BLIND TRUST

 

Lehi’s sons’ return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass from Laban reads like ‘Arabian Nights’ does it not??? Perhaps no other story about Nephi brings to light his obedient character and blind trust he had in God. Much has been expounded upon regarding his immortalized words: “I will go and I will do as the Lord commands….”(1 Nephi 3:7). I would like to add to all the worthy comments about it, what I see in Nephi’s readiness to accept the assignment given:

1. Nephi had just come from ‘speaking with the Lord’ when his father approached him regarding the task of obtaining the brass plates (v 1,2). Would someone fresh from communion of prayer really turn around and say, no, I’m not doing that, even if God commands it!? The fact that Nephi communed with God, I would imagine, constantly, means that he had a relationship with God and was set up for obedience.

2. The next thing to consider is his reply to his father where he said, “I KNOW” that God wouldn’t command us to do anything without providing the way for us to do it (v 7). Knowing is more than believing. Knowing suggests experience. This tells me Nephi was proficient in his faith and trust in God before they even left Jerusalem.

This is, however, what impresses me most about Nephi’s success in obtaining the brass plates.  After a failed attempt and losing all their precious things to treacherous Laban, Nephi's brothers were more than ready to abandon the mission. But not Nephi. In his final attempt to rustle up some enthusiasm, Nephi used a surprisingly high standard of achievement to motivate his brothers to press on. He reminded them of the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and asked them to 'be strong like unto Moses'. He then assured them that the Lord is able to deliver them as He did the Israelites of old and to destroy Laban like He destroyed the Egyptians (1 Nephi 4:1-3). But his brothers were not convinced, in fact, they were even more discouraged (1 Nephi 4:4). You can just hear them saying: "This is ridiculous! How can you compare Moses leading 2 million Israelites out of Egypt to this dinky, arduous task we have received from our father?" But it wasn't ridiculous to Nephi. For Nephi getting the plates from Laban was akin to Moses crossing the Red Sea with 2 million people. Why? Because it was beyond his capacity but not beyond God's. And he knew if he couldn't achieve it, that meant that God would. Unlike his brothers who believed that parting the Red Sea was possible for God to do but not possible to deliver into their hands Laban and his fifty (1 Nephi 3:31). Quite a paradox.  Nephi didn't know how he was going to get those plates but he went anyway. The rest of the story we know.

When you are standing on some precipice of life facing something you have to do that is beyond your capacity to achieve, do not back down, only believe. Do not look to your left or to your right but forge straight ahead expecting the God of all might to intervene on your behalf. Nephi moved forward wading waist deep into his Red Sea until it parted. I am certain he never expected Laban to be dished up to him on a silver platter (1 Nephi 4:7,8). All he did was trust the spirit by which he was led (1 Nephi 4:6). The God of miracles did the rest. The God who cares, the God who wants to help us, at every turn, at every corner, on every bank of the Red Sea. To him no challenge is too big or too small. All that matters to you, matters to Him. He is at our front and at our back. When we call, shall He not answer and say, "Here I am" (Isaiah 58:9)? He is our forerunner who prepares the way and our rearward in case we should fall (D&C 49:27; Isaiah 52:12; 3 Nephi 21:29). Can you not rejoice and have hope when you hear:

"Fear thou not, I will help thee, for I am with thee…..I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight....for the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee…."   (Isaiah 41:10,13; 45:2; 54:10).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Trust In Jesus by Yongsung Kim)

THE CASE OF A REPUTATION

 

The return of Nephi and his brothers to Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates reads like "Arabian Nights". If you study the historical background of Jerusalem’s life 600 BC and the details of these boys’ undertaking, you cannot help but feel this.

There is something that stands out to me with great significance in this story. It’s the concept of character. When the lot fell to Laman to approach Laban about the records, he failed miserably. I wonder with what conviction Laman requested the records. Did he feel they were sacred and important enough to obtain? I doubt it as he and his brother Lemuel made it clear to their father they didn’t even want to make the journey (1 N 3:5). I wonder if Laman’s approach is what made Laban angry (1 N 3:13). He accused him of being a robber. Was it just Laman’s botched up request or did he have a bit of a bad reputation in Jerusalem that Laban knew about and felt that Laman couldn’t be trusted. One thing is certain, Laman did not have the right spirit to carry out this important task.

Now consider Nephi. Straight after the first attempt, his brothers were ready to leave the task undone. Nephi however remained true to his testimony that the Lord doesn’t give us a command for which he has not prepared a way for us to accomplish it (1 N 3:7). He immediately proved this to be true by pointing out that their father had left all their riches behind in Jerusalem which they could use as payment for the plates (1 N 3:16). So convinced he was that his father was being led by the spirit of God that he considered the possibility that Lehi was inspired to leave all their worldly goods intact for this very purpose.

Nephi knew the command to obtain the plates was from God and not his father. He also knew that God never fails and so it was out of the question for the plates not to be obtained (1 N 4:1,2). This speaks volumes of Nephi’s conviction of God’s power. The mission could not fail and the plates had to be secured even to the point of death and this proved to be true as he slew Laban in the process (1 N 4:18).

My point is this. In our dealings with our fellowmen, do they recognise the divine in us? Do we have a trustworthy reputation? Is our character godly enough that it overshadows our mortal selves? When we speak of spiritual things, do people believe that we are led by the spirit of revelation? When we consider our mandate to bring people unto Christ, all these things come into play. We cannot bring others to the foot of the cross if we are not there ourselves.

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  Cathryne Allen

(Art: He Is The Way by Danny Hahlbohm)

NEPHI ON THE BANKS OF THE RED SEA

You will recall how Lehi had another one of his dreams, this time on the banks of the Red Sea, in which he was commanded to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from a man called Laban. After a failed attempt and losing all their precious things in the process thereof, Nephi's brothers were more than ready to abandon the mission. But not Nephi. In his final attempt to rustle up some enthusiasm, Nephi used a surprisingly high standard of achievement to motivate his brothers to press on. He reminded them of the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and asked them to 'be strong like unto Moses'. He then assured them that the Lord is able to deliver them as He did the Israelites of old and to destroy Laban like He destroyed the Egyptians (1 Nephi 4:1-3). But his brothers were not convinced, in fact, they were even more discouraged (1 Nephi 4:4). You can just hear them saying: "This is ridiculous! How can you compare Moses leading 2 million Israelites out of Egypt to this dinky, arduous task we have received from our father?" But it wasn't ridiculous to Nephi. For Nephi getting the plates from Laban was akin to Moses crossing the Red Sea with 2 million people. Why? Because it was beyond his capacity but not beyond God's. And he knew if he couldn't achieve it, that meant that God would. Unlike his brothers who believed that parting the Red Sea was possible for God to do but not possible to deliver into their hands Laban and his fifty (1 Nephi 3:31). Quite a paradox.  Nephi didn't know how he was going to get those plates but he went anyway. The rest of the story we know.

It is the start of a new year. Everyone is setting New Year Resolutions. The statistics to this end are bleak. One study revealed out of 159 people followed, 29% gave up just two weeks into the new year; at 1 month mark, 36%,  and six months into the year, 54% were no longer on course. Is there something dear to your heart that keeps popping up on your list, the achievement of which has eluded you thus far? Something that is crucial to your spiritual or temporal wellbeing? Something akin to some ancient brass plates?

When you are standing on some precipice of life facing something that is beyond your capacity to achieve, do not back down, only believe. Do not look to your left or to your right but forge straight ahead expecting the God of all might to intervene on your behalf. Nephi moved forward wading waist deep into his Red Sea until it parted. I am certain he never expected Laban to be dished up to him on a silver platter (1 Nephi 4:7,8). All he did was trust the spirit by which he was led (1 Nephi 4:6). The God of miracles did the rest. The God who cares, the God who wants to help us, at every turn, at every corner, on every bank of the Red Sea. To him no challenge is too big or too small. All that matters to you, matters to Him. He is at our front and at our back. When we call, shall He not answer and say, "Here I am" (Isaiah 58:9)? He is our forerunner who prepares the way and our rearward in case we should fall (D&C 49:27; Isaiah 52:12; 3 Nephi 21:29). Can you not rejoice and have hope when you hear:

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee....I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight...for I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.....Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no fathoming of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint."
(Isaiah 41:13; 45:2; 54:10; 40:28-31).

- Cathryne Allen