1 Nephi 17:1-22
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To me, the major theme for the first half of this chapter is that the Lord provides a way for us to accomplish His plans for us.
8 years to be traveling in the wilderness. 8 years and Laman and Lemuel seem to still be the same; whining, complaining, and just not seeing things. They seemed to have not changed at all.
I tried to think back to where I was 8 years ago. Seems a long time. I had just moved here and was teaching seminary. Gosh, I felt so young. I'd like to think that I've grown since then- not just in waist size, but in spirit and testimony. And I think I have.
Wouldn't it just be a crime to have wasted all those years of opportunities to grow?
Isn't that the whole purpose of life? To progress?
And yet, it seems that that concept was lost on Laman and Lemuel, for at the first recorded test of their growth, they faltered.
True, the previous 8 years were rough, living on raw meat, their wives complaining, wandering around so close to home, and yet so far.
Perhaps they thought they were biding their time, that God, or just Lehi, would tell them at any moment it was time to return to Jerusalem. When Nephi started building a boat, then perhaps the notion of never returning home became so real to them. Their dreams shattered, their anger became fresh.
On their strongest complaints here on out was that they were taken from their comfortable home. This, it seems to me, was the pivotal point of no return. We get on a boat, not even steering our own way, and we are really never coming back. It brought about, I am sure, fear and anger, because even after 8 years they still did not now that God that made them well enough.
I wonder if there are times that we do that in our lives. We get a answer to do something, and tell the Lord, "Um, sure, I guess," as we half-heartedly follow the counsel. Biding our time until something different is told us. Perhaps it's a calling we aren't fully magnifying because it's not our preference for whatever reason. Perhaps it's our attendance in church. Perhaps it FHE or family prayer. There could be a million personal perhaps-es.
The point is, there might be times the we seem to merely tread water when we are commanded to swim, as we wait to be dismissed from the pool. But, if the Lord wants us to swim, swim we will eventually. Best to save the time and energy and get right down to business, wouldn't you say?
That's exactly what Nephi did.
The Lord says build a ship. He says, yes I will.
The Lord says go make tools and fire (after 8 years of no fire.) Nephi goes and does it.
He magnifies his calling. He kept his personal commandments.
In my RS lesson on Sunday we talked about what it means to 'keep' our covenants. We were satisfied that it meant to 'hold up our end of the bargain,' essentially. I think 'keeping' the commandments carries the same meaning. We hold up our end of the bargain.
The commandments are a gift given to us. Would we reject a gift and return it unopened, or opened with scorn? Or do we accept, keep and cherish gifts given to us?
The Lord gives us commandments- universal and personal - to guide us to our greatest happiness. Each commandment brings us one step closer to becoming like Him. One step closer to Him. Isn't that truly a gift?
He hands us these gifts and asks us to keep them and hold them, so they will not break. That's our end fo the bargain.
We hold keep these gifts (commandments) in our possession by grasping onto the them with our obedience, like arms wrapped gratefully lovingly, and carefully, around the most delicate and breakable gift. Thus, through our obedience we keep the commandments.
Once we allow our obedience to lax, the hold we have on our precious gift is loosened and it can fall and break. Thus, through our disobedience we break the commandments.
Our obedience is the grasp on which we hold tight to the commandments. And, interestingly enough, our spiritual grasp of the gospel (and all that comes with it) seems to match the fervor of our grasp - or obedience- of the commandments. I see no chance in that. It's quite logical, simple and beautiful, really.
If you really get down to the nitty-gritty: God gives us commandments- universal and personal - because He loves us. When we hold tight to this commandments with our obedience, we show our love for Him and for the Savior.
Jesus, Himself, says as much. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
If ye love me, hold my commandments.
If ye love me, hold my love light.
Through our obedience, we hold His love of us close to our hearts.
To me, the major theme for the first half of this chapter is that the Lord provides a way for us to accomplish His plans for us.
8 years to be traveling in the wilderness. 8 years and Laman and Lemuel seem to still be the same; whining, complaining, and just not seeing things. They seemed to have not changed at all.
I tried to think back to where I was 8 years ago. Seems a long time. I had just moved here and was teaching seminary. Gosh, I felt so young. I'd like to think that I've grown since then- not just in waist size, but in spirit and testimony. And I think I have.
Wouldn't it just be a crime to have wasted all those years of opportunities to grow?
Isn't that the whole purpose of life? To progress?
And yet, it seems that that concept was lost on Laman and Lemuel, for at the first recorded test of their growth, they faltered.
True, the previous 8 years were rough, living on raw meat, their wives complaining, wandering around so close to home, and yet so far.
Perhaps they thought they were biding their time, that God, or just Lehi, would tell them at any moment it was time to return to Jerusalem. When Nephi started building a boat, then perhaps the notion of never returning home became so real to them. Their dreams shattered, their anger became fresh.
On their strongest complaints here on out was that they were taken from their comfortable home. This, it seems to me, was the pivotal point of no return. We get on a boat, not even steering our own way, and we are really never coming back. It brought about, I am sure, fear and anger, because even after 8 years they still did not now that God that made them well enough.
I wonder if there are times that we do that in our lives. We get a answer to do something, and tell the Lord, "Um, sure, I guess," as we half-heartedly follow the counsel. Biding our time until something different is told us. Perhaps it's a calling we aren't fully magnifying because it's not our preference for whatever reason. Perhaps it's our attendance in church. Perhaps it FHE or family prayer. There could be a million personal perhaps-es.
The point is, there might be times the we seem to merely tread water when we are commanded to swim, as we wait to be dismissed from the pool. But, if the Lord wants us to swim, swim we will eventually. Best to save the time and energy and get right down to business, wouldn't you say?
That's exactly what Nephi did.
The Lord says build a ship. He says, yes I will.
The Lord says go make tools and fire (after 8 years of no fire.) Nephi goes and does it.
He magnifies his calling. He kept his personal commandments.
In my RS lesson on Sunday we talked about what it means to 'keep' our covenants. We were satisfied that it meant to 'hold up our end of the bargain,' essentially. I think 'keeping' the commandments carries the same meaning. We hold up our end of the bargain.
The commandments are a gift given to us. Would we reject a gift and return it unopened, or opened with scorn? Or do we accept, keep and cherish gifts given to us?
The Lord gives us commandments- universal and personal - to guide us to our greatest happiness. Each commandment brings us one step closer to becoming like Him. One step closer to Him. Isn't that truly a gift?
He hands us these gifts and asks us to keep them and hold them, so they will not break. That's our end fo the bargain.
We hold keep these gifts (commandments) in our possession by grasping onto the them with our obedience, like arms wrapped gratefully lovingly, and carefully, around the most delicate and breakable gift. Thus, through our obedience we keep the commandments.
Once we allow our obedience to lax, the hold we have on our precious gift is loosened and it can fall and break. Thus, through our disobedience we break the commandments.
Our obedience is the grasp on which we hold tight to the commandments. And, interestingly enough, our spiritual grasp of the gospel (and all that comes with it) seems to match the fervor of our grasp - or obedience- of the commandments. I see no chance in that. It's quite logical, simple and beautiful, really.
If you really get down to the nitty-gritty: God gives us commandments- universal and personal - because He loves us. When we hold tight to this commandments with our obedience, we show our love for Him and for the Savior.
Jesus, Himself, says as much. "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
If ye love me, hold my commandments.
If ye love me, hold my love light.
Through our obedience, we hold His love of us close to our hearts.
And in return, we care kept safe from unneeded harm and trials. We are strengthened. We are taught. We are guided. Our hearts are softened, becoming mold-able. We become clay in His hands to knead and mold into something more than we could ever be on our own.
Who would turn those gifts away?
Ones who cannot see.
And that is so sad.
That is why, in verse 19, Nephi sorrowed for Laman and Lemuel. They did not keep the commandments. They did not hold God's love and will close to them, embracing it. They rejected it, loosed their grip and let the commandments slip and break, thus exposing their hearts to the poisons if the world and its affects. Their hearts became hard. And a hard hard makes for weak arms.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE: Take a look at the commandment that God has given you. The universal ones - through the prophets and the Savior- and the personal ones given to you through the Spirit. Are there any commandments/gifts that you are not keeping/holding?
Ask yourself Why?
And be honest.
Are you treading water, waiting for the Lord to tell you you really don't have to do it?
Did you convince yourself that this commandment is small, and therefore doesn't need to be kept?
(though you wouldn't let a child fall to the ground because it was small, would you?)
Is there a gift in your life the Lord has offered, and you have either not received, or received with complaint and regret?
If you do find something - and we all should be able to - then I challenge you to tighten your grip on this gift, to strengthen your obedience to that particular commandment now. Today.
Ask the Lord to help and guide you as Nephi did.
But be faithful in holding them tight- even the big ones, or the uncomfortable ones.
He can help us, strengthen us, soften our hearts, and change us.
He can qualify you for His work. You just need to be willing.
So, give yourself an honest, truly honest, assessment today. Which commandment are you not keeping. Which gift is getting your casual, loose hold? Which pool are you treading water in?
Then ask yourself Why?
Most likely you, and I, will find pride and fear to blame. In nearly every case.
What are you afraid of? Giving up something? Failing? Hurting?
Why are you so proud? What makes you above what is being asked of you? Would you really deny a gift because the Lord- through one of his imperfect servants - asked you to take it?
Then- and here is the true beauty of the power of the Atonement - once you have recognized the reason for your dangerously loose hold, all you need to do is begin to hold tighter.
And soon you will realize that you are not just keeping the commandments, but you are holding Him.
My favorite part in this section is "I, Nephi, did strive to keep the commandments". He like us tried to do his best.
ReplyDeletevs 13 God prepared a way to keep commandments (do/be) rewarded with " promised land". This concept has hard me applying and thinking about actions, accountability & rewards with myself, family, relationships & grandchildren. This method proved helpful while caring for them this past weekend.
I was struck by part of vs 3... "if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them"
ReplyDeleteIf we do our part we get nourished, strengthened, and the path is made clear to accomplish our given tasks. Sounds pretty good to me.
The other part to the blessings is the obedience factor. God told Nephi to get up and go to the mountain. Nephi didn't stand around wondering why or if he should... he went.
Sometimes we are given a task, a calling, a trial, or whatever, and we stand there mulling it over, wondering if we should or should not do it. Fussing about "why me" a bit. Sometimes we need to just get up and climb the mountain then we get the blessings.
God "nourishes and strengthens us", it's not the food. :)
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