Day Twenty-Nine

1 Nephi 5:5-8

1 Nephi 5:

5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.

6 And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfortmy mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.

7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.

8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

Sariah, the wife of Lehi, had the wrenching experience of leaving their home and their possessions to travel in the wilderness. We are not told of the trials she may have experienced; but going on foot, living in tents, and cooking over an open fire could have been devastating after their comfortable life in Jerusalem. We do read of her anguished waiting when she feared her beloved sons had perished in their return to obtain the plates. (See 1 Ne. 5:2.) But in spite of troubles, she did love and serve her family. With the return of her sons, she knew of a certainty that the Lord had commanded her husband to flee into the wilderness, and in their safe return she found the assurance that the Lord was with them. (See 1 Ne. 5:8.) Their circumstances did not change; they still slept in tents. But she had joy and comfort in the knowledge that the Lord was guiding them. In that light she could carry on and meet further difficulties as they came.

For each of us, whatever our knowledge of the gospel, can continue to learn.The fulness of blessings comes as we ad. But learning is just the beginning. The fulness of blessings comes as we adopt the principles and live our lives by them. When we make them our way, when we live the principles, we are promised that they will be a light unto us. As we come to know that light, it will lead us through the midst of darkness, and as we begin to bring that light into our homes, it can become a beacon to our children, and to their children, and to theirs.

May we press on, with a perfect brightness of hope, overcome our problems, and enjoy the love of God and of all men, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Barbara B. Smith, Application of Welfare Principles in the Home: A Key to Many Family Problems, OCT 1982

Day Twenty - Eight - Chapter 5 Begins

1 Nephi 5:1-4

1 Nephi 5:

 1 And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.

Sisters, we are the covenant people, blessed to live on the earth when we can prepare in earnest for the second coming of our Savior. I pray that we will daily rejoice in being alive now when we can covenant through baptism and in the house of the Lord. I feel as Nephi expressed, “My soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord … ; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and in his justice, and power, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.” (2 Ne. 11:5.) To be a woman of covenant is a sacred and holy calling. Our covenants should ennoble us, serving as inspiration and incentive. A deepened understanding of our covenants lifts our vision to the loftier vistas awaiting us. As we are “true followers of … Jesus Christ,” we can become the daughters of God, “that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (Moro. 7:48.)

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.

Elaine L. Jack, Look Up and Press on, April 1992

1 Nephi 5:

2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

Life does present problems, and although the gospel provides a means for finding answers, the resolutions do not always come quickly. There are, however, desirable strengths we develop by striving against difficulties. It is often when struggling to the very extremity of our power that we come to know that our Father in Heaven is close.

Sariah, the wife of Lehi, had the wrenching experience of leaving their home and their possessions to travel in the wilderness. We are not told of the trials she may have experienced; but going on foot, living in tents, and cooking over an open fire could have been devastating after their comfortable life in Jerusalem. We do read of her anguished waiting when she feared her beloved sons had perished in their return to obtain the plates. (See 1 Ne. 5:2.) But in spite of troubles, she did love and serve her family. With the return of her sons, she knew of a certainty that the Lord had commanded her husband to flee into the wilderness, and in their safe return she found the assurance that the Lord was with them.

Barbara B. Smith, Application of Welfare Principles in the Home: A Key to Many Family Problems, OCT 1982

1 Nephi 5:

3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

How precious are the souls of men!14 The female part of the community are apt to be contracted in their views. You must not be contracted, but you must be liberal in your feelings. Let this Society teach women how to behave towards their husbands,15 to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble, when he is perplexed with care and difficulty, if he can meet a smile instead of an argument or a murmur16—if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings; when the mind is going to despair, it needs a solace17 of affection and kindness.

http://scriptures.byu.edu/stpjs.html#228

1 Nephi 5:

4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.

 It is the privilege of every Elder7 to speak of the things of God;8 

http://scriptures.byu.edu/stpjs.html#9

Day Sixteen

1 Nephi 3:17-20

1 Nephi 3:17

17 For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.

I testify that throughout the ages God has spoken to His children through His prophets. (See Amos 3:7; Hel. 8:13–20.) Only when His children rejected the prophets were the prophets taken out of their midst, and then tragedy followed. (See 1 Ne. 3:17–18; 1 Ne. 7:14; Hel. 13:24–27.)

President Benson, I Testify, October 1988

1 Nephi 3:18

18 For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

The Kingdom of God

Some say the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost,3 and that John did not preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.4 But I say, in the name of the Lord,5 that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam6 to the present time, whenever there has been a righteous man7 on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name.8 And where there is a priest of God9—a minister who has power and authority from God to administer10 in the ordinances of the gospel11 and officiate in the priesthood12 of God—there is the kingdom of God.13 And, in consequence of rejecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ14 and the Prophets whom God hath sent,15 the judgments of God16 have rested upon people, cities, and nations, in various ages of the world, which was the case with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,17 that were destroyed for rejecting the Prophets.18

Click here to search for this reference under 1 Nephi 3:18

1 Nephi 3:19

19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

Press Forward and Be Steadfast

On a pier in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a bronze statue of a young woman named Kristina. Kristina stands looking out to sea toward her goal to join the Saints in Zion. The wind is blowing against her fiercely, but she does not look back. She is steadfast as she presses forward doing a very hard thing, but one she knows to be right. I love that statue, for to me Kristina represents my own Danish great-great-grandmother who chose to join the Church amid great resistance. I am grateful for her courage and testimony. On her choice that day rested not only my eternal destiny but also the destiny of generations.

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi tells us that we can “press forward” (2 Ne. 31:20). He says we not only can but must. Perhaps Nephi, like Kristina, could see that the steadfast choices of one individual affect generations. When Nephi’s father sent him back to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of Laban, Nephi said, “Behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers” (1 Ne. 3:19; emphasis added). Nephi was thinking of his future family, even though he had no prospect for marriage. Remember, his family was alone in the wilderness! Nephi not only had a vision of how to return to his heavenly home, but he also had a vision of what he wanted in his earthly home.

The Savior will help you see and understand the vision He has for you. You are His beloved daughters. He knows you personally and has a plan for your life. He has promised that as you live worthily, His Spirit will always be with you.

Just as the wind blew fiercely in the opposite direction Kristina faced on that pier in Denmark, each of you will experience resistance from worldly forces. “Pressing forward” implies resistance. The scripture doesn’t say walk forward, or move forward, or simply proceed forward. It says to press forward! In order to do this, you must have a vision of where you are going. The Holy Ghost will help you remain steadfast, and your testimony of the Savior will help you proceed with a perfect brightness of hope.

Elaine S. Dalton, "Press Forward and Be Steadfast", April 2003

1 Nephi 3:20

20 And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

I speak to those who have never read the Book of Mormon. This includes many members who have started to read it several times, but, for one reason or another, have never finished it.

My message may help those as well who have read the Book of Mormon once but have not returned to it.

I have chosen as a title “The Things of My Soul.”

Perhaps no other book has been denounced so vigorously by those who have never read it as has the Book of Mormon.

Because of that, I hope to introduce the book in such a way that, in case you decide to read it, you will know beforehand what awaits you.

Except for the Bible, the Book of Mormon is different from any book you have read. It is not a novel. It is not fiction. For the most part, it is not difficult to read. However, like all books of profound value, it is not casual reading. But if you persist, I assure you that it will be the most rewarding book you have ever set your mind to read.

The Book of Mormon is not biographical, for not one character is fully drawn. Nor, in a strict sense, is it a history.

While it chronicles a people for 1,021 years and has the record of an earlier people, it is in fact not a history of those people. It is the saga of a message, a testament. As the influence of that message is traced from generation to generation, more than twenty writers record the fate of individuals and of civilizations who accepted or rejected that testament.

The saga began in Jerusalem six hundred years before Christ. King Zedekiah ruled the doomed kingdom of Judah.

The prophet Lehi was warned in a dream to take his family and leave Jerusalem before that destruction which soon was to be recorded by the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. (See Jer. 44:1–8.)

Lehi was commanded of the Lord to obtain and take with them a record of their people. It is with that record, the brass plates of Laban, that the saga of the Book of Mormon began.

Lehi’s son Nephi obtained the record for his father and said, “It is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children thelanguage of our fathers.” (1 Ne. 3:19; italics added.)

They found that the record contained:

• • 
  “The five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents.” (1 Ne. 5:11.)
• • 
  And “the words … of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God.” (1 Ne. 3:20; italics added.)
• • 
  “And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah”;
• • 
  And “a genealogy of [Lehi’s] fathers.” (1 Ne. 5:12, 14.)

Lehi’s little band left Jerusalem with the record. In time, they were separated from their homeland by an ocean. But they had that precious spiritual record.

A later prophet, Benjamin, said of this record:

“Were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have hiscommandments, … [we] would have dwindled in unbelief.” (Mosiah 1:5; italics added.)

Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Things of My Soul, April 1986