Maybe I should have mentioned this already, but now I'm mentioning it: The comments in this blog, which pertain to the Book of Mormon, are the result of my reading and re-reading the Book of Mormon. If you have read it, I invite you to read along with me as we go through the chapters. You can basically count on 1 to 2 chapters a day, although I may take some parts a little slower and others a little more at a time. If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, please read with me. When you read the chapters I talk about, you will feel the peace that comes from heavenly things. Please read with me! I invite and will appreciate your comments as we go through the book together.
In chapter 5 of the book of 1st Nephi, the travelers learn why the Lord wanted them to obtain the plates from Laban. They contained the writings of the prophets from Moses' description of the creation, down to their day, including prophecies that were given to the prophets throughout that time. The plates of brass also contained the genealogy of Lehi's family; the record indicated that they were descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt.
Think of what having these records meant to the generations of people that came after Lehi and his family. They had a written record of their language; even after 475 years of history the language was still being used. Compare this with the Mulekites, who came out of Jerusalem, like Lehi and family, and were led to the promised land. When Nephi's descendants discovered the Mulekites, their languages were totally different because the Mulekites didn't have a written record to keep them 'honest', linguistically speaking. There is no mention of the Mulekites having kept any records, so the story of that people is lost to history.
I've thought about this often... My family knows me right now. My grandchildren know me. They will probably tell their children some stories about Grampa and Gramma. My great grandchildren will not really know of me other than the stories that their parents tell, and then any generations after that will probably know very little of me, their ancestor... unless there are records that are kept and passed on to them. Lehi and Nephi were known by their descendants for their good works because of the records that were handed down: i.e. the brass plates of Laban and the engravings that Lehi, Nephi, and others made. Give your posterity something to remember you by... Make your own record and pass it on to your family. Take a page from Nephi's book (chapter 6) and write to your children and their posterity. Teach them to live good lives, to know and love the Lord, and to keep His commandments.
Speaking of family, it appears that Lehi's family left Jerusalem without any marital prospects for Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi. At the Lord's command, Lehi sent his sons back to convince another family to go with them (one that had the right number of females, by the way). They convinced another good man, Ishmael, to bring his family, leave Jerusalem and travel with them. I would have liked to hear that discussion! I have to believe that the Spirit did the convincing and not Laman, Lemuel, Sam or Nephi.
It is the Lord's mission to bring His children back to His kingdom. It is His will and pleasure to have us, his children, experience love and joy in our lifetimes. This commandment given to Lehi was designed bring Lehi's family joy and rejoicing over their families and their posterity. Small wonder that the Spirit influenced Ishmael and convinced him in the need to go with Lehi's family. The Lord helps His children to be joyful when they follow his voice.
It is interesting to me that Lehi and Ishmael and their families continued the observance of their religion. They did this in spite of their daily travels and their continual efforts of daily living. We need to live our religion and beliefs daily. No vacations! If we 'take a break' from serving the Lord, how can we expect the Lord to not 'take a break' from watching over us? We should live our lives for Eternity....
Don
I wonder how much of the big picture Lehi had when he and his family originally left Jerusalem. Did they know they were heading off to start a new civilization? I wonder if the Lord told Lehi to go back for Ishmael's family unprompted or if his sons did some complaining and Lehi asked. Thanks for doing this blog, and for reminding me to keep a record.
ReplyDeleteGood thought, Kevin... I have also wondered if they had an idea, when they left Jerusalem, if they realized where they were going. At that point Lehi hadn't dreamed about the tree of life or what was to befall his descendants. Maybe that was best, though. Would it have been harder to be obedient and leave had they known they would travel years to the seacoast, learn to build a ship, sail to a new continent, establish a whole new civilization, and endure all the hardships they were about to endure? It would certainly give me pause.
ReplyDeleteI think that, even though Lehi was a prophet, Nephi too, that many of the day-to-day decisions that led them to where they ultimately ended up were decisions that they made themselves. Of course, they relied on the Spirit to guide them, but I don't think they were really that much different from us in our lives. The more we rely on the Spirit, the more we go the direction the Lord wants us to go.
Sorry for the long reply, keep reading and commenting!
Don
I appreciate the admoniton of keeping records immensely. Right now I know very little about my ancestors. No records left except for some short oral stories. I would have loved to read and reread what kind of persons, their trials, successes they endured. It is very important to keep daily journals for our posterity. Who knows somebody else might be helped by our thoughts and ponderings even our posterity. Got to start now when it is not yet too late.
ReplyDelete