Read: 1 Nephi 15-16
Mark: 1 Nephi 15:23-24
"If there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, when men and women and youth and young adults are desperately seeking for answers to the problems which afflict mankind, it is an 'iron rod' as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life." --President Harold B. Lee
To ponder:
How can you 'hold fast' to the iron rod?
There is so much 'meat' in these two chapters! The things that stand out to me are many: Lehi murmurs....this makes me sad but I can definitely understand, they had been through an incredible amount of struggle and now they were also hungry. The Liahona was given to them and led them so long as they were faithful in keeping the Lord's commandments. It is then said: "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." I read that these small 'pointers' (things" in our life are prayer, scripture study and obedience--and I know that these 'small things' do bring about great things. I love that when Nephi's bow broke and everyone was murmuring and angry, Nephi got up and did something: He made a new bow and arrow. He then went to his father and asked for his direction, showing such great respect for his father. He was then led and directed to find plenty of food for his family. And, I love that in 1 Nephi 15:24, we are given such an incredible promise that if we will hearken unto the word of God, hold fast unto it, we will never perish and we will have protection from Satan. Love this scripture!
ReplyDeleteI love your thought! And I'm so glad you mentioned that Nephi took action and asked his father, who was still patriarch and a prophet of God, where he should go. It did indeed show his respect both for Lehi's authority as a father and leader. I do understand why Lehi would murmur. Nephi's bow was good quality, and the least God could do for sending them away from their homes and into the wilderness is to keep their equipment functioning, right? I'm sure that's how he felt. It's depressing when you feel like you've done everything correctly and things still don't work out. But God has a reason for everything, even if we don't know it. I'm not exactly sure what this particular trial was meant for, but I'm sure Lehi learned a lot from the experience (if nothing else, maybe sympathy for his murmuring sons?).
DeleteI love what Nephi told his brothers that the word of God is the iron rod and the if we feast upon it and I think that he means reading it, studying it, ponder it, praying about it, and applying in our daily lives, like when Corey was in the hospital when I would start letting myself doubt, I would read or hear something that would remind me that I needed to hold to the promise given to Corey in one of his blessings that he stills has work to do upon the earth and I would be able to go on
DeleteRegina, what a wonderful example of likening the scriptures to our lives!
DeleteIt amazes me how easily swayed Laman and Lemuel are. They go back and forth so constantly as to whether their sorry or trying to kill Nephi. I mean, man! But I've always thought a lot about the very first verses in chapter 16: "Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able the bear... wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center."
ReplyDeleteI think Laman and Lemuel struggled with many of the same things a lot of people struggle with today. They didn't really WANT to do any of the things commanded them, and although the DID follow, their hearts were never in it. I think they felt the family pressure and probably also a fear of what their fate might be in Jerusalem if they stayed. But acting in fear instead of faith makes a big difference in outcome. It makes me question my own convictions and whether I'm doing the right things out of fear for negative consequences or because I love God and have faith in his eternal plan.
I feel that I can hold onto the rod by obeying the commandments, praying faithfully, sharing the gospel, helping others and the hardest one, having no ill will towards your fellow man (be forgiving). I always have to pray for strength on that one!
ReplyDeleteI loved all of your comments!
I can relate to Laman and Lemuel a bit in these versus. I think everyone takes the truth to be hard when people are calling out your weaknesses and prophesying a wicked future for your posterity. I would take that hard too! I also wouldn't totally blame them for wondering "what's the point" because they get told over and over again that they ate wicked and that their posterity will be too. Of course, a truly humble person, a person trying to improve his or herself would take any truth and figure out how to learn and grow from it.
ReplyDeleteNear the end if the chapter Nephi mentions that the love of God is the greatest gift. It is also the greatest gift to seek after. He gives it so willingly and we often ignore it. Imagine how we each would be different if our only desire was to seek after his love?? Imagine the blessings that would reign down!
It amazes me how much the family complains when Nephi breaks his bow. There was for other than meat to be had. Surely they had tools to hunt with too or could assist in some way. They added to the problem by eating energy and time. Nephi became the solution. I have to ask myself when problems arise if I'm sing to the problem and how can I become the solution.