difficult a commandment seems to be, you can be assured that God will give you the strength to keep His commandments. He will never set up one of His children for failure; rather, He makes sure we all have what we need to be successful.
Lesson 4: Sometimes We Can't Do It on Our Own
In the previous lesson, I mentioned that all of the commandments are possible to keep, which is true. However, sometimes we can't keep the commandment on our own no matter how hard we try (we need God's help). Lehi's sons learned this lesson when they followed God's commandment to go back to Jerusalem for the plates. First, Laman went and tried to convince Laban to give him the plates - Laban chased him off and tried to kill him. Next, all four brothers took gold, silver, and precious things to Laban to barter with him. Again, Laban chased them off and tried to kill them. It probably seemed to them that the task was impossible, and without God's help it probably was.
Nephi succeeded by trusting in God and faithfully following the Spirit. With God's divine help, he succeeded. He knew God would help him because, as we discussed in Lesson 3, God always prepares a way to accomplish His commandments.
Lesson 5: Trials Come Even When We Strive to Do God's Will
Put yourself in Laman's shoes. Although reluctantly, he decided to obey his father and go back to Jerusalem with his brothers. He likely doubted that the commandment came from God, but certainly if it did, then God would help them. I'm sure Nephi was repeatedly promising that God would help them succeed throughout the journey. So, with that he goes to talk to Laban who gets angry with him, calls him a thief, and tries to kill him. What did he do to deserve that treatment!? He was being obedient. This was probably one of the biggest trials he had faced in his life (and perhaps the most life-threatening and terrifying).
Next, his little brother who is so full of faith comes up with a marvelous plan that just has to work - they'll buy the plates from Laban by overpaying with all of their gold, silver, and precious things that were left at their house. There's no way Laban could turn down such wealth. Same result- they're chased off by the guards who want to kill them. I imagine Laman must have felt great despair at this point. Even if he had ever believed God had commanded this task, he now must have been certain they could not succeed. But he was trying to do as he was commanded!
I submit that sometimes when we are trying our hardest to do what's right, the most challenging of trials will come. This makes it even more important to trust in God and rely on his strength and divine help to get through the challenges, just as Nephi did.
Lesson 6: The Best Persuasion Is a Shared Vision
After Laman's near-death experience attempting to retrieve the plates, Nephi's brothers were ready to call it quits and head back. They were frightened, disappointed, angry, and I assume persuading them to give it another shot seemed unlikely. However, Nephi miraculously persuades them to stay and try a new tactic - exchanging their gold, silver, and precious things for the plates. How does he do it!?
The answer can be helpful for each of us when we have the difficult challenge of persuading someone to do something they do not wish to do. Nephi shared with them the greater vision that he had obtained for their assignment, and that vision was enough. He reminded them of Lehi's vision of the future destruction of Jerusalem for the wickedness of the people. He opened their eyes to the future of their own posterity without the plates: the loss of their language and the words of the prophets. As they began to understand the significance of their task, they were encouraged to give plan B a try.
Lesson 7: Miracles Don't Result in Lasting Conversion
"An angel of the Lord came and stood before [Nephi and his brothers], and he spake unto them." Then just two verses later: "And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur." What!?!? How do you see and hear and angel and then begin murmuring right afterwards!? Nephi asked his brothers this same question in 4:3, "an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt?" Certainly, the visitation of the angel was shocking, humbling, and impactful, but for some reason, these effects wore off very quickly.
Sometimes we may find ourselves thinking (or even praying) that that if we just had a sign from God then we would believe and never doubt again. It's human nature. Here we can learn a lesson from Laman and Lemuel - miracles don't lead to lasting conversion. They can lead to course corrections, repentance, and a plethora of other good things. For example, Paul or Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah. The miracles they experienced led to their repentance, eventual conversion, and powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ. True conversion is a gift from God that comes through sincere study, prayer, and righteous living.
Lesson 8: The Lord Is More Powerful than Any of Your Adversaries
Remember Paul's question, "If God be for us, then who can be against us?" Or when Elisha faced an overwhelming number of Syrians, he said, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." Nephi says in 4:1 that God "is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?" To illustrate his point, he reminds them of how God spoke through Moses to part the Red Sea.
Often our challenges and opposition seem daunting to us, and if we are relying on our own strength, they may be impossible to overcome. However, the Lord has promised to help the righteous overcome these challenges. It seemed impossible for Nephi and his brethren to retrieve the brass plates after what happened their first two attempts, yet with God's help, Nephi was able to succeed on the third attempt.
Lesson 9: Sometimes We Must Take a Step of Faith
On the third attempt to get the plates, Nephi writes in 4:6, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things that I should do. Nevertheless I went forth..." Wow! Not only would that be terrifying, considering Laban tried to kill them on the first two attempts, but how much faith does it take to do something so dangerous, relying on the Spirit to guide you? This is an excellent example of trusting in the Lord enough to go and obey without even knowing how you're going to achieve success. When we are on the Lord's errand and take a step of faith into the darkness, He never lets us fail.
Lesson 10: Nephi Is Still a Guy
Have you ever considered how much effort it must have taken to engrave the scriptures on metal plates? Yet despite the effort (which I'm sure was not small), Nephi devotes an entire verse to describing Laban's awesome sword. He talks about how he drew it from the sheath and then describes how sweet the hilt is and how cool the blade is. This description almost seems out of place until you realize that Nephi is a guy, and he probably couldn't help but share these details about the most awesome sword he's ever seen in his life! I don't blame him.
Lesson 11: Sometimes We Have to Do Hard Tasks, Even Those We Really Don't Want to Do
When Nephi found Laban, he was commanded by the Lord to slay him. He had never killed someone, had a solid understanding of the commandments and that it was wrong to kill, and as such, he did not want to kill Laban. This was probably an even bigger test of faith for Nephi than his previously being led by the Spirit not knowing beforehand what he should do. The Lord eased his doubt by helping him understand the purpose behind it, and ultimately Nephi passed the test and obeyed the Lord.
Lesson 12: Whatever the Lord Commands Is Right
It is easy to question, "how can the Lord command Nephi to murder when that's against the commandments and wrong?"We must keep a proper perspective to understand the lesson here. God is the one who gave the commandments initially; they are His. The most important commandments we have been given deal with life, the taking and creation of life. These are of utmost concern to God because of their importance and impact on the Plan of Salvation that He has for His children. However, sometimes God allows for the wicked to die in order to progress His work or for the sake of the righteous. It may also be for the sake of the wicked - God sees much more than we can. When Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea, God allowed the waters to rush down and kill an entire army. Why? Because that army needed to be destroyed in order for His people to escape and survive. Similarly, Laban had to die in order for Lehi's posterity to survive.
God chooses who lives and dies, not us. God could have smitten Laban himself, but he was also testing Nephi. Similarly, Abraham was also tested with a command to shed innocent blood even though an angel stopped him at the last moment. He also knew that whatever God commands is right.
Lesson 13: There's No Limit to the Miracles the Lord Can Perform for You
Not only is Nephi guided to Laban, but the Lord continues to perform miracles. Nephi comes across Laban's servant, Zoram, and fools him with his appearance (wearing Laban's clothing). Sure, it was dark, but even in faint light, it should be possible to recognize he wasn't Laban. Then Nephi speaks to Zoram with his best Laban impersonation, and that fools him too! Lastly, he convinces Zoram to come with him and leave the city of Jerusalem. It's obvious that the Lord had Nephi's back and was willing to perform whatever miracles it took to help Nephi accomplish the task that He had commanded.
Lesson 14: The Power of an Oath
I have always found it interesting how powerful an oath used to be. It used to be true that your word was your bond, but now it just seems old fashioned, almost silly. Nephi writes, "And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him." Today, if we live in such a way that our word is truly our bond, people will notice. A reputation for trustworthiness will take us a long way and contribute greatly to success in many aspects of our lives, especially since it is so rare today.
Lesson 15: Avoid Contention in Your Marriage
While Lehi's sons were gone seeking the plates in Jerusalem, their worried mother began to fear that they had been killed. Considering how Laban had twice tried to kill her sons, her fears are not surprising. Notwithstanding, she was wrong to question the Lord who had commanded Lehi to send their sons off to obtain the plates. She began to murmur and accuse Lehi for sending them off to their (in her mind) doom.
I'm impressed with how Lehi handles the attacks from his wife, especially since he knew that it was the Lord who had commanded it. He agrees with Sariah that he is a visionary man, and comforts her by expanding her vision and perspective regarding the visions that he had experienced from the Lord. He testifies to her that he knows that the Lord will protect their sons and see them safely home. He speaks to her with patience, love, and with the Spirit; this consoles Sariah and restores peace to their marriage. We could all learn from Lehi's example by being slower to anger, quicker to empathize and comfort, and more reliant on the Spirit.
Lesson 16: Express Gratitude
We've discussed the numerous miracles that the Lord performed to protect Lehi's sons and help them obtain the plates, which would benefit their posterity for the rest of time. Of course, Lehi and Sariah rejoiced when their sons returned, but more importantly they recognized the Lord's hand in their safe return and "did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel." They also showed their gratitude by how they treasured the word of God that was contained upon the plates.
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