Tag: 1 Nephi

Nephi talks about the fullness of his intent and it makes me think about the fullness of my intent. How would I articulate my core purpose? With Laman and Lemuel chafing against being led by Lehi or Nephi, Nephi responds by saying “do what you want, but the result of not following us won’t be…

Everything Nephi did to obtain the plates from Laban was logical in the moment except having Susan follow him after getting the plates. In hindsight that was a good move and with foresight it was logical but I’m the heat of the moment it would have seemed safer to let Zoram go about his business…

I’m struck by the fact that even at this early stage Nephi was able to recognize the value of the brass plates. He recognized that they could keep their posterity informed of their language and of the prophecies of prophets throughout history. (This was before he had the vision about his posterity.) His vision—informed by…

I don’t think it was news to Lehi when the Lord said that the people sought to take away his life. He probably knew but thought some combination of: 1) the Lord would protect him, 2) he had been called to testify to them, or 3) he didn’t want to abandon Jerusalem. The Lord acknowledged…

The value in Christmas isn’t in the virgin birth, nor in the witness of the shepherds or the wise men. Those were signs, but the value was in the mortal life that began with that birth. The Christmas story is the mortal birth of the son of God and the covenants he made and kept,…

It is easy to see why the Lord chose Nephi because he was different in seeking and being obedient. What is less obvious is why Laman and Lemuel would choose to ask questions of Nephi despite the fact that they changed under his leadership and didn’t want to follow the Lord regardless of whether the…

The message from the Lord to Israel is clear: “for the sake of the covenant I will extend my patience and continue to invite you to return and receive the files of the promised blessings.” Covenants give us more responsibility but they also increase the lengths that the Lord will go to in order to…

Even when we are on the right track it is presumptuous to assume that we know all that the Lord will ask of us. Neigh was given a command to make plates and keep a record so he did, not knowing that he would later be called upon to make a second record. The lesson…

According to the words of Lehi men did not become free when they partook of the fruit to know good and evil—that was the fall—rather, they became free when they were redeemed from the fall through the Atonement of Christ. At that point they had a knowledge of God and evil which they had previously…