A Study of the Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 17:23-43 What Nephi does here in repositioning the argument to his favor is miraculous. Nephi draws great strength in assimilating his situation with that of the Children of Israel who were held in bondage in Egypt. I too find great similarities in my situation with theirs, as well. Drawing upon the experiences of Moses and the deliverance of the children of Israel, Nephi is able to explain how the Lord was able to remove a righteous people out of a harmful situation and then prepare a land for them to receive. The whole point of his argument is that had the people at Jerusalem been righteous, the Lord would not have required Lehi and his family to leave. A footnote from vs. 35 reads, "For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed," ( 1 Samuel 2:30 ). God does favor the righteous.

1 Nephi 16:18-32 The account of Nephi's bow breaking has several point of interest to me this evening. First, when Nephi's brothers and father murmur against the Lord because of their want of food, Nephi's first priority was to correct them in murmuring against the Lord. He spoke much unto them. This principle of truth, speaking much to persuade his brethren, was a principle of power in my mission. Even now I see it as a point of persuasion. Nephi had the truth. He knew he had it. And the way that he convinced his brethren and father of the truth was through much persuasion. This was even more important to him than making a new bow. Nephi understood that he had to have his brothers' support and his father's patriarchal guidance to overcome this obstacle. Secondly, immediately after they humbled themselves because of Nephi's words, he was able to make a new bow and find food. He was led directly to it. This clearly demonstrates that the Lord could have at any tim...

1 Nephi 7:1-5 The Lord commanded Lehi that they should not depart in to the wilderness without wives for his sons to the end that they might bring up children in righteousness unto the Lord. Nephi shows how they worked with the Lord to persuade Ishmael to bring his family down into the wilderness: They gained favor with Ishmael. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to Ishmael. The Lord softened Ishmael's heart. Ishmael and his household came down with Nephi and his brothers. Really, I am quite amazed that Nephi and his brothers were able to persuade Ishmael and his house to follow their family into the wilderness. This second point should not be overlooked. They didn't resort to their own devices this time. Instead Nephi and his brothers spoke the word of the Lord to Ishmael. It must have resonated in such a way as to have a penetrated Ishmael's soul enough that he and everyone in his house felt the obligation immediately to follow Nephi's family.