-The objective of this mission is
clearly stated and understood: Get the
records and bring them here (into the desert).
We aren’t, at this point, told why this is so important, but a continued
reading indicates the great trouble and danger that is gone about to achieve
success. The records must therefore be of some great worth (which we will, of
course, soon find to be true).
There is also a
second, perhaps greater objective than just obtaining the plates. From an eternal perspective, this mission had
nothing to do with obtaining the records.
The Lord could have told Lehi on the way out of town, “Oh, by the way,
stop by Laban’s house or treasury and pick up the plates of brass as you head
out into the desert.” But he did
not. The mission was not about getting
the plates, it was about developing strength in Nephi and faith in Sariah
(among other things). This mission was
not about the plates, but about testing, developing and proving people (the
very purposes of life, in a microcosm).
So it is with many of our missions/trials/adversities.
As I’m reading the account, I just can’t help but wonder
why the Lord handled it as he did (i.e. look for the reason he orchestrated
their journey the way He did… it has a purpose). Why didn’t the Lord say to Lehi, as they were
getting ready to flee Jerusalem: “Oh, by
the way… on your way out of town stop by and get the records from Laban.”? Did the Lord simply forget until they were a
couple weeks journey out of Jerusalem?
No! Of course he didn’t
forget. He had a reason for his
timing. It may have seemed foolish, not
time effective, a follied oversight, etc. to Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi but
it was the Lord’s way and the Lord did it for a wise purpose. How quickly we might like to counsel and
complain against the Lord when faced with a similar situation. We might point
out how much time was wasted in going all the way back rather than the “better”
way of securing the plates on the way out of town. Does it not cross our minds
that maybe the Lord is not all too concerned with getting them to the promised
land as He is with developing some character.
There is substantial difference between God’s way and our way. Even if we are aligned with the Lord’s way,
we must also be cognizant that his way is accomplished in His time and in His
manner –if we pretend to know more or are otherwise errant in even one of
these, we are in danger of fighting against the Lord’s plan.
We are
often desirous for the Lord to give us specific directions and answer our
multitude of questions. We want a step
by step instruction manual of how to live and are dismayed or highly stressed
when we find out that we were not given every answer and must proceed on our
own. If we look carefully enough we will
see that our instruction is sufficient for us.
In this verse, Nephi is given some relatively specific instructions:
1. “go unto the house of Laban”
2. “seek the records”
3. “bring them down hither”
Because we are familiar with the story we know that this
is not the exact way the records were obtained.
Although Nephi was given and heeded the above instructions there were
many particulars that were left to his dissgression and decision making
capabilities in the process of finally obtaining the records. So what can we
learn? The Lord instructs us
sufficiently that we can achieve his commandments, but we are expected to be actively involved in that process, not
just mindless performers of his directions. The Lord and we accomplish things
together!
“commanded me
that thou and thy brothers should go”
-how
difficult was it for Lehi to send his son’s on an errand instead of engaging in
it himself? Why did the Lord not allow
Lehi to accompany his sons? There are
times when the most difficult part of leadership is assigning someone else to
do the hard work or to trust another to accomplish a job/task and let it go out
of your own direct power to accomplish.
As a father I would much prefer to engage in the difficult work myself,
knowning of my own abilities and fortitude to accomplish a task, than to assign
it to someone else… especially my sons whose lives I put in very real
danger. How difficult would it be to
face their mother if one of them died while on an errand I assigned. Yet, this seems to be something men of the
priesthood must be willing to do since both Lehi and Abraham (and many others
including Joseph Smith, Jr.) faced the possible scorn of their wives when
obeying the Lord’s directions.
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