The Nephi Principle

By Cheryl Cardall

 

“I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands. I know the Lord provides a way he wants me to obey.”  

 (Nephi’s Courage, Children’s songbook pg 120).

Did you sing those words in your head as you read them?  I do every time I see them. The primary song “Nephi’s courage” is one of my favorites and teaches  some important principles to guide us. Nephi was asked to do some difficult things at a young age, likewise many of us are asked to do things that may feel impossible.  I love the youth theme this year of GO AND DO, the question is, how can we have that same attitude and courage of Nephi that he portrayed over and over again. 

Why was Nephi “favoured of the Lord?”   Why was he given the huge job of building the ship?  Why was he the one who slew Laban and got the plates? He was the younger brother, he didn’t have as much experience as his older brothers.  Why did he get to see the vision that Lehi saw and have a heavenly guide to see the Savior? 

Nephi and Sam and Laman and Lemuel all  left the comforts of their home, they all left what they knew, they all wandered into an unknown wilderness and were probably a bit frightened and anxious.  They all walked endlessly through the same sand and slept in the same tents and ate the same raw meat. They all went back for the plates and for Ishmael’s family.  So what was the difference?

Several years ago I studied Lehi and Sariah’s family for a month or so.  My perspective from that study is that there are two things that separate Nephi from Laman and Lemuel are DESIRE and WILLINGNESS. From my study I came up with a phrase I have referred back to over and over  I call it the Nephi principle.   

The Nephi principle is that in spite of challenging circumstances, sand in our shoes, sleeping on the ground, eating raw meat…we have the ability to CHOOSE our attitude and level of obedience.   We have the ability to choose whether we murmur (I mean who doesn’t murmur occasionally?) or whether we say like Nephi:

“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” (1 Nephi 4:6)

When there is something we don’t understand and struggle with we can do as Nephi did when he didn’t understand Lehi’s dream or didn’t know how to build that ship.  We can ask for the Lord to lead us, show our desire, ponder, seek and pray and we WILL get answers!

There will be many times throughout our lives that we will not know how to “get the plates” or “build that ship.”   Our challenging circumstances in life don’t have a road map, however we do have many Liahona’s that will direct our paths even in our own wilderness.  

I know that as we, like Nephi do our best to follow that strait and narrow path and hold to the rod and as we seek out that pure inspiration from our own Liahonas such as scriptures, conference talks, and most importantly the Holy Ghost we will find the path and we will be led by the light of our Savior.  

“And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inashmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.” (1 Nephi 17:13)