1 Nephi 11:28

28  And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in ^apower and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

            -and here we find the sad disconnect that reflects the battle going on in this estate:  those who minister, serve and profess a faith in eternal truth/realities will come into conflict with those whose faith is in earthly and temporal conditions.  The telestial does not accord well with the celestial.  It is incompatible and wants to expel that which does not fit the natue of its existence.   

1 Nephi 10:13

13  Wherefore, he said it must needs be that we should be led with one accord into the ^aland of promise, unto the fulfilling of the word of the Lord, that we should be scattered upon all the face of the earth.

            -because of his knowledge (testimony, understanding, stuffy of scriptures, spiritual tutelage) Lehi was able to gain advanced perception as to their role in the plan.  He could answer the question, “why is this happening to us, why do we have to leave our homes?”  Contrast this with the many times that we find ourselves in the middle of a trial and we have no idea why these difficult experiences are befalling us.  Are there ways to better perceive and hence have a more peaceful heart when challenging situations cause us to ask:  why/what is this happening to me?

1 Nephi 9:1

1  AND all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the ^avalley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates.

            -the time spent in the valley of Lemuel was a prolific period of “seeing, hearing and speaking” the revelations of God.  This was a spiritually fruitful time but it was also a physically challengeing time.  This was not a place of ease and comfort (compared to the previous life in Jerusalem or the coming stay in Bountiful).  Life is often defined by these contrasts:  we discover wisdom, truth and a closeness with God in our depraved and challenged conditions.

      “great many more”

            -how much?  What of and about?

1 Nephi 8:24

24  And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, ^aclinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the ^bfruit of the tree.

-why is it that “others” who were also “pressing forward” did not get lost from the mist of darkness?

     “came forth and caught hold”

            -it seems that this catching hold of the rod, even in the face of some very difficult circumstances, is something that set those who did not lose their way apart from those who became lost.

            -the rod is a sure guide and without it there appears to be little hope of achieving the goal.   The rod becomes the gospel, it is a concrete, actual guide to hold to.  But it does not pull you along or do the work, it is a tool to use.  It does not make the mist disperse either –although it does give a very nice sense of comfort while being surrounded by the mist.

            -not all (or any for that matter) started at the rod or iron.  Thy journeyed until they found it, then grabbed on and followed.

      “press forward”

            -there is a lot f “pressing forward” going on.  As if our constant improvement is necessary, and as if we should expect our journey here to be a lot of hard work marked by difficulty… should we expect anything less than an experience similar to previous groups whose own efforts to press forward are recorded in the scriptures and in the history books of this world. 

      “through the mist”

            -there is only one way to travel life’s journey:  it is “through”.  There is no around, under or other bypass.  We are to go through the difficult times, through the heartache, through the temptations and through trials.  It is the “going through” that is the object of this existence.

      "...clinging ..."

            -apply to locking your hands when wrestling.

            -an action word.  I don’t know if there is a more proactive or descriptive verb that would be used here to illustrate the way in which we must pursue this path.

            -what is the nature of our hold (our grip) to the rod?  Are we touching, holding, gliding, etc.?  How seriously do we live the gospel?  Do we let some things “slip through”?  Are we lax in our observance?  Are we a Sunday Mormon?  Do we obey and keep the rules or do we “live the gospel”?  Do we love its principles, laws and ordinances?

            -just having the gospel is not enough.  We cannot just “walk the path”.  We must be anxiously engaged in living and hold tight to the gospel.  We must let it posses us.

            -this verse describes people whose effort has been nothing short of commendable.  These are good hearted, anxiously engaged people.  They have pursued and endured many things in their effort to obtain the fruit of the tree.  If we were to stop at the conclusion of this verse –knowing nothing more of the people described here- we would conclude that these are choice people, valiant and good.  BUT all is about to be turned on its head with one factor:  see verse 25.

1 Nephi 8:19

19  And I beheld a ^arod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.

            -why is the rod of iron near/parallel to the river of water (or vice-versa)?  Is the intent to signify how close danger lies to a departure from the truth and right living?

            -rod of iron = principles, teachings, truths and ordinances of the gospel that we need to engage in and make a part of us.  These are our guides that will not fail to keep us safe and to direct us through any storm of life.

            -Consider the sequence of these things:  Laman and Lemuel’s refusal occurred before mention of the rod of iron  -signifying, possibly, that even though all the assistance/tools are available they are of no consequence when a person will not come.  There is no question about how to get into the celestial kingdom  -the answers and the assistance is in place.  The variable is us:  will we choose to get there?

      “it extended along the bank…”

            -we are not expected to travel dangerous roads alone or unassisted.  The guideline is there, God will not leave us to wander by chance.

            -a primary feature of mortality is the proximity between good and evil.  They brush up against each other on a frequent basis.  The lines between the two are thinner than we anticipate.  This is one reason for the necessity to be exactly obedient.  One slight deviation can land us in the realm of sin and destruction.  Consider sexual purity for example, the distance between kissing, intimate touching and sex is razor thin.  So it is with many other behaviors.  One small concession can lead to  significant consequences.

1 Nephi 7:17

17  But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me ^astrength that I may ^bburst these bands with which I am bound.

      “I prayed unto the Lord,”

            -Things are looking pretty bleak for Nephi, so what does he do?  “I prayed unto the Lord.”  It is by the simple acts/principles of the gospel that we may find peace/solace in our quite moments of anguish and in the more dramatic/overtly pressing challenges.  Nephi’s skill and ability to successfully call upon God in this situation rested/was founded upon everyday experience with prayer.

            -this is the third desperate situation we have read about regarding Nephi since the beginning of the record.  Each time he has turned to the Lord in prayer and with trust in God to lead him through the situation.  Could this be one of the keys to Nephi’s greatness?  Could this be a pattern and model that is messaged by the first section of the Book of Mormon?  This book is an instruction manual for building a character of faith and righteousness.  The first section of intense scrutiny is a case study for each of us to emulate.  The first lesson in this instruction manual:  when in difficulties and uncertainty, pray!  The second lesson directly follows from the first:  God is there and will prosper His faithful children.

       “Lord, according to my faith…, wilt thou…”

            -His petition here is in exact accordance to what he earlier preached (verse 12) to his brothers.  Not only are his actions perfectly aligned to his speech/preaching, but it is ironic that the principle that allows him to overcome the threat/power of Laman and Lemuel is exactly what he counseled them to do and which they turned their backs on and fought against.  When they would not bring themselves in accord to truth, the truth eventually subdued them and stifled their insurrection è the truth always overcomes the evil opposed to it.

       “give me strength”

            -the Lord is not against endowing with physical strength to accomplish his purposes, even if the result is heavenly assistance when violence or near violence is involved.  But notice that a prerequisite, actually the necessary forerunner, of physical strength is spiritual power, not the reverse.  Spiritual ability is so much more important than physical endurance. Nephi’s, Captain Moroni’s and the 2000 warrior’s power was founded on their spiritual uprightness, not their military drilling or physical training.

            -spiritual strength (including faith and purity) enables physical, intellectual and emotional strength.  The source of our abilities is in our spiritual being.  How spiritually fit are you?  What regimen of spiritual conditioning have you been following?  One of the purposes of mortality that could not be accomplished in the first estate is to develop spiritual strength, specifically strength that would gain fuller expression with the conditions of mortality (addition of a body, of faith and unrestricted choice, etc.).  The successful development of spiritual strength will unlock privileges and abilities that we can’t comprehend until we obtain a glorified body.  It is in mortality, however, w  We will fail to develop the spiritual capacity that is necessary for us to qualify for the activities for which we were created.  Every sin, every neglect of opportunity, every time we opt out of a potential for spiritual exercise, we are forfeiting spiritual growth.  This certainly happens when we violate commandments and engage forthright in sin but our spiritual lethargy more often takes form when we fail to do things:  when we fail to magnify our callings, when we fail to serve others, when we fail to consume the scriptures, when we fail to proactively love our neighbor, when we shrink from sacrifices.  These are the daily –frequently the small and unremarkable- calisthenics that build spiritual muscles almost imperceptively over time.

here this strength training occurs and if Satan can cause us to neglect the spiritual reality and become consumed with the physical nature of our being (our appetites, our abilities, our form, all with a priority on the reality of time) then he will preempt the reason we came into mortality and severely retard our growth.

            -with all that the  books of Nephi are to teach us –the major themes and messages- of these, one of the most important is to see the growth of Nephi.  How does he become so great?  Why does his growth exceed not only Laman and Lemuel’s but also Lehi’s?  By this point Nephi’s faith is unshaken!  His growth has been phenomenal, what has allowed this?  What are the things he has experienced?  How has he reacted?

            We should not fail to recognize that while Nephi is privileged to glorious theophany's, he has also endured (always before the sacred visitations; hence “you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith”) violent and intense trials/experiences.  For example, he has been beaten up at least twice so far.

1 Nephi 5:8

8  And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath ^acommanded my husband to ^bflee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could ^caccomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

     “Now I know…”

            -this experience became, for Sariah, an opportunity to grow and have a more sturdy testimony.  Yes, her faith was weak, but if taken correctly, this trial was a manifestation to her that God was in this endeavor.  This is exactly what happened through this trial –where her weakness was very evident.  Her faith was enlarged and she became convinced and strong. Of course, only future trials would prove her dedication, integrity and constancy to the declaration.

            -this experience is a wonderful study of how faith might develop and be strengthened. A number of questions arise:

            1.  can sure knowledge grow where, at one point, there was no faith?

            2.  when faith is absent what is the personal price to be paid?

            -Sariah pays a high price for her uncertain conviction.  In other words, her faith is bought at the price of pain, anxiety and heartache.

            -Her faith is only made strong after it is tried and broken.  The resulting witness is, even though her words at the moment are sure and valiant, not supreme or unmovable.  Through more difficult trials her faith would slip in its surety and yet be made stronger (i.e. the forthcoming broken bow trial).

       “give them power”

            -I am extremely interesting in the reality of receiving power from the Lord.  I am weak and if I am ever to do anything of consequence it will be because I am made strong, given ability and prospered from a source much more able and powerful than I.  If I were to rely upon my own strength I would not only fail in a miserable way but I would look like an idiot in the process.  I need to have the Lord’s empowering influence.  When our ways are aligned with His, we qualify for that power.  And when we are qualified and have done all that we know how to do He will prosper us so we may “accomplish the things which the Lord commanded us.”

            -There are numerous and unlimited ways that we are given power.  Most, I suppose, are subtle and easily overlooked –like increased mental understanding, a way opening up so that a problem that was insurmountable now has an open door- but some are rather dynamic:  physical strength, outpouring of hope, etc.

Verse 8 is nothing but a restatement, a second lesson if you will, of what Nephi already said in chapter 3, verse 7.  Why is this recorded for us twice?  Why the reiterations?  What should we learn?  What are we being shown?

      “whereby they could"

            -these three words are essential to understanding how God works with mankind.  He does not give them power that “would” guarantee accomplishment.  The Lord gives just the added amount of power necessary for the accomplishment of a righteous endeavor.  If Nephi had not acted, all the power in the world given him from God would not have brought about the accomplishment of their mission.

1 Nephi 5:7

7  And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
    "my mother was comforted."
           -a mother's concern about her children (especially when out of sight and out of her ability to directly affect their situation) is difficult to overstate.  It is a gift (and a burden) of motherhood.  The departure of a child on a mission is felt differently by a mother and a father. This is a male-female difference and this appears to have been a part of the reason why Sariah reacted differently than did Lehi. 
         -at the same time, we can see shades of Thomas the apostle at play here.  When Thomas did not physically see the resurrected Lord he refused to receive the same comfort as the other apostles.  He was not comforted nor did he have the same belief in the reality of the resurrection until he, like Sariah, physically saw and held. 

1 Nephi 5:2

2  For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had ^acomplained against my father, telling him that he was a ^bvisionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

      “she supposed that we had perished…”

            -once again:  fear is the enemy of faith.

            -why had she supposed this?  She had no evidence one way or another.  Perhaps her sons had been gone an extraordinary amount of time thus providing some rational that they were never coming back… The truth of the matter is that fear is irrational but it can be very real.  We can be carried away  -completely out of the realm of the rational or even the probable- when we stray from a perspective anchored in faith.  The natural man, the mortal man is given to irrationalities and emotional imbalance.  The strong emotions of fear, anger and despair are tools that Satan peddles to the mortal man.  These can overwhelm rationality and sober judgement.  They are destructive to our peaceful lingering in the Spirit as mush as many base behaviors.  We do not think correctly.  It is almost impossible to “be still”.

Sariah is severely tried.  She fails (in the short-term but is also built up by this test and grows to overcome later trials).  Tests of faith can take so many forms that it is impossible to know what we personally will face except that we can be sure that our weakest, most vulnerable point will be the focus of the trial.  She lists them: 

            1.  losing her home à “you led us out of the land of our inheritance.”

            2.  losing her children à  “my sons are no more.”

            3.  losing her own life à  “we perish in the wilderness.”

What, in your imagination, would be the most difficult thing to endure? Financial difficulty, losing a child, a physical handicap, not having a constant home, etc.?  You can bet that God will use that weakness as leverage on your soul to bring you unconditionally and absolutely to him. Entrance into his kingdom requires a broken heart and contrite spirit.  I know of no mortal who has the ability to break his or her own heart and achieve a submissive spirit without a lot of help.  The process to a broken heart is not a journey void of pain, anguish and sorrow.  Sariah’s murmuring was the result of a love for her boys but was without the necessary recognition that “God’s will be done”.

            -Because we know the result we are too quick to judge Sariah’s weakness.  It was no easy thing to endure –it tried her soul to the core.  When ours is engaged in an equally agonizing moment, I think we will want onlookers to be generous in their estimation and reserved in their judgment.

      “she supposed that we had perished and she had also complained”

            -fear leads to a deterioration of faith.  Waning faith leads us to complain against the representatives of God (and God himself).  One who is filled with fear cannot have faith and their actions will surely be as those who do not have faith.  The antidote to fear is faith.  The antidote to one who is complaining is to fill them with faith.  Unfortunately we cannot give our faith to another but we can allow them to lean on us for support until they can stand on their own.  This means

sharing our faith with others.

     "my sons are no more"

            -why did Sariah murmur?  For fear that she lost her beloved boys, her children.  Out of a love but with out a recognition that "Gods' will be done."  In a harsh statement of fact, Sariah loved her children more than she loved God.  What if God had required the martyrdom of one of her children during this “mission” to secure the brass plates?  Would that have been too much and would it have broken Sariah? Fortunately for her God did not require the “sacrifice of all things”.  This being said, the degree of Sariah’s sacrifice was far beyond what God has required of me so I am loath to find fault with this woman.  I would likely have complained much earlier about the inconvenience of leaving a very comfortable life for an unknown future that presented only a few realities:  hardship, sacrifice and difficulty.  If I am brutally honest with myself I must admit that I see my reaction being more similar to Laman and Lemuel’s than to Nephi’s.