The leather cords were so tight that his hands and ankles were sore and swollen.
He was tied up by his brothers, jealous of the role for which he was chosen.
(1 Nephi Chapter 18)
They were in the midst of the ocean, winds and storms tossing the ship constantly.
There was fear that this voyage would end in failure at the bottom of the sea.
Nephi prayed and praised the Lord – his faith and trust in God had rarely wavered.
He knew that his family and friends were still those who were highly favored.
He thought back on the events of this journey from Jerusalem –
his family had been instructed to flee because of life-threatening persecution.
The Lord would direct them to a promised land and preserve them for centuries.
He would prosper them in this new land if they would keep His decrees.
Nephi’s life had been full of great adventures, written down by him in great detail.
This record has been preserved by the Lord as a blessing to all people.
The vision of the Tree of Life that he experienced along with his father Lehi,
was a vivid reminder of the love of God for all humanity.
He would be known to many as a prophet of great faith and determination -
a man of God who persevered through many a challenging situation.
Their eventful journey was one of total reliance on their Creator -
without His constant aid and guidance they would not have made it far.
His mind brought back memories of difficulties their family had endured -
throughout all of the trials the Lord kept them sound and secure.
There was the encounter to obtain the brass plates that would bless their posterity -
the loss of one evil man in exchange for the spiritual welfare of many.
The broken bow amidst desperation to obtain food to survive –
inspiration on how to make a new weapon to keep them alive.
The Liahona appeared to help them find their way in the wilderness -
it worked perfectly when they exercised enough faith and obedience.
What looked to be impossible was made possible by God continually -
even the building of a great ship to navigate the wide expanse of the sea.
Nephi’s great motto that carried him through
was simply that the Lord would provide, so he must “go and do” (1 Nephi 1: 7)
The standard of truth by which he lived is considered a valuable gem -
“If God commanded me to do all things, I could do them” (1 Nephi 17: 50)
December 2021
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