1 Nephi, Chapter 5: Of Great Worth
Let’s start with the first 9 verses.
I love these verses. I love these
verses because it makes this family seem so very real to me. I love the insight
into Sariah, and I love the insight into her marriage with Lehi. If we comb
over these verses we can learn a thing or two. Go ahead, comb.
What did you learn about Sariah?
This is what I gathered: Considering
my tendency to complain against my husband for something as trivial as leaving
wet towels on our bed, you can bet your backside that I would have plenty to
say to him about it just as Sariah did. It seems that it wasn’t until her boys
were back safe and sound from the house
of Laban that
she received her confirmation that the whole moving into the wilderness thing
was in fact the will of the Lord and not the will of Lehi. She declares, in
verse 8, “Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to
flee…”
Look again at verse 8, do you see a
repeating phrase? What is it?
It seems Sariah had to follow in blind
obedience for a while before she received her own confirmation that this was
the will and the commandment of the Lord for her family. Perhaps she was too
upset, too annoyed or angry to be feeling the Spirit. I know that would be the
case if I was in her shoes. However, I think there is significance in the
timing with which her confirmation was received. It wasn’t until she was so
over-joyed, so full of gratitude that she was praising God, that she knew the
will of the Lord. Maybe you’ve had a similar experience? I know I have. My
bitter and complaining heart was simply not able to hear the answer that I had
spent years praying for. Contention is of the Devil. We can’t hear God when
we’re mad.
What type of marriage do you think
these two had?
Here’s my answer: a normal one! The
evidence is that these are people not so very different from me. I’ve
complained against my husband a time or two. There have been moments when I
have been stressed beyond stressed and my husband instead of telling me to
“Cowboy up” or “Stop with the drama already” has calmly done his best to ease
and quiet my fears in the most loving and kind ways. I’m sure there was a flip
side too. We don’t get a chance to see Lehi behind his tent doors following the
shenanigans of his two older sons. I bet he had his own times of great
frustration, and I bet Sariah was right there in the middle, doing her best to
keep the peace. What do you think?
Let’s move onto verses 10-15.
What was the first thing Lehi did
with the record?
How similar was this book to our Old
Testament?
In verse 14 it mentions the record
contained the genealogy of Lehi. How important is your personal genealogy to
you? Why?
In verse 15 one tiny word jumped out
at me, it’s the word also. Nephi
says, “And they were also led out of
captivity.” Nephi was, again, likening the scriptures to himself. The
interesting thing to me is that Nephi’s life and record became scripture to us.
With the thoughts of my ancestors still fresh in my brain, and knowing all the
courage and strength I’ve gathered from them in my days, I have to wonder if my
life is going to also read like scripture to my descendants? Will my children,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren read the record of my life and be inspired
to turn to the Lord? I sure hope so!
Keep reading verses 16-17.
Write the message of verse 17.
Let’s finish off the chapter, verses
18-22.
The scriptures are “of great worth” to
us, if we read them. If we carry them with us as we journey into the
wildernesses before us –towards our promised ending. It is the Lord’s wisdom
that has kept this record of Nephi, his wisdom that he had this record kept,
and saved expressly for us in our day and in these times. Let us read, study,
liken, and be filled.
In the last few chapters have you noticed any
parallels between Nephi’s experience and Joseph Smith’s? Write them out here:
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