friday: Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi, Chapter 2

chapter summary
Lehi's family leave their home to travel in the wilderness.

stand-out scriptures

2:4  And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. 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.

Reading this verse always reminds me of a Family Home Evening we had when I was about 10 years old. My father sat us all down and, very seriously, told us that the prophet had asked us to sell our house, cars, toys and travel on foot to Jackson County, Missouri. I think my eyes were as big as saucers. Immediately, my mind went to my American Girl dolls. I suddenly panicked that I'd have to leave them. My dad then said that he had also been called to serve a second mission and that he would have to leave us for a few years. Dad's face was stern and unmoving. Brother and sisters all exchanged frantic looks, unsure how to react. We looked to mom. She wouldn't lie to us. But her face was unmoving as well. Dad asked something to the effect of: "So will we obey the Lord? Or stay here?" Quite terrified, we nonetheless nodded our heads and said that we would go. We would sell our toys and work hard while he was gone on a mission. Of course, it was just an object lesson and my parents quickly told us the comparison to Lehi and his family having to leave Jerusalem and everything they owned. They said they were proud of us that we had chosen to obey the Lord like Nephi and not complain and doubt the Lord like Laman and Lemuel. Though they reassured us several times that we weren't moving, I think the panic stayed with me for a few days. :) But I often think back on that FHE. If I was called today to sell everything and move, or if I was called to serve a mission and leave my husband and family, would I do it? Yes. I would. BUT...would I do it wholeheartedly with complete faith in the Lord and never once question my calling or murmur about the conditions? I hope so. I don't know if I would be as strong as Nephi. But I also know I'm not perfect, and often Nephi seems to be pretty perfect in everything. But that's always the goal: strive for perfection even though I will not achieve it on this earth. But I can achieve perfect faith while in this earthly tabernacle. One day at a time.

2:15 And my father dwelt in a tent.

I remember my Valiant 11 Primary class pretty vividly. Of course, the boys were always a little rowdy and always sarcastic. One teacher we had asked if anyone had a scripture memorized. One boy, tall and skinny with blonde haired, said, "I do! 'And my father dwelt in a tent.'" Everyone snickered, because in our minds he had outwitted the teacher by picking one of the shortest scriptures. (Oh how clever you think you are at that age.) Because of that experience, and the shortness of the verse, I've always had it memorized. But I never understood why that one sentence was so important. Couldn't it have just been added to the verse above it? Did it really need its own line? YES. In college, I learned in my Religion class that it does have a special significance.

"In the ancient Near East, to dwell in a tent was considered a great honor, especially compared to living in a house in the city. It represented living close to and trusting in the Lord. Also, the father's tent was considered the center of the whole community" (Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, 243).

2:20-24  20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.  21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.  23 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also.  24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

Everything rests on keeping the commandments. It is the one principle given Lehi's family for governing themselves in the Promised Land. If they keep the commandments they will prosper, meaning they will have the Spirit of the Lord. If they do not keep the commandments and rebel then they will be cut off from the Spirit of the Lord. I grew up in the church, so I know from the stories that Laman and Lemuel will rebel. As my little cousin Collette says, "Nephi chose the right, but Laman and Lemuel chose the left." So why bring Laman and Lemuel in the first place? They were cranky to begin with. Well, 1: Lehi loved them and hoped they would change. He kept his family together. The Lord does not want to see families torn apart. 2: It was all a part of the plan. Laman and Lemuel had their free agency. And Heavenly Father knew all the possible choices they could make and all of the possible end results from those choices. Had they chosen to choose righteousness instead of wickedness then some other body of people would be brought to serve its purpose. "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). The Lamanites (who will be the descendants of Laman and Lemuel) "shall be a scourge unto [the Nephites], to stir them up in the ways of remembrance." I can only imagine Nephi's devastation hearing this from the Lord. He must have worked with ferocity to keep his brothers on the right path and in righteousness. Lehi knows this, too. And in this chapter counsels with Laman and Lemuel individually on being firm, steadfast, and looking to Christ who is the "fountain of all righteousness" (2:9).

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picture 1: Lehi's Family Leaving Jerusalem, by Scott Snow
picture 2: Lehi Building an Altar of Stones in the Valley of Lemuel, by Clark Kelley Price