1 Nephi 2:1-5

Once again we learn that Lehi has another dream where the Lord speaks to him. In this dream the Lord blesses Lehi for being obedient to the things the Lord asked him to do. Doing what the Lord asked him to do made him very unpopular and hated amongst the people of Jerusalem… to the point that they wanted to kill him. I ask again, how would we respond as members of the church today by someone other than THE prophet coming to us and telling us to repent; especially if it was based on his claiming revelation? If the Book of Mormon is written for our day, and I believe it is, why did the Lord include this? Will it happen again in our day?

Lehi is commanded in a dream to take his family into the wilderness. How do we respond when we receive dreams? What if Lehi had simply said “Sariah, I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamed that I was supposed to leave all of our stuff and go into the wilderness. How weird is that?” I think it is significant that this story differs from the one found in the New Testament known as the Rich Young Man. In that story, the young man comes to the Savior and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, where the Savior tells him to keep the commandments. The boy boasts that he has done that all his life. The savior then says “sell all you have, and give it to the poor and come follow me.” The boy went away sorrowfully because he was at that time unwilling to do that. (see Matthew 19;16-22).

Lehi isn’t asked to “sell all he has” but leave it all behind. This becomes evident when Nephi and his brothers go back to get their possessions for a trade of the Brass Plates. How would each of us respond to a dream to leave all we have and depart… especially when the directive didn’t come from church leadership or the living prophet? Would we have enough faith to do it? Do we have enough faith in our own ability to get revelation for us and our families?

Lehi was obedient to the Lord. He was indeed willing to sacrifice all that he had to be obedient.

And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness. 1 Nephi 2:4

Verse 5 tells us that he took with him his family which consisted of “my mother Sariah, and my elder brothers Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.  Later, in 2 Nephi 5:6, as Nephi and those that will follow him separate themselves from the Lamanites, we read about Nephi’s sisters.

6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me.       

It makes me wonder how old Lehi and Sariah were when they left Jerusalem? We know they had at least four children in the wilderness since we know of two additional sons, Jacob and Joseph and since “sisters” is plural. How old were Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi? Interesting points to ponder.

1 Nephi 1:9-15

Lehi’s vision continues and he sees “God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.” 1 Nephi 1:8

He then sees “One” descending out of heaven and his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day. The footnote in this verse refers to the first vision in Joseph Smith-History in the Pearl of Great Price. Verse 16 of Joseph Smith-History rehearses Joseph’s experience with the “thick darkness” that surrounded him prior to the Father and the Son appearing.

Please excuse my digression for a few minutes at this point. One of the great blessings of regular temple attendance, and serious inquiry of the Lord on the meaning of the Endowment, has been an understanding that the temple experience has many meanings. One that has become apparent to me is that the endowment is not only an allegory of Adam and Eve, but is also an allegory of our own existence: From the pre-existence, to this life, to returning to our Heavenly Father. I don’t think it is a mere coincidence that Lucifer is in the act of trying to destroy Adam and Eve just prior to the Father and the Son coming to meet Adam and Eve. I think it is a very similar circumstance to the power of darkness that overcame Joseph Smith prior to his vision. I haven’t yet concluded what the meaning of this is, but I don’t think it is a coincidence.

Lehi then appears to have seen the twelve apostles. I’m not sure of the significance of their brightness exceeding that of the stars. We all know the sun, moon, and stars are often compared to the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial kingdoms. I welcome thoughts on this idea.

Next Lehi is given a book. I’ve tried to do some research into what this book was but have been unable to find much. I did however, find the following at the Maxwell Institute:

Preserved in the Book of Mormon are seven of Lehi's inspired dreams and visions. Nephi mentions Lehi's dreams and visions being in his record: "[Lehi] hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams" (1 Nephi 1:16). Lehi himself considered that he was "a visionary man" (1 Nephi 5:4).

The earliest vision recorded in the Book of Mormon is the one that probably began Lehi's own record. Nephi describes it briefly: "As [Lehi] 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. And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen" (1 Nephi 1:6-7). Nephi gives nothing more of the vision's content, but it may have included Lehi's call to the role of prophet, for soon afterward Lehi began to preach to the people (see v. 18; also 1 Nephi 2:1).

Nephi begins his summary of Lehi's second vision, the vision wherein he sees a book, by emphasizing that "being thus overcome with the Spirit, [Lehi] was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God" (1 Nephi 1:8). Lehi then saw "One descending out of the midst of heaven" and "twelve others following him" (1 Nephi 1:9-10).

Nephi continues: "The first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read" (1:11). Lehi then read of Jerusalem's wickedness and of its impending destruction. This same warning was the core message of other prophets in Lehi's time at Jerusalem (see 1 Nephi 1:4). Although Nephi does not mention it here, at some point in the vision Lehi also learned that the Messiah would come and save humankind: Lehi "testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world" (1 Nephi 1:19). Nephi also includes two apparent direct quotations from Lehi's record—his warning to Jerusalem (1 Nephi 1:13) and his psalm rejoicing in God's power and goodness (1 Nephi 1:14).

Much of what he read in the book was concerning the pending destruction of Jerusalem.

What is most impressive to me is the prayer that Lehi offers in verses 14-15.

14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish! 15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

It is my prayer that I can love and praise God as Lehi did. This only comes by honoring God and keeping his commandments. Only He can change my heart.

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.