1 Nephi chapter 1 - About Revelations

I'm changing this blog from only places where the scriptures are more clear in Spanish, to all my ponderings and insights as I read.

1 Nephi 1:6         I didn’t notice before that the pillar of fire wasn’t already on the rock when Lehi saw it. It says, “there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock”. Now it sounds to me more like a pillar of fire came down, caught his attention, and then dwelt on the rock. God knows how to get someone’s attention when He wants to, but we have to remember that this pillar of fire was a response to prayer. It is important to be praying in the first place. We aren’t told what Lehi was praying about, but I would think he was probably pondering what the prophets had said, and looking for guidance for his life - to be protected from the things they were saying were going to happen. In other words, the answers, the revelations, the pillar of fire come AFTER praying, “with all our might” as Lehi did.And it doesn't say so, but it seems logical to me that this prayer he was uttering while working wasn't an isolated incident. He most probably had been praying before bedtime, upon rising, while brushing his teeth, and it continued while he was traveling for his work.

v 7       Nephi tells us Lehi was so overcome with the Spirit after the vision, that he returned home. He called in sick from work (figuratively) and went home and went to bed. Joseph Smith tells us of how much it tires the human body to receive revelations. When he was young and received the visitations from Moroni, he was so exhausted he couldn't work or cross a fence. That wasn't just because he was awake all night. Visits by the Spirit wear out the human body and Joseph Smith built up his spiritual muscles to the point that he wasn't exhausted each time he received a revelation.

But Lehi wasn't used to it and had to go home and 'cast himself upon his bed'. The best part is that because he went home instead of trying to return his mind to his work, is that he remained in the right frame of mind so that he could receive even more revelation - the revelation that gave him directions for his family that changed their future and started the events that created our Book of Mormon. We can be so grateful to Lehi for his choices that day!

v14-15      In Sunday School this week, we're studying the New Testament. In Philippians 3:1 Paul repeatedly counseled them to 'rejoice in the Lord". Our teacher asked us what we think it means to 'rejoice in the Lord'. I thought about Lehi, where in these verses Nephi tells what Lehi did after receiving this vision. It says he "did exclaim many things unto the Lord such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heaven, and thy power, and goodness and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth and, beause thou art meriful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!

And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen..... "

I think Paul in the New Testament is telling us that we need to know God well enough to know of His mercy and justice and power and goodness in order to feel like we want to rejoice in the Lord.

v18        After Lehi received the vision he immediately went about telling other people to warn them and to encourage them to repent and be saved. When we understand the Gospel, when we are truly converted, we want to share that with others to encourage then to repent and be saved!

v20        I've read that this verse contains the central message of the Book of Mormon - that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.    The Book of Mormon isn't just an interesting history, altho it is that; it isn't just a study of God's dealings with a people, altho it is that; it isn't just prophets warning us, altho it certainly is that. The central message of the Book of Mormon is that God loves us and His tender mercies are over us if we have faith!! and that through that faith we can be delivered from evil and dangers.