“he saw in
visions and in dreams”
-what
qualified Lehi to have so many heavenly manifestations? Clearly he had a gift for such experiences
and we may not know a fraction of his experience. Had the thophanies commenced of a sudden or
did he experience a gradual and increasing maturity –perhaps even from his
youth-- that culminated in the events related in the first chapter of
Nephi? What visions and dreams did not
make it into Nephi’s record? Whereever
this gift began and however frequent they may have been we don’t know. We can, however, suppose that Nephi’s
greatness was probably modeled after his father. And while Laman and Lemuel are
nearly as bad as Nephi is good, Nephi appears to have had a mentor in
Lehi. We have solid ground to assume
that Lehi was as fantastic in his faith and obedience as was his son. It is certain that Lehi qualified for such
tremendous heavenly experiences because he was faithful and committed to the
word of God. Who has the faith and
integrity to take his family from their established home, leaving everything
and departing into the desert with no firm or final plan of action? If I am honest with my weaknesses, my pride
and my level of faith, I have to admit that I would not be up to the task.
‘Which he prophesied and spake unto his
children”
-there is
an age at which children lose their estimation of parents as infallible. Sometime in early adolescence parents lose
the “superhero glow”. This rapidly
deteriorates into a sense of parents being out of touch and susceptible to the
foibles of foolish traditions. Children
proclaim their own omniscience together with their parents embarrassing
inability to know anything regarding the culture of the younger generation
complete with its better, more progressive values, music, potential and
society. The “ramblings” of a man
overcome with visions, who was constantly harping on the height of the cultural
mainstream, must have been petrifying for Laman and Lemuel who were probably in
the thick of this developmental stage.
We can almost hear their protests, “Come on dad, enough already. Do you know how crazy you sound? You look like a fool and you are embarrassing
us.”
“...full account..."
-these
things must have occupied the 116 lost pages; and Nephi (in his "small
plates”) is just giving us a quick rendition of the most vital
events/doctrines.
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