For My Profit and Learning

Nephi recounts the process of building a ship and sailing to the promised land; he emphasizes that he received specific instructions from the Lord: " Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men" ( 1 Nephi 18:2 ). While there are few details about the ship Nephi built, it is clear that the instructions Nephi received ran counter to shipbuilding conventions of his time. As far as we know, Nephi had no experience in shipbuilding. But Nephi was confident in his design because of the source of the instructions. " And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did   pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord   showed   unto me   great  things" ( 1 Nephi 18:3 ). Occasionally, the instructions we receive from God will not align with the conventional wisdom,...

Nephi is given the daunting task of constructing a ship to carry his family across the ocean. Like Nephi, the Lord asks us to do things that are beyond our current knowledge and ability with a promise that he will help us: "And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them ( 1 Nephi 17:3 ) From the experience of Nephi and his family, we can also see that the Lord grants us joy in our trials and certainty in his direction when we follow his commandments. When Nephi and his family reached the seashore, a brief respite before crossing the ocean, they enjoyed the break and celebrated their progress: "Notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its m...

In chapter 16 Lehi and his family have cause to murmur or complain against the Lord due to the trials they experienced: challenging teachings from the Lord, economic hardship, and the death of a family member. Chapter 16 illustrates the pattern of trials, complaining, chastisement, and humility that led them to repentance.  "For they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul." Hard Things As Nephi shared his vision with his brothers, he taught them about the final judgement, the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked ( 1 Nephi 15:31-36 ). These teachings struck a chord with his brothers who responded, "Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear" ( 1 Nephi 16:1 ). Nephi explained that these teaching were only difficult for them to accept because of their personal feelings of guilt and the disconnect between these teachings and their own [beli...

After seeing the things which his father had seen in a vision, Nephi explains the dream to his brothers Laman and Lemuel. Before he was able to do so, though, he first sought and received emotional and spiritual strength to deal with his person grief and sadness. "And it came to pass that after I had received strength I spake unto my brethren" ( 1 Nephi 15:6 ). Lehi and Nephi had different reactions to seeing the destruction of their people in vision. After Lehi was shown the destruction of Jerusalem he exclaimed, " Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!" ( 1 Nephi 1:14 ). He rejoiced in the mercy that would be shown to the righteous despite the destruction of the wicked.  Nephi, on the other hand, was deeply trou...

In chapter 14, Nephi is shown the events of the last days, likely to include the Revelation of John ( 1 Nephi 14:18-27 ). But before the angel revealed "wars and rumors of wars among all the nations" and things "concerning the end of the world" the angel asked "Rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel?" ( 1 Nephi 14:8 ).   (To learn more about the seed of Abraham (Hebrews), the House of Israel (Israelites), and the Tribe of Judah (Jews), see Daniel Ludlow's article, Of the House of Israel in the January 1991 Ensign.) The angel is drawing a clear and important connection between the chaos and turmoil of the last days, and the eventual victory of good over evil wrought by the Savior. Like Nephi, when we think about the war, natural disaster, and political conflict that define our time, we are invited first to consider and bear in mind the great work and power of God, and the things that he will do through is covenant...

As part of his vision, Nephi sees the Medieval Period , the Age of Discovery , and the American Revolution . Nephi is shown these historical events to illustrate the role that the Gentiles (those of non-Jewish descent) would play in preserving and spreading the Bible, restoring the Gospel, and bringing Nephi's posterity back to a knowledge of Christ. Why did the Lord go to such lengths to show Nephi these things? Why is it so important that we have and know these things today? It is important for me to understand the gospel and my life in the context of the grand arc of human history. Knowing about and believing in the eventual victory of good over evil holds despair at bay and provides the hope I need to make righteous decisions today, even when personal and global circumstances feel daunting or overwhelming. Getting a glimpse of the complexity of the work that God is doing with His children on earth and the diversity of those children also gives me space to tolerate, accep...

Nephi sees Christ's ministry among the people of the American continent, a brief period of righteousness, and the eventual downfall and destruction of his people. This revelation is intertwined with the symbols of Lehi's vision and how they apply to Nephi's posterity. His people are destroyed " because of the pride of my seed, and the temptations of the devil" (1 Nephi 11:19).  Later (in chapters 13 and 14) Nephi also sees the restoration of the Gospel and redemption of his people, but this portion of the vision must have been bleak and filled with sorrow.  Nephi saw a "fountain of filthy water; ... and the depths thereof are the depths of hell," "the mists of darkness [which] are the temptations of the devil," and "the large and spacious building, which is vain imaginations and the pride of the children of men" (1 Nephi 12:16-18). He describes in detail how the mists of darkness, or the temptations of the d...

In chapter 11, Nephi seeks spiritual knowledge for himself and learns about God's love.  "For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord" (1 Nephi 11:1). When we desire to know something, believe the Lord can tell us, and give serious thought to our questions, the Lord will answer us by the power of the Holy Ghost. Nephi saw the Spirit of the Lord and the things his father Lehi saw. I love Nephi's expression of humility in the course of receiving this vision: "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17). While admittedly taken out of context, this phrase is one of the foundational principles of my testimony. While there are many aspects of my knowledge and testimony that have room to grow, I always come ba...