“the bands were loosed”
-for some
reason the Lord decided not to strengthen the man (would have been some complex
physiological process) but to change the nature or configuration of the bands (
a less complex natural substance). What
do we learn:
1. the Lord will intervene as least as possible
(to preserve our agency). At times his
hand falls heavily upon our lives in miraculous ways but it will always be in
the least intrusive manner that is possible.
2. even Nephi was learning. He asked for something to happen (with the
best judgment he had and with a pure motive) but the Lord knew a better way and
did not fulfill Nephi’s request in its specific but the end result was the
same (no, the Lord’s way resulting in a
situation that was better than if events proceeded as Nephi requested).
3. the Lord loves us and will not let a
technicality separate us from his prospering and protecting hand. Even if we don’t know how to ask or what to
ask for, he knows what we have need of and will answer us to our
salvation. But, we are expected to learn
in this process and be more capable the next time we are in a comparable situation.
“and I spake
unto them again.”
-what is
different this second time Nephi attempts to “talk some sense into” his
brothers? How is the end result going to
be different? What is the reaction of
Laman and Lemuel going to be as they see he has escaped from their bands? Why did they feel the need to tie him up in
the first place? Was he being a physical
threat to them or was he somehow exercising force over them and compelling them
to walk in the direction of the wilderness?
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