When we left off, Nephi was anxious for the welfare of his brothers’ souls and the Lord told him that if Laman and Lemuel did not choose righteousness, they would be cut off.
We head now into chapter three, and begin with verse one:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.
Right off the bat, I find this intriguing. He didn’t say he was praying to the Lord, which would sound like a one-way conversation – he says he was speaking with the Lord, which means there was definite two-way communication taking place.
Verses two, three, and four:
And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.
For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.
Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.
Laban was a relative of Lehi’s, although not close, and they did share some of the same genealogy. This is how Laban came to have the plates, but he didn’t hold them in high esteem. He appreciated their monetary value, but he didn’t understand the importance of the genealogy written on them.
Verse five:
And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.
You know what, I sort of can’t blame them. They’ve already been out in the wilderness for a while, traveling away from Jerusalem, and the thought of turning around and going back when it’s not to stay must have been daunting. But like Laban, these two brothers couldn’t understand the spiritual significance of the plates.
Verses six and seven:
Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
Right there, one of the crown jewels of the Book of Mormon, this simple yet powerful testimony of God’s hand in our lives. Yes, He does expect us to do certain things, but He always gives us a way to do it, helps us through the whole process, and then blesses us after we’ve done what He asked. We truly come out the other side rich beyond our wildest dreams, and if we can accept those commandments without murmuring, it’s so much the better for us.
That said, I do know that He understands when we have doubts and concerns. We are always more than welcome to ask Him to help us understand and to help us overcome. But there’s a difference between inquiring sincerely for the purpose of learning, and just simply whining. Trust me, I’ve done a lot of whining in my life and I know the difference.
From today’s reading: how important is genealogy? Lehi was willing to send his sons back to get it – does that indicate the worth of family records? How can we increase our faith that God will not give us anything we can’t handle, and that He will be by our side the whole time? What can we do to lessen our own murmuring?
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