As I ponder this morning, prior to writing today’s post, I
can’t help but feel awestruck by everything that has happened in the past 1000
years. It seems overwhelming to consider the many interactions God has had with
his children since the year 1013. If I had access to the many spiritual interactions
people have had with God in the past 1000 years, and was asked to abridge the
most important ones into a single volume, how could I possibly pick the right
ones? What about 100 years? What about just my lifetime? How was Mormon able to
do it? Why did he choose to include the stories he did? Of importance in today’s
post, why did Nephi include the stories of his father’s life that he did? What
made them stand out over the others? In his own words he wrote:
16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things
which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he
also hath written many things which he prophesied and
spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account. 17
But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an abridgment of the
record of my father,
upon plates
which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the
record of my father
then will I make an account of mine own life.
We know that the Lord knew and prepared for the lost 116
pages, so why was Nephi inspired to write the things he did about his father’s
life? This is a topic I will be discussing multiple times throughout the coming
months.
Verse 18 seems to be where Lehi is called to be a prophet.
It is here that he begins to go among the people and tell them of the pending
destruction of their city. He testifies of the things that he has “seen and
heard.” The people are angry with him and “mocked him” because of the things he
had seen and heard. Verse 19 states that they were angry with him “yea, even as
with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain.”
I want to point out here that Jeremiah was THE prophet in
Jerusalem at this time. The people Lehi was prophesying to were members of “the
church.” They thought they were righteous, they thought they were obeying the
law of Moses. Why did the Lord send another prophet? Were the people not
listening to THE prophet? How would this happen today… among members of our
church? Would we listen to someone who wasn’t THE prophet? Would we mock the
things they said they “saw and heard?”
Would we be like the Jews and say “we’re fine!!! We’re righteous and
doing all the things we’re supposed to. I have 100% home teaching after all. I’m
the Elders quorum president… the Lord wouldn’t have called me to this calling
if I wasn’t righteous! Of course all is well in Zion?”
Nephi concludes his
thoughts here by stating something at the beginning of the book that is found
at the end… that he will “show us the tender mercies of the Lord.” Both the
first and last chapters of the Book of Mormon comment on the tender mercies of
the Lord.
“that ye would
remember how merciful
the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even
down until the time that ye shall receive these things,” Moroni 10:3
May we all remember the tender mercy of our Father!
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