1 Nephi 1:6-7

I find the next few verses of 1 Nephi quite interesting. Lehi went forth and “prayed unto the Lord… with all his heart.” And what was the subject of his prayer? “In behalf of his people.”  I think a great lesson is taught here. I have found myself at various times of my life spending a lot of time praying about myself and my family, but until a few years ago, very little praying for “my people.” Who were Lehi’s people and who exactly are my people?

I’ve determined that I have spent a lot of time in my life praying for myself. I’ve justified much of it because I have included “help me to keep the commandments better” and “help me to serve others” and “help me to be a better example;” probably all good things, but none the less selfish. I’ve learned from this scripture that I need to spend more time praying for others.

I am assuming that the state of the Jews in Jerusalem became a real concern to Lehi.  As mentioned in yesterday’s post, several years prior to him departing Jerusalem with his family, a puppet king was into place by Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem was already beginning to feel the pains of disobedience to God’s commandments.

What sins were the people guilty of?

¶Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 36:14

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, 8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: 12 For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. 16 And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 17:7-17

In what ways are we as individuals, as couple, as families, as wards and stakes, as nations, and as a church guilty of the same things? Something to ponder! If I am to pray for others, what would I pray for? Should we pray for the church as a whole, and all the way down to our own families that we will keep the covenants we have made, that we will put away our pride and vanity, that we will stop worshiping false gods (money, fame, celebrities, even church leaders, etc.)?  Do I care about others enough to pray with “all my heart” on their behalf?

What are the benefits or result of this type of prayer for others? We find the answer in 1 Nephi 1:6.

“And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.”

Using the footnotes again follow the footnotes to “pillar.” Every time a pillar of fire is used in the scriptures it is the Lord. Did the Lord appear to him here? I think he did.

As he was praying earnestly on behalf of others he received a revelation. Was Lehi a prophet yet? The scriptures give us no indication he was anything other than a normal man. This revelation was intended for nobody other than Lehi and his family.

We learn an important piece from verse 7; “And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem.”

Where did he return from? Where had he been praying? Was it at the temple? Was he on a mountain somewhere? We don’t really know other than it didn’t take place in his own home.

He lies down to rest on his bed, and as he does so a vision opens to him. We will talk about that vision in my next post.

I welcome your comments.