Here again, I am impressed with Nephi. He must have been an exceptional child/youth. In Nephi 3:6 it tells us that Nephi would be favored of the Lord 'because thou hast not murmured'. I bet he had his doubts about things now and again (check out 2:16...and the word "soften"), but he exercised great faith and was very trusting and obedient when it came to things pertaining to his father and the Lord. Verse 7 continues with that famous scripture mastery and primary song where Nephi declares: 'I will go and do....' pleasing not only his father, but the Lord. We continues to see him demonstrate his faith, trust and obedience in chapter 4:6 when he says, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do". That is like walking into a dark tunnel without being able to see the light at the end of it, but continuing on because you knew it was going to be there, no matter how far you had to walk in the dark before you found it. So why was Nephi like this? Desire. He had a desire.....(a strong wish or longing for; craving or wanting) to know the mysteries of God and to know if what his father was saying was true (2:16 again). They had done some pretty drastic things of late and he went and prayed about them....sincerely....and got an answer. It was much easier for him to follow the commandments of his father and the Lord because he went and sincerely asked if what they were being asked to do was right and true....just like Joseph Smith. Once he received confirmation, it became easier to practice obedience, (tho the tasks he was asked to accomplish may have been far from easy) because he not only knew what he was asked to do was right, but he understood why.....and his testimony was strengthened.
Whining and complaining are two things that bug me the most....but it still exists in my own family! I think much of our 'murmuring' can be traced back to not understanding the why of things because we haven't put our faith into action. We only see what we have been asked to do, or live or practice, but do not take the time to study it out, ponder it, sincerely pray about it and gain a testimony of why we should be doing it and then apply it in our daily lives. That is too hard! It is soooo much easier to just complain about it. When it comes to Laman and Lemuel, I personally do not feel that they were bad wayward teens or young adults. 2:12 tells us 'they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them'. It probably began as a case of "in the ear and out the other" when it came to gospel learning. They probably knew all the SMA's (standard mormon answers) for gospel questions, but it was only imprinted in their minds and not their hearts. They did not have a firm testimony of what their father was telling them was true like Nephi and they most likely never went to the Lord himself to ask either. To their credit--they did leave Jerusalem with the family and left everything behind....and they did go back 2 more times to get the scriptures and wives like their father asked. If they were truly wicked and defiant, they would have never heeded there father from the beginning. They would have stayed behind and enjoyed the riches and lavish lifestyle it would have afforded them.
I think they are like many of us today. I think their failure to build their own testimonies led them to whine and complain about their situation more (which I'm sure was not easy or pleasant at times) and that led to poor choices (like being angry, beating up your brother, seeing an angel and having him rebuke you, and then murmuring AGAIN). One poor choice leading to another, which eventually led them to great wickedness. Their desire to do good had ceased and that is when the adversary has full control of us.
Sariah also murmured against her husband. Have I ever done that? Sadly yes.... So what was she complaining about and how did Lehi respond to her? I think she was a normal mother.....she was worried about her kids and it got the best of her in the end, given the fact she had to leave her home, all her friends and family, all her material things and journey out into a desolate place with a promise from her husband that the Lord was taking them to a better place. (Probably how some women felt when they finally reached and saw the Salt Lake Valley!) Then the boys were asked to go BACK.... I'm sure the journey back to Jerusalem was a long and dangerous one and the reception they would receive unknown. We do not know how old her kids were, but a mother never stops worrying about them even if they are adults and seem intelligent, capable and mature. She probably knew they didn't all get along either and after being gone so long maybe felt something bad had happened and that would only add insult to injury so to speak after all the effort it had taken to pick up and leave. I'm sure she lost it one day and went on a gripe session.....but I love how Lehi responds to her...perfect husband! So here is my take on her complaints from 5:2
- You are a visionary man! Did she mean that he was a prophet and had seen visions or was she a bit overwhelmed at the moment and saw him as a man who had some very unpractical views, ideas or plans that seemed presently unworkable or doable...as in a dreamer?
- You took me away from my home and all I knew and loved!
- And now our sons are probably dead!
- And we are going to die too in the middle of nowhere!
And how did Lehi respond in 5:4-6?
- Acknowledges, Yes, he is a visionary man!
- Explains why he has done what he did
- Goes over her concerns of taking her away from home, worries about her sons, etc
- Comforts her
He VALIDATED her feelings and REASSURED her rather than arguing with her and telling her she was crazy! Amazing! What more could you want from a husband? (okay there are other things, but....and ps, this is not a commentary on my husband in particular) Validation and reassurance are huge for women. Knowing that the person you love the most recognizes your concerns, acknowledges they are valid, assures you have been heard and not ignored and then sticks around and gives you comfort because you are upset...and doesn't fall into the trap of stereotyping you and all women as 'crazy', now those are attractive qualities to find in a man. Remember that son and son-in-laws, etc :)
When her sons return, Sariah is repentant and bears her testimony to them in verse 8 thereby letting not only her sons know, but her husband know that she believes him and supports him in his efforts to be obedient to the Lord.
Now to apply this all to my own life. I would like to get to the point where the Lord would also say to me, "thou art favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured"
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