Lessons from Lehi

As I mentioned, without much detail, this move has been a difficult one with difficult timing. Things seem to be falling apart at work as well as at home. It's frustrating, it's scary, it's tiring, and it's depressing. My husband was working late last night and finally called to say he was on his way home around 8:30. I half joked when I thanked him for not running away and coming home. In the evening for family prayers it is usually me who suggests that we should gather everyone up. He's tired and I know he would do it if he remembered. I've talked about this little dilemma before in referring to him as our sherpa. Anyway, as soon as he walked in the door he called everyone together for prayers. He started by asking the kids who could tell him about the story of Lehi, because he had listened to some of it on the way to work (he listens to scriptures during his commute).  As soon as he asked the question I began to cry because the Spirit pricked my heart and I knew the significance of the story for my family.    

The story of Lehi is one of the most well known. It's the start of the Book of Mormon. When you set those goals to read, you always start at the beginning of the book, so the beginning is read more than anything else. It is probably no coincidence that it is in the beginning. It is rich with lessons. Some are obvious, and some you have to dig for. So how does this story of Lehi and his family apply to me and my family? I bet you can figure it out, but I'll lay it out anyway.

If you study the Old Testament and then read Lehi you can better understand what the environment of Jerusalem was like, but from the account in 1 Nephi we learn that there was much prophesying about destruction because of a lack of repentance. He prayed and he got a pillar of light shining down on "a rock before him; and he saw and heard much." He went home overcome by the experience and was then shown a vision. I love that this is a very similar experience to Joseph Smith, but we're not talking about that right now. Because of this vision, he went out preaching, and we know that he was persecuted for his crazy frenzied mind and they needed to leave Jerusalem because they were stoning prophets. Nephi then says:

I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender ^cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance.

Here we have a testimony of the power of deliverance and a knowledge of the Lord being over those who have faith. Is there any mention in that verse that because of this promise life will look a certain way? So, what happens next? We learn that Lehi was obedient unto the word of the Lord and packed up his family and left for the wilderness. What did he leave behind? We don't learn until later that they were a pretty well off family. Maybe they left their dream home and their swimming pool...and we know they left behind gold and silver....2 mortgage payments worth perhaps.  They went from that to living in the wilderness- or a major step down in the kind of house they had been used to! Thank goodness I'm not actually in the wilderness (although many will tell you we are heading to tent cities soon. I need to make time to write about that because I was alluding to that in my previous post about everyone claiming listening to the spirit and receiving different information and I have a friend obsessed with this tent city stuff but doesn't keep any covenants, commandments etc.. but is supposedly more 'in tune' than me and going to raise people from the dead with his priesthood.....another day) Where were we? Ah yes. In the wilderness. My family got sent to the 'wilderness' because of my question on how to be a stripping warrior mother. It was the school for my kids and downsizing our life so that we could be avail to serve a mission, and because we are preparing for what is coming with the economy. 

I'm not sure what is running through Lehi's mind at the moment or Sariah's, but so far they're in the wilderness and they are building an alter to give thanks. I know that Laman and Lemuel are wondering about this supposed destruction that they didn't believe was coming because other prophets were saying that would never happen. They were listening to dead prophets, not the living ones- especially the one living with them! It's not like they were punks for no reason. They had reason. This is the first sign that following the Lord isn't all roses. I think my kids are grumpy, but as far as I know, they aren't plotting to take my life. We also know that Nephi has some struggle too, but he takes it to the Lord and we can see the difference from when you do and when you don't like his brothers. 

Next Lehi realizes that they need the plates. The boys go back and it doesn't go all peachy. By the second failed attempt Laman and Lemuel were thinking that this wasn't something that was supposed to happen. I'm sure they were reasoning that if the Lord were sending them on this mission it would look differently. They would be successful the first time. (this reminds me of the 4th floor last door talk by president Uchtdorf) Well Nephi was thinking the same thing only he realized that success was going to look a lot different. He knew a way would be provided and didn't give up on it. At this point Laman and Lemuel can also see that Jerusalem has not been destroyed and their lovely home and things are all there sitting unused. (like my house is just sitting empty because no one has bought it. Couldn't I still be there loving the house? Would something bad have happened had we still been living there? etc...)

Without this getting too drawn out and complicated and not researched well enough, we know the troubles didn't end there. They were in the wilderness for 8 years eating uncooked meet with their family complaining. Even Sariah complained when the boys were gone too long retrieving the plates. Lehi, the prophet, even complains when the famous bow breaks. I'm sure he was thinking (like we are now) really? Things already sucks and this happens? Can we catch a break? Are you there God? Do you care? Is this your grand idea to save us? 

I wish I could tell you from this story that all became peachy and rosy at some point, but Laman and Lemuel permanently break off from the family and wars and contention become the theme of the rest of the Book of Mormon. The prosperity to pride cycle goes round and round. What I can gather from this story and many like it and all my other analogies of climbing Everest, Special Forces training, Astronaut training etc... is that the Lord is not concerned with worldly things. In fact in the New Testament he tells a couple people wanting to be disciples that they have to give up everything. He's serious. I love the early history of the church for this reason. Joseph Smith and the saints were learning this time and time again. How many things "failed." We fall prey to assuming that when we are following the Lord things will work out and you won't have any problems or wont do anything wrong. That is how we learn faith. Learn the language of the Lord. It's how we are strengthened. The lessons that come easy never seem to stick. It's only through our own gardens of gethsemane that we grow, understand, and are strengthened. We are forged in steel. The really frightening thing to understand that if you are going through such a strengthening process is that it is because you are going to need it. That's when I start wondering if maybe I do want to hop back on the shuttle and return to the earths atmosphere because in my feeble mind it seems easier than fighting for the opportunity to remain in space (reference to earlier post). 

I'll end with a quote that I have sitting in the windowsill over my kitchen sink (isn't it funny how you stop seeing things that are always there?) 

'If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived.' Jeffrey R Holland

And the one hanging on the wall by my kitchen table:

'Come what may and love it' Joseph B Wirthlin

How many times have those quotes made my blog? What seems to be the theme of all my posts? These are tough lessons to learn, and I'm obviously still trying to learn them. I'm truly grateful for a husband who helps me to see!