They complete the ship and it is way better than anyone thought it would be. I wonder if even Nephi was surprised at how much the Lord taught him and gave him in instruction such that the shp would be comfortable.
Then right off the bat they are given great wind that pushes them quickly for days. Then those with hard hearts saw this as something they were entitled to, forgot that they were being blessed or at least from where the blessings come and went straight to reveling and rudeness. When confronted by Nephi, they decide they don't need him and his leadership and tie him up. How stupid are L&L, I don't understand them.
Here is the great learning for me. Whether being blessed with strong winds or being tied up against the mast with the storm beating upon him, Nephi's eye is single to God. In this case he says that he praised God all the day long (16). Prayer, and thanksgiving, gratitude and praise should always be my practice - in my heart and when appropriate vocally. Faith grows, patience grows, happiness and the other gifts of the spirit will persist with us. Is there anything greater than that? Then when we are asked to sacrifice to any degree we will know what we value most and that we can leave the rest.
There is repentance and recovery and they make it safely to the promised land. Here they plant all of their seeds and start getting crops. They find the animals that they need as well. They are blessed again.
1 comment:
Clark,
I have thought about the journey of Lehi and his family as a great metaphor for the Tree of Life (although this was also a literal journey).
I find it interesting that after obtaining the Liahona (iron rod of sorts) and as it guides them on their straight course to the Promised Land, they have to pass by a gulf (ie. the Sea) before landing there. I wonder if when Laman and Lemuel began to speak with rudeness, which caused the "mists of darkness" to come upon them. Essentially, as a family, they have found themselves away from the rod (ie. the Liahona stopped working). I then find an interesting connection:
Compare the words of Lehi as described in his dream saying, “and it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain” with the commentary given by Nephi while on the boat: “I Nephi began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea.”
After having humbled themselves, they were able to find that straight path towards "eternal bliss" (see Alma 37:44):
And It came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.
And it came to pass that I Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the Promised Land.
Although their entry to the Promised Land may be considered the climax of the experience, on an even greater scale, Christ coming to the Americas is the ultimate fulfillment. Notice the connection here as well:
And then, the action of the people is interesting:
And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, the whole multitude fell to the earth…
After the multitude went forth and felt of the symbols of his atoning sacrifice, they did cry together saying:
Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God! And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him.
Then went Nephi (Son of Nephi, son of Helaman), to have his own experience with the risen Lord,
And Nephi arose and went forth, and bowed himself down before the Lord and did kiss his feet.
Concerning this climactic scene of the Nephites falling to the feet of Christ, after enduring the “mists of darkness” and the “vain imaginations” of the world; having clung to the rod and enduring, thus becoming a candidate to be present for this moment, they begin to sound like a group of goodly saints in the dream of Lehi as follows:
He saw other multitudes pressing forward; they caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they did come forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree
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