Seminary: 10 1 Nephi 17-18

Background:  Lehi's sons and Zoram marry Ishmael's daughters, they found the Liahona, they left the borders of the Red Sea and went back into the wilderness following the guidance of the Liahona.  Nephi's bow broke and his brother's bows have lost their spring.  Nephi makes a new bow.  He is able to find food though it is sparse and there is not a lot to eat.  Ishmael dies and many in the party are murmuring due to these hardships.

Scenario

Let's say that you are forced to go on a long, hot trip.  Say from San Antonio to Phoenix (about 1000 mile each way).  You have nine people packed into a small car.  The car's air-conditioning unit is broke and all but one window will not roll down.  There is an infant in the car.  You have no food or money.

How do you think everyone would get along?

What are likely areas of contention?

What could you do personally to improve the situation?

1 Nephi 17:1-6

How long have they been traveling in the wilderness?

They had been traveling about eight years.

What were some of the afflictions that they mentioned?

They were in a hot and desolate area, there was not much food, the family did not get a long, their women were traveling pregnant and gave birth while in the wilderness.

How were they blessed during their travel?

The were blessed that the raw meat that they at was "made sweet".  They were blessed that their women were able to provide milk for their children while traveling in the wilderness.  Their children were made strong.  He said that there were many other blessings that were too numerous to write.

After they got to the land of Bountiful by the sea shore the Lord came to Nephi and commanded him to come up into the mountain.

1 Nephi 17:7-8

Why did the Lord command Nephi to go to the mountain?

In the days of Nephi the Lord would many times communicate with his subject in the tops of the mountains when a temple was not available.  Mountain tops were considered to be sacred places.  The Lord also gave Nephi a commandment to build a boat.

1 Nephi 17:9-11

How did Nephi respond to the Lord's commandment?

Even though Nephi had no knowledge how to build a boat, his response was to ask the Lord where he could go to make tools to do as the Lord asked.

What does this tell us about Nephi?

Nephi had complete faith in the Lord and that he could accomplish anything the Lord asked.  Because of that he knew that he could do it so his response was to ask where to find the ore to make the tools.

Additional Material

Book of Mormon Institute Manual, 39

"Why were Laman and Lemuel unable to understand the Lord's will, even after seeing an angel?  Why couldn't they receive a spiritual confirmation of their journey as their younger brother Nephi did? (1 Nephi 17:45).  President James E. Faust (1920-2007) of the First Presidency compared a person's worthiness of receiving the Spirit to receiving a signal on a cell phone:

"Cellular phones are used for much of the communication in our time.  Occasionally, however, we find dead spots where the signal coming to a cell phone fails.  This can happen when the cell phone user is in a tunnel or a canyon or when there is other interference.

"So it is with divine communication.  The still, small voice, though still and small, is very powerful.  It 'whispereth through and pierceth all things' [D&C 85:6]....Perhaps something in our lives prevents us from hearing the message because in our lives prevents us from hearing the message because we are 'past feeling' [1 Nephi 17:45].  We often put ourselves in spiritual dead spots-places and situations that block out divine messages.  some of these dead spots include anger, pornography, transgression, selfishness, and other situations that offend the Spirit (Ensign, May 2004, 67).

President Boyd K. Packer:

"The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear.  It is described as a 'still small voice' [D&C 85:6].  And while we speak of 'listening' to the whispering of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, 'I had a feeling....'

"Revelation comes as words we feel more than hear.  Nephi told his wayward brothers, who were visited by an angel, 'Ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words' (Ensign, November 1994, 60).

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin:

"I fear that some members of the Lord's Church 'live far beneath our privileges' with regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Some are distracted by the things of the world that block out the influences of the Holy Ghost, preventing them from recognizing spiritual promptings.  This is a noisy and busy world that we live in.  Remember that being busy is not necessarily being spiritual.  If we are not careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit.

"Some are spiritually deadened and past feeling because of their choices to commit sin.  Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above themselves and commune with the infinite.  If they would open their hearts to the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious new spiritual dimension would come to light.  Their eyes would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable.  They could know for themselves things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexplicable joy" (Ensign, May 2003).

For the Strength of Youth: Fulfilling Our Duty to God [2001], 20-21

"Choose carefully the music you listen to.  Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening.  Don't listen to music that drives away the Spirit, encourages immorality, glorifies violence, [or] uses foul or offensive language.....

"Dancing can be fun and can provide an opportunity to meet new people.  However, it too can be misused.  When dancing, avoid full body contact with your partner.  Do not use positions or moves that are suggestive or sexual behavior.  Plan and attend dances where dress, grooming, lighting, lyrics, and music contribute to a wholesome atmosphere where the Spirit of the Lord may be present."