Day Eight

Better Late than never, today was one of those days that it seemed like I would never get my scripture study in. 

1 Nephi 2:5-8

1 Nephi 2: 5

5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.

But we will pass over this and will say a few words in regard to the object of this great work. The Lord has brought forth the Book of Mormon in order that all the nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples on the face of the earth may be warned of the great events which are about to take place. This book contains prophecies which affect every nation under Heaven, prophecies that will be fulfilled on their heads. Can we read the future of this great American nation—or great republic? Yes, we can learn a great many features within its pages concerning this nation and government that we never should have learned without its aid or the spirit of revelation. From it we learn that two great and powerful nations formerly dwelt on this continent. One nation, or rather the colony which founded it, came from the Tower of Babel soon after the days of the Flood. They

 Ether 1:33

 colonized what we call North America, landing on the western coast, a little south of the Gulf of California, in the southwestern part of this north wing of our continent. They flourished some sixteen hundred years. When they first colonized this continent from the Tower of Babel, the Lord told them if they would not serve Him faithfully, but became ripe in iniquity, they should be cut off from the face of the land. That

 Ether 2:8-9

 was fulfilled about six hundred years before Christ, when they were entirely swept off, and in their stead the Lord brought a remnant of Israel, a few families, not the ten tribes, but a small portion of the tribe of Joseph. He brought them from Jerusalem first down to the Red Sea. They

 1 Ne. 2:5

 traveled along the eastern borders of the Red Sea for many days, and then bore off in an eastern direction which 

[p. 129b]

brought them to the Arabian Gulf. There they were commanded of the Lord to build a vessel. They went aboard of this vessel and were brought by the special providence of God across the great Indian and Pacific Oceans, and landed on the western coast of South America. This was about five hundred and eighty years before the coming of Christ. Eleven years after the Lord brought this first colony of Israelites from Jerusalem, He brought another small colony, headed by one of the sons of Zedekiah, a descendant of King David. They left Jerusalem the same year that the Jews were carried away captive into Babylon, were

 Omni 1:15

 brought forth to this continent and landed somewhere north of the Isthmus. They wended their way into the northern part of South America. About four hundred years after this the two colonies amalgamated in the northern part of South America and they became one nation.

The Latter-Day Kingdom of God—Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon—External Testimony.

Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, delivered in The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 10, 1870.

Reported By: David W. Evans.

1 Nephi 2: 6

6 And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a valley by the side of a river of water.

The prophet Lehi, having been warned of Jerusalem’s destruction, took his family and a few others and departed this sacred city. After three days in the wilderness they camped in a valley by the side of a river (see 1 Ne. 2:6) that flowed and emptied into the Red Sea. En route Lehi experienced serious problems with his two elder rebellious sons. As he considered the running stream, he was impressed to say to his eldest son, Laman: “O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!” (1 Ne. 2:9.)

Many rivers have their beginning from springs of pure, crystal-clear water gushing forth from a mountainside. As the water wends its way to the sea, there are side tributaries that join the main stream. Some of these tributaries are polluted and contaminate the main stream, which started pure at its source. By the time the river reaches the sea, pollution has occurred in the body of the stream.

How much like life this symbolic representation is! The Lord has revealed that “every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.” (D&C 93:38.) With this statement in mind, we can understand why the Savior said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18:3.)

Elder Delbert L. Stapley, "Our Responsibility: To Save the World Dec 1971

1 Nephi 2: 7

7 And it came to pass that he built an altar of stones, and made anoffering unto the Lord, and gave thanks unto the Lord our God.

In this quest for the best in us, we are like Sariah, who, with Lehi and their family, left Jerusalem at the Lord’s command. We stand with our “family, and provisions” (1 Ne. 2:4), and we travel through the wilderness. We give “thanks unto the Lord our God.” (1 Ne. 2:7.) Sometimes we grieve because of the hardened hearts of those we love. Some moments we are “filled with joy, and … exceedingly glad.” (1 Ne. 5:1.) At other times we “exhort … with all the feeling of a tender parent” (1 Ne. 8:37), whether we are physical mothers or not. We toil. We encounter conflicts. We strive for faith. We “[suffer] all things.” (1 Ne. 17:20.) Yet, like Sariah, we keep moving towards exaltation, the ultimate promised land.

Sister Elaine L. Jack, "Look up and Press On", April 1992

1 Nephi 2: 8

8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.

No Specific Reference