Lehi's family is camped by the shore of the red sea, Ishmael's family is with them, Lehi had his dream and Nephi has received a vision that explained to him his father's dream.
1 Nephi 16:1-2
Why do people react differently to the teachings of the prophets?
Nephi said that he spoke hard things to the wicked, according to the truth, though the righteous he has justified. Only those that are no in line with the teachings of the prophets will find them hard and unbearable. For the righteous these teachings only confirm to them that what they are doing is right and that they will be blessed for it.
1 Nephi 16:3-5
What counsel did Nephi give his brothers to help them be more receptive to the Spirit?
Nephi counseled them to Keep the commandments, humble themselves before the Lord and hearken unto the truth. He did this so that they could "...walk uprightly before God." Or in other words that they my be righteous and not find the truth to be hard but confirming.
How can this counsel help you?
This counsel can help anyone that is desirous to be clean in the sight of the Lord. Anyone who does not want to find the truth to be hard. Anyone that desires to stand on the right hand of the Lord as one of his blessed and chosen children. Someone who desired to inherit all that the Lord has, to receive everlasting happiness and joy in his kingdom.
Elder Robert D. Hales counselled us:
"I have come to understand how useless it is to dwell on the whys, what ifs, and if onlys for which there likely will be given no answers in mortality. To receive the Lord's comfort, we must exercise faith. The questions Why me? Why out family? Why now? are usually unanswerable questions. These questions detract from our spirituality and can destroy our faith. We need to spend our time and energy building our faith by turning to the Lord and asking for strength to overcome the pains and trials of this world and to endure to the end for greater understanding" (Ensign, November 1998, 14-15).
What is a compass and how is it used?
A compass is a devised to help guide someone based upon where they are in relation to true north and where they want to go. It cannot really give direction. A person must use it and determine direction based upon the results of what the compass produces.
1 Nephi 16:9-10
What is the Liahona?
The Liahona was a device that "the Lord prepared" for the use of guiding his servants. The only ones that we are aware of that have used this or similar devices is Lehi's family though it is possible that others may have benefited from the same or similar devices. Lehi describes the Liahona as a "round ball of curious workmanship." It was made of brass and had two spindles. One was used to provide direction (we are never really told what the other was for). Later we find out that the Liahona works based upon faith. When the user has faith then it will point in the right way. If the user does not have faith then it will no longer function properly. We are also told that words can be displayed on it to provide instruction and counsel to the user.
How did the Liahona differ from a compass. A compass will always point in the same direction. The path that the user much go depends upon the user's interpretation of the results and where they want to go. They should already have a destination in mind in order to correctly use the compass. The Liahona on the other hand will only point in the direction that the Lord wants the user to go in assuming that the user has the faith to use it. If they do not then it will not work. The Lord is the one with the destination in mind and is the one directing the user where to go.
What do we have today that is like the Liahona?
We have the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We have the scriptures, living prophets, patriarchal blessings and so forth. Although all these things help to give us direction from the Lord the closed thing to the Liahona that we have today is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Our ability to be directed by it is dependent upon our faith, and our ability to listen to its promptings. He can give us instruction as well as direction. Also like the Liahona we can only get it from the Lord. It must be bestowed upon a person by someone who has the authority (priesthood) and permission to do so.
In times when we are in tough situations we must rely on the Lord's direction to help us know how we should act.
Ponder these scenarios:
- You have just been called to serve in the presidency of the priest's quorum. Your family is excited about your new responsibilities, but a disagreement emerges when they learn that you now have meetings on Sunday morning. Your parents also have Sunday morning meetings, and your family has depended on you to get your two little brothers ready and then drive all of your brothers and sisters to church.
- For years your whole family has enjoyed cheering for you at your soccer games. Changes in the league schedule have placed some games on Sunday. When you talk to your family, they are surprised that you are worried about playing on Sunday. All are in favor of continuing the family outings to the games. You decide to keep the Sabbath but now don't know how to tell your family.
- Times have been difficult for your family. Not only is your dad working two jobs, but your mother, your older brothers and sisters, and you have all been forced to take jobs too. On the way to your late-night job, a drunk driver speeds through a red light and hits your car. You survive without injuries, but your car is totaled. even though the accident was not your fault, your entire family is upset at you because they depended on the car. Even your dad loses his temper.
Nephi also ran in to tough situations.
What was Nephi's challenge in this passage?
Nephi was one of the primary gatherers of food for their little group. He owned a steel bow that he used for hunting. The area in which they were contained sparse amounts of food. One day his bow broke so that he was no longer able to hunt food. His brother's bows had lost their spring and the group was no unable to hunt for food. The group blamed the situation on Nephi even though it was beyond his control.
What was Nephi's response?
Nephi's response was to make a new bow and arrow, along with a backup weapon which was a sling. No one else in the group was showing any initiative to fix the situation. They just wanted to complain about why their situation was so bad.
How was his response different from his family's?
Nephi was faithful and looking for answers to their issues while everyone else did nothing but murmured.
Nephi then went to his father and asked him to ask the Lord on where he should go to find food for the family. By doing this he allowed his father to retain his leadership of the group as well as gave him an opportunity to humble himself before the Lord and repent of his murmuring.
When Lehi petitioned the Lord this is when they found out that the Liahona worked by faith they then learned a valuable lesson that if they hoped to reach the promised land that they must remain faithful.
Elder David A. Bednar compared the Liahona to the Spirit:
"The Liahona was prepared by the Lord and given to Lehi and his family after they left Jerusalem and were traveling in the wilderness. This compass or director pointed the way that Lehi and his caravan should go, even 'a straight course to the promised land'. The pointers in the Liahona operated 'according to the faith and diligence and heed' of the travelers and failed to work when family members were contentious, rude, slothful, or forgetful.
"The compass also provided a means whereby Lehi and his family could obtain greater 'understanding and his family could obtain greater 'understanding concerning the ways of the Lord'. Thus, the primary purposes of the Liahona were to provide both direction and instruction during a long and demanding journey. The director was a physical instrument that served as an outward indicator of their inner spiritual standing before God. It worked according to the principles of faith and diligence.
"Just as Lehi was blessed in ancient times, each of us in this day has been given a spiritual compass that can direct and instruct us during our mortal journey. The Holy Ghost was conferred upon you and me as we came out of the world and into the Savior's Church through baptism and confirmation.By the authority of the holy priesthood we were confirmed as members of the Church and admonished to seek for the constant companionship of 'the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeet him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you' (John 14:17).
"As we each press forward along the pathway of life, we receive direction from the Holy Ghost just as Lehi was directed through the Liahona. 'For behold, again I say the Holy ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do' (2 Nephi 32:5).
"The Holy Ghost operates in our lives precisely as the Liahona did for Lehi and his family, according to our faith and diligence and heed" (Ensign, May 2006, 30-31)
Additional Materials
President Ezra Taft Benson:
President Ezra Taft Benson:
"Some time ago, a young man came to my office requesting a blessing. He was about eighteen years of age and had some problems. There were no serious moral problems, but he was mixed up in his thinking and worried. He requested a blessing.Ensign February 2001, 79
"I said to him, 'Have you ever asked your father to give you a blessing? Your father is a member of the Church I assume?'
"He said, 'Yes, he is an elder, a rather inactive elder.'
"When I asked, 'Do you love your father?' he replied, 'Yes, Brother Benson, he is a good man. I live him.' He the said, 'He doesn't attend to his priesthood duties as he should. He doesn't go to church regularity, I don't know that he is a tithe payer, but he is a good man, a good provider, a kind man.'
"I said, 'How would you like to talk to him at an opportune time and ask him if he would be willing to give you a father's blessing?'
"'Oh,' he said, 'I think that would frighten him.'
"A few days later he came back. He said, 'Brother Benson, that's the sweetest thing that has happened in our family.' He could hardly control his feelings as he told me what had happened. He said, 'When the opportunity was right, I mentioned it to Father, and he replied, "Son, do you really want me to give you a blessing?" I told him, "Yes, Dad, I would like you to."' Then he said, 'Brother Benson, he gave me one of the most beautiful blessings you could ever ask for. Mother sat there crying all during the blessing. When he got through there was a bond of appreciation and gratitude and love between us that we have never had in our home'" (Ensign, November 1977, 31-32
"A group of Latter-day Saint researchers recently found evidence linking a site in Yemen, on the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula, to a name associated with Lehi's journey as recorded in the Book of Mormon.
"Warren Aston, Lynn Hilton, and Gregory Witt located a stone altar that professional archaeologists dated to at least 700 B.C. This altar contains an inscription confirming 'Nahom' as an actual place that existed in the peninsula before the time of Lehi"
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