By Alexandria B.
In my BYU Book of Mormon religion class this week, we have been studying and discussing the very beginning of the Book of Mormon, including the first few chapters of the first book, 1 Nephi. There are tons of things to pull out of the scriptures, especially from the Book of Mormon, but I just want to focus on a principle that stood out to me when I was studying earlier this week. The principle is the choice we have in our attitude towards the trials and hardships that God gives us, and the subsequent blessings and consequences.
The first part of the Book of Mormon is about the story of Lehi (a prophet who lived in Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah and Zedekiah), his family, and their commandment to leave Jerusalem. Lehi had four sons, and while they all followed their father, some were righteous and some were wicked. When I studied the first part of their story, I realized that the righteousness and wickedness stemmed from their attitudes about the commands of God. Because of the attitude each one had about following the prophet and the Lord, they each became either closer or further from God.
Nephi and his brothers
For example, in 1 Nephi chapter 2 of the Book of Mormon, Lehi is commanded by God to leave into the wilderness. He is obedient to the command of God, and he departs with his family, including his four sons; Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi.
Laman and Lemuel murmur and complain because of the hardship God had called them to endure, but Nephi chooses to humble himself to God’s will. Nephi, instead of whining, prays to God and he is able to have faith that God would bless and protect them, and also have trust in his father’s teachings from God. Laman and Lemuel had sour attitudes, but Nephi’s attitude embodied a willingness to follow the Lord.
This is important, because Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi all had to go through the same trial. They all lost friends, money and possessions, and a comfortable home to follow their divinely-led father into the middle of a wilderness, without knowing the outcome. They all grew up with their father’s teachings and they were all familiar with the doctrines and gospel of Jesus Christ. They all followed the prophet and the commands of God. But they chose to take the commandment in different ways, and that was what changed them. Laman and Lemuel chose to turn against God because they didn’t understand God’s plan for them. Because of their choice, they grew bitter and lost both their relationship with God and blessings from God. Nephi, on the other hand, chose to still have faith in God even though he didn’t understand why, and trusted in the promise of the Lord that those who followed Him would be blessed. As a result, he was blessed for his obedience and faith, gaining peace, a greater trust in God, and a deeper relationship with the Lord.
Additional Resources:
Learn from a Mormon prophet about how an “Attitude of Gratitude” blesses our lives
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