Post by Nephi –
We have traveled for many days in the wilderness, all of us, including our animals are weary. Yet we have been preserved. My brothers continue to murmur against my father. But he does not give up. He spoke to them with power, he was filled with the spirit. He spoke so powerfully that their whole beings shook before him. They were utterly confounded and they didn’t dare utter another word against him. After that they actually did what he asked them to do.
You wouldn’t recognize our family if you had known us in Jerusalem. We looked like other desert dwellers living in a tent. It was a far cry from the life we were accustomed to.
My experiences watching my father and hearing other men of God had had an affect on me. I am still quite young even though I am quite large in stature. But what is important to this blog is what happened when my desires to know the mysteries of God compelled me to seek the Lord in deep sincere prayer. As I did so, He visited me. He softened my heart so that I was able to believe everything He had spoken to my father. I was so overcome by this experience that even though things were very difficult, I had no desire to rebel like my brothers have done.
I spoke to Sam, telling him the things the Lord had manifested to me by his Holy Spirit. To my great relief and appreciation, Sam believed what I told him.
On the other hand, my brothers Laman and Lemuel wouldn’t hear of it. I couldn’t believe the hardness of their hearts. It made me so terribly sad that I cried unto the Lord for them.
And so sweetly the Lord spoke to me again, saying: “Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.” I can’t begin to express how these words penetrated my soul.
He told me that if I would keep His commandments, I would prosper and that we would be led to a promised land. He said it was a land that had been prepared for us and that it was a land that was choice above any other lands.
He knew what I was thinking and feeling and He told me that if my brothers rebel against me, they will be cut off from His presence. I have no desire to rule over my brothers, I am the youngest, I know my place in the family but the Lord told me that if I keep the commandments, I will become a ruler and teacher over my brothers. He even said that if they continue to rebel, they will be cursed pretty bad yet as long as we don’t also rebel, they won’t have any power over us. Then He told me that if we do rebel, the Lord will use my brothers’ posterity to scourge my posterity to remind them to follow the commandments.
This experience is one that requires a forum of great sacredness and therefore at this time and in this blog, what I have written is enough.
