Of the many great truths we learn by studying the life of Nephi, there are a few that have become my favorites. Even the first words we read about Nephi are impressive. “…and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days.” (See 1 Nephi 1:1) Here are a few of my favorites.
1. Nephi had to endure many trials. What were some of the trials that he experienced? He was nearly murdered on five separate occasions. Four times by his own brothers and once by Laban. Nephi lived on a near starvation diet for 8 years in the desert and struggled across 2,500 miles of wilderness. He built a ship with opposition and ridicule from his brothers, set up two civilizations, and had to engage in hand-to-hand combat to defend his city. It’s no wonder that he said he had seen many infliction’s.
How do the trials of Nephi compare to the trials we experience in our lives? The trials and afflictions we endure in our lives are different but not necessarily any less severe or difficult to endure. Many of us experience severe trials in our lives and sometimes they are heaped upon us so rapidly that we feel like everything is crashing down upon us. I’m sure that many of us have felt at times very similar to what Nephi felt.
The afflictions that Nephi experienced don’t impress me nearly as much as the second part of that sentence. What impresses me more is, “…nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days.” Nevertheless!
Even though Nephi had seen many trials in his life he still felt highly favored of the Lord. Do we recognize the great blessings we receive from the Lord in spite of our trials? Sometimes it is easy to center our attention and our prayers on our pain, but often we can ease that pain by centering our attention and prayers on recognizing our blessings.
2. “And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee…” (1 Nephi 17:8)
Nephi’s response could have been “I have no tools” or “I don’t know how to build a ship” or “This is too hard for me.” But instead of complaining, what was Nephi’s immediate reply? He wanted to get right to work. Nephi asked the Lord where he could go to get the materials to build tools?
How can this principle apply to our home and visiting teaching assignments? Is our response to our assignments, “I’m too busy, Lord”, or “I don’t know how, Lord”, or “No one has told me what to do, Lord”. Using Nephi as an example, our response could be, “What should I teach to my families this month, Lord,” or “How do I reach this struggling family or sister, Lord?”
3. When Nephi sneaked back into Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass he relied on the Spirit to guide him. (See 1 Nephi 4:6) Can we apply this to our lives? As home or visiting teachers do we rely on the Spirit to lead us in the way we should perform our assignment. When we are in our families’ homes, do we ask the right questions? Do we inquire about the welfare of the family? Do we listen to the Spirit while we are in the homes of our families? I remember one time being prompted to share a very personal experience with a sister who was really struggling and had a very difficult decision to make. I was scared to death to share this experience as my companion had not heard this story and it was embarrassing to share. I really didn’t want to say anything even though I knew it would comfort this struggling sister and help her to make the right decision. But the Spirit prevailed and I shared a very personal experience in my life. When I was finished, all of us were in tears and this sister looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you.” I knew that I did what the Lord wanted me to do even though it was emotionally painful for me.
There are so many more truths that can be learned by studying the life of Nephi. I think most of us are aware of these truths, our challenge is to find ways to apply them to the real world circumstances of today.
Posted by John in Feature Articles