Lehi's Intercession

1 Nephi 1:3-4 

For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.  

Historians estimate that this was referring to a time around 600 B.C.  At this time, Lehi was not described as being a prophet, himself.  But he heard the voices of many prophets, not just one, who were expressing to the Jerusalemites the great need to repent.  If not, their great city must be destroyed.

What were their great sins that needed repenting of?  Nephi did not take the time to explain specifics here, but he explains Lehi's reaction of praying as he went forth.  It does not sound like he entered his closet or even his bedroom here, but was out and about still, talking to the Lord with all his heart, in behalf – or in other words, in intercession – of his people.

I believe there is much we can do yet in coming to the Lord through the act of intercession, and not giving up hope for those we feel are in wicked paths.

Ironically Lehi did not run to the ecclesiastical leaders, enlisting their assistance in supporting the prophets who were rejected and mocked in 1 Nephi 1.  Nor did he rally other members to his aid.  He went straight to the Lord, en route to wherever he was going.

And it came to pass as he prayed unto the Lord, there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much; and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly.  

And it came to pass that he returned to his own home at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.  

And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a vision... -1 Nephi 1:6-8 (partial)

Our relationship with the Lord is not dependent upon our acceptance into a crowd of believers (or non-believers, what have you), who accept or reject our message or beliefs.  Additionally it is not dependent upon our acceptance into clubs, churches, or other mortal groups of like-minded thinkers who can kick you out, although these can give great comfort or feelings of acceptance with their paper-based membership records.  If we believe Lehi's experience with the Lord was real, then in the first eight verses of the Book of Mormon we are shown a very efficient narrative on how to know the Lord in real life.  Pour out your heart to him in intercession of another, and he will manifest himself to you in one way or another, whether it be through a pillar of fire, hands, energy or love through the veil, or face to face.  If we follow the pattern established through Lehi's example, one can see that this part is just the beginning of what might be experienced while yet in the flesh. 

1 Nephi 1:17 - Nephi's account

1 Nephi 1:17: 

17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an ^aabridgment of the record of my ^bfather, upon^cplates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my ^dfather then will I make an account of mine own life.

Nephi begins here by expressing that this is his account.  This is his life he's talking about, and it's him doing the recording.  Although this Book of Nephi is held in the Book of Mormon, these are Nephi's words, unabridged at this point.  I feel this is a testament to the law of witnesses.  Perhaps there is some import at the judgment day that Nephi takes the time to make this point clear, and not just to be redundant.  But they are his days.  This is not the account of Laman, Lemuel, Sam, or Nephi's sisters.  He wrote it.  

Nephi also points out he is making an abridgment - or a summary, or more brief record - of his father's experiences.  Why does he do this?  It seems that much of this record already is sharing what happened to his father Lehi.  Is it possible for Nephi to share his story, without first talking about his father, and how he was influenced?  

Once again, he is also setting himself up as a second witness.  His father is one.  Nephi makes two.  In scripture we are told that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall all things be established (2 Cor. 13:1).  Nephi is fulfilling that law.

It is also awesome to think that somewhere, also likely on metal plates, is Lehi's full, unabridged version of what happened to him.  How cool would it be to have that record revealed, as we know Lehi witnessed a LOT of things that are not contained in this record.  

Also we find out that Nephi made these plates.  Have you ever tried to make metal plates?  would you know how to start?  Would it take a long time?  Where would you find metal to create plates out of?  And why would you use metal?  Nephi surely knew that other means of writing were not going to be able to be preserved.  This tells us (before he tells us) that he knew these records would be shared with a people who would live LONG after he passed from this earth.  

So he found metal.  He had to have dug it from the earth, somehow.  Then he had to melt the metal, and have a means to form it into metal plates.  Can you imagine the process to do this?  Were there college courses for Nephi to learn how to meld metal?  Or how to remove it from the mold?  

And how did Nephi know how to inscribe his language onto metal plates?  Did he learn reformed Egyptian/Hebrew in college?  How long did it take him to form the best tools to do so efficiently?  

As far as words are concerned, do you think that Nephi felt his weakness, knowing that millions of people would eventually find his words at the beginning of a foreign book?  that millions of people would memorize "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents"?  Did he wonder if his work would be criticized, or judged?  At very least he seemed to recognize the importance of pointing out the need to testify that what he is writing is his, and it is true.

Lastly, Nephi shows a great example of how to write a bit of family history.  First he writes about his father's experience, and shows how it has impacted him.  While this might seem natural to those familiar with writing, those who are just beginning to analyze their lives might not realize the importance of one's parentage.  Nephi starts it from the get go.  

1 Nephi 1:16 - A Partial Account

1 Nephi 1:16 reads:

And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in ^avisions and in ^bdreams; and he also hath written many things which he ^cprophesied and spake unto his children, of which I shall not make a full account.

Nephi starts by reminding us that it's still him writing.  This serves as both a witness, and also clarification, since he had been referring to what happened to his father thus far.

(photo source)

Nephi points out that what he has written thus far is not a full account.  There is more.  Much more!  He wrote many things, which he saw in visions.  Have you ever seen a vision?  Denver Snuffer wrote a very interesting blog post on how information is passed along in such visions.  It is often not communicated using language or words which carry a vibrational frequency, but loads of information is passed from one being to the mortal.  It's fascinating.

The same principle applies in dreams, which Lehi also wrote many things regarding.  Have you ever tried recording a dream?  I have a journal dedicated to my frequent dreams, but it is one of the most difficult thing to do - to write about the contents of a dream.  How do you write, describe, or properly communicate in writing the things which are so visual, so abstract, or so unclear of their meaning?  This must certainly have been challenging for Lehi, and Nephi to repeat or abridge.

Lehi also wrote many things which he prophesied and spake to his children.  Have you ever tried to record the important events of the day with clarity?  I cringe to think what my children or descendants will think of me, when they read my abstract journal entries.  They are so vague.  I refer to people and places, with no real allusion even to who or what these places are.  I travel to other states, and visit people in random places, but I never really explain full details in my journal.  So very abstract it is.

But it had to be different for Nephi, to re-record Lehi's visions, dreams, prophecies and preaching.  He had to be inspired to know what to share.  What's worth repeating?  Surely God directed him, because each and every verse is so loaded with meaning.  The trick is taking the time to decipher, understand, ponder, and ask even more questions about what these important verses mean.  God does, indeed, reveal mysteries about these verses to those who take time to sincerely search, ponder and pray sincerely over them.

xo  

1 Nephi 1:13 - Wo unto Jerusalem

This verse is plaguing me.  I don't have much to say about it, besides that it has proven true through the course of history.  And it's taken me over a week to get to sharing.

1 Nephi 1:13

And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine ^aabominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning ^bJerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be ^ccarried away captive into Babylon.

And he read.  Lehi's still reading the book, given to him by "the first", meaning the Savior, pre-earth life.  One thing I forgot to mention before, is that these verses definitely prove an existence of spirit beings, before they are born.  If Jehovah were creating the earth before he was born into mortality, that means he had a spirit body.  And if there were others that followed him, that means they had spirit bodies too.  Not many faiths explore this topic much, but in the LDS faith, it is a tenant.  We believe in pre-earth life, as spirits.

So in aprox. 600 B.C., as Lehi reads a book, passed to him during a vision involving Jehovah, he gives a double strong warning to the people of Jerusalem.  He heard prophets witness of Jerusalem's pending destruction; now he can add his own.

I've heard it said before (sorry, no source) that "wo" means not just "whoa!" but "damned".  If that is the case, how does it affect this verse?  Damned, damned [is/will be] Jerusalem.  Ut uh.  Better listen up.  Any why is Lehi sharing this with us?  Just as an "I told you so" moment?  Or is there a lesson here for us?

For I have seen thine abominations!  One, it's not often in scripture that we see exclamation points.  Lehi's seriously calling these people out!  And he has seen them.  This not only indicates that Lehi was given the gift of "seeing" things that not everyone is privileged to see, but it also indicates that our sins cannot be hidden.  Many think that in the privacy of their homes, they can do whatever sins they please, and no one will notice.  The good and bad part is, God sees, and at times, his prophets see.  Somehow, so many of these prophets see the wickedness of others, and serve not only as bullhorns of repentance-calling, but also as testifiers.  At the last day, I expect that whatever prophet saw me and my works will be there, either testifying in support or against my actions.  I hope they're pretty supportive, because I can use all the help I can get!!!

Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem–that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon.  This is fascinating.  Have we not seen this come to pass, reading the annals of history?  But even more interesting –who are these people?  Are these not God's covenant people?  These are the "religious".  These are the people who the Bible speaks of.  They might keep the laws and obey the ordinances of their religion, but do they really believe?  Are we any different, or are we the same?  They are being warned of destruction, and Lehi, as one sole prophet of many, has seen their abominations.  What are abominations?  (I looked up the root word, and there are so many differing views that it's not worth exploring too far in depth.)  In essence, I imagine these are not only small, but very large sins.  Not something that any of us are immune to, perhaps?  How many of us are under our own abominations?  The Doctrine & Covenants and even living prophets have warned repeatedly of our abominations, and the need to quickly repent.  But do we?  What's our excuse? 

(Photo source found here. Painting by Nicolas Poussin of a later conflict in Jerusalem, as recorded by Flavius Josephus (AD 37/38-100).  Same affect though.  Illustrates horrific destruction.  Painting background here.)

Either way, Jerusalem was destroyed shortly after 600 B.C.  The inhabitants did perish by the sword, and many were carried away into captivity into Babylon.

If this were shared for a reason, and not just a history lesson, what's the lesson for us?  I think it's that God will not forever look upon sin and allow it.  Eventually, those who refuse to repent, despite many, many warnings, will suffer either destruction or slavery.  Neither one sounds very enjoyable. 

(I think I'll take door #2, Bob.) 

1 Nephi 1:12 - as he read...

1 Nephi 1:12

And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the ^aSpirit of the Lord.

Such a short verse, yet so power packed.  

As Lehi read.  What an interesting word choice.  While there are numerous ways for someone to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord, in this instance, Lehi is in the process of reading.  It is an action, not simply observing a vision unfold.  I wonder why the Lord gave Lehi this format to unfold the things we are about to see that he witnessed.  As he read. 

He was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.  Is this "Spirit" the same as the Holy Spirit?  Or is this the Light of Christ?  Either way, Lehi was filled.  Not just touched, but his whole soul likely emanated with the radiance that comes from an encounter with God.   

Putting these two phrases together is powerful.  How often do you read a book and become so immensely filled with the Spirit of God?  And what does that feel like? 

In Galations 5:22-23 we learn what the fruit of the Spirit is - or the byproduct, basically.  

 22 But the ^afruit of the ^bSpirit is ^clove, ^djoy, ^epeace, ^flongsuffering, ^ggentleness, goodness, ^hfaith,

 23 ^aMeekness, ^btemperance: against such there is no law.

I wonder if Lehi felt love?  Or joy?  Peace?  Longsuffering for the trials he was about to face?  Gentleness for his ever growing family?  Faith that what he was witnessing was REAL?  Faith that was the prophets had testified of in Jerusalem was real as well?  Meekness and love of his fellow beings, and temperance against their wickedness.  Against these things there is no law.  They are good virtues, and part of what is often felt when being filled with the Spirit of the Lord.  Such a Spirit testifies that what is being learned or experienced is true!  

So whatever Lehi read, it is somewhat veiled from our view. but it was bold and powerful, I have no doubt.  Have you read anything lately that produces a similar affect?  Perhaps we should seek out such books.  

1 Nephi 1:11 - a Book

Continuing from 1 Nephi 1:10, 1 Nephi 1:11:

And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and ^astood before my father, and gave unto him a ^bbook, and bade him that he should read.

It says "they" came down.  I trust that this means "the One" and the twelve, and I will assume that is the case.  (In the previous verses, the One descended and the twelve followed him.  This verse follows, so I trust they is all inclusive.)  So they came down.  Not up, but once again, they are descending from their sphere onto this earthly one.

They went forth upon the face of the earth.  Is this a loaded statement, or was this just a simple description that they came in contact with the earthly elements on this earth?  Did they do more than just walk around?  Did Lehi witness ministering, and then veil it in such a broad statement?

The first came and stood before Nephi's father.  Is this first the Savior?  I assume it is, but I'm not sure why it's not a capital F for first.  But assuming it is him, this is quite a remarkable experience.  At this point, Lehi is having a one-on-one encounter with Jehovah, the firstborn of the Father.  And He - Jehovah - came to Lehi.  This is noteworthy, as this is not just Lehi feeling overwhelmed with the Spirit any longer.  He's not only witnessing the heavens open, but now the One is approaching him, and giving him a gift.  This is a very significant experience, and is changing Lehi's live, milli-moment by milli-moment.

Lehi receives a book.  Of all things!  Not a flower, a hug, or a chocolate ice cream cone.  A book.  Books are one of my favorite things, because in such a small space can be such powerful information be contained.  That is the case with this book, as we will soon find out.

Lehi was then bidden to read the book.  Can you imagine if he received the book, but never took the time to read it?  I've given out lots of books to friends as gifts, and I'm always curious to know if they've read it.  Can you imagine if Jehovah would present you with a book, bid you to read it, and then you just don't have the time?  The horror!  I can't imagine Lehi giving that excuse.

Yet often we do it all the time.

When I come home to my parents', I always love looking at their bookshelves.  I scour them for anything new, and even better–anything old.  Today I found some really great old books.  But I have to think that to be given such a book as Lehi got to read... wow.  That'd be quite the gift! 

1 Nephi 1:8 - A Throne and Concourses

In my last post about 1 Nephi 1:7,  I wrote my thoughts on what Lehi was going through, as he had just barely experienced a remarkable situation of being overcome with the Spirit.  On to 1 Nephi 1:8:

And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a ^avision, even that he saw the ^bheavens open, and he thought he ^csaw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God.

This post has really taken me a long to muster.  Figuring out how to really analyze this one is really challenging.  What did Lehi really experience here?  He was carried away.  Is that literally?  Physically, or spiritually?

I've learned a lot in the last several months about spiritual separation - how when many people experience certain things, part of their spirit will recede to somewhere else in order for the part of the spirit which remains to be able to tolerate the experience and still allow the body to function.  For those who believe we have a spirit that is fluid, is it not hard to imagine and believe.  Some may think that's way out there, but for those who have experienced trauma and undergo serious emotional and spiritual work, they will attest to the possibility, and even truth of this idea.

So what happened to Lehi?  Was he spiritually carried away, or is it more literal, in a physical sense?  Just some questions to ponder.

He was carried away in a vision.  What did he see?  He saw the heavens open.  Wow!!!  What does that entail?  Is it like a curtain parts?  Like a new realm simply appears where he was carried away to?  Or was he carried to a heavenly space?

He thought he saw God.  Remarkable.

Sitting upon his throne.  A throne is a strong symbol of authority.  It denotes a position of power, respect, and justice.  It is also, for some, a "mercy seat".  I know the term mercy seat is a loaded term, so I won't get in to that, but a throne is a very symbolic image.  It denotes Kingship.

God was sitting.  Why sitting?  Why not standing?  To me, this sends a message of calm attentiveness.  What was He paying attention to?  How would it be, to have God's attention?  How would that make one feel, to know they were privy to this scene?  How would it feel to be Lehi, and get a glimpse of this throne with the Almighty God, sitting on it?

God was surrounded - not just in the company of, but surrounded... Have you ever been surrounded?  How does that feel?  Overwhelming?  Exciting?  I know I personally get overwhelmed when I'm surrounded by people, but God is capable of this.  And apparently rather than get flustered, as many mortals do, He did not.  For there were numberless concourses of angels.  Numberless?  Holy cow.

The angels were in the attitude of singing and praising their God.  Can you even imagine?  True singing!  Real praise, not just lip service!  What does it take, to truly sing and praise God?  Is it showy?  Is it all hands in the air?  Or is it all hands on the ground?  Perhaps both?  Perhaps neither?  Have we mortals ever really experienced what it feels like to really sing to and praise God?  What a wonderful thing for Lehi to witness.  It must have been a remarkable sight.

p.s. - Denver Snuffer's The Second Comforter has an extensive and deeply poignant view of this verse.  See the chapter titled Ceremony and Knowing God.  Well worth the read.

1 Nephi 1:7 - Being Overcome with the Spirit

In 1 Nephi 1:6, we learned about Lehi's first visionary experience, which caused him to quake and tremble.  Here, in 1 Nephi 1:7, we learn several things about the nature of that experience, and what it did to Lehi's physical body.  

1 Nephi 1:7

And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being ^aovercome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.

It says he returned to his own house, which was at Jerusalem.  This indicates that the experience that followed him praying with all his heart, did not occur in Lehi's home.  It was elsewhere.  The pillar of fire which appeared dwelt upon a rock.  Perhaps it was without his home, just as Joseph Smith, in his first visionary experience, went to a grove of trees near his home.  We don't know for sure with Lehi, but we do know that he returned home.  

In returning, he cast himself upon his bed – his place of rest.  I sometimes laugh when I read this line, because it makes me think of my kids when they have a tantrum, throwing themselves on their bed, kicking and screaming.  I trust that's not what happened in Lehi's case.  Often one's bed is one of the most energetically secure or sacred spaces in their home.  There are a variety of reasons for this, but for myself, I enjoy reading and studying near my bed.  For Lehi, he didn't go to the kitchen, the tv room, the busy areas.  He went to his quiet space.  And then he likely told himself, "Ok, breathe.  You're not crazy.  You just witnessed a pillar of fire.  And more.  Breathe..."

Being overcome with the Spirit, he cast himself upon his bed.  There are several instances where other mortal men experienced this same symptom, of being overcome after experiencing something highly spiritual.  In the book of Moses, it says that Moses experienced similarly:

9  And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.
10  And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. (Moses 1:9-10, italics added)

It is apparently not a weakness of Lehi's, but something inherent in mortals that when they experience something otherworldly, their physical strength is often drained.  This is reported to be the case with Sidney Rigdon, after he and Joseph Smith witnessed the vision(s) recorded in D&C 76.  I suppose one explanation could be that God is full of light, much more than the sun at noonday.  Just spending a few hours in the sun will tend to drain me.  Perhaps spending even short amounts of time with beings in higher elements would tend to have this affect on a mortal. 

When we learn that Lehi's weakness was due from being overcome with the Spirit, and also from the things which he had seen, it makes me wonder, once again, what did he see?  And what did he hear?  And what prohibits so many of us from asking the Lord to show us, as He did with Lehi?  Do we fear we too will be overcome?  Or are we just lazy?  Is it not a priority?  Do we think we're not righteous enough?  How righteous was Lehi?  What did he do to warrant such attention from heavenly visitations?  What do we need to do to warrant such things?  It is not improper to ask. 

1 Nephi 1:5 - The Prayer with "Heart"

1 Nephi 1:5

Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his ^aheart, in behalf of his people.

This is one of those short verses, that often get overlooked because it seems so simple.  Yet it tells us a lot about Lehi.  In the previous verse, we learn that he had just heard many prophets telling the people of his beloved town that they would be destroyed if they did not repent.  His heart is likely filled with anxiety for his people.  Did he have brothers and sisters, in-laws, neices, nephews, cousins that lived in this great city, Jerusalem?  Business partners, friends in the community, even parents to worry about?  His heart was full, surely, and he took his full heart to the Lord in prayer.  Can you imagine the words of that prayer?  The emotion?  The pain and worry he felt? The pleading for their welfare, and for God to perhaps spare them? 

Yesterday in church we had a lesson on prayer.  It seemed as though several in our group had many comments.  I had a comment too, but the others were far more eager to share than I was, such that I didn't get a chance to think about raising my hand. ;) Regardless, they emphasized how powerful prayer was.  I have no doubt that prayers are heard and answered, although not always as we are taught, or expect them to be answered.  I have one friend who thinks God is her personal wish-grantor, and if she keeps buying Lotto tickets, one day, He'll pull through for her.  An interesting view, indeed.  On another website, I read a girl forsake her faith, because she said God was never there for her.  I'd beg to differ.  But that's a whole other topic. 

I do have a few thoughts that were not mentioned in class about our end of prayer that I'd like to share.  They revolve primarily on King Benjamin's sermon in the beginning of Mosiah.  The main points?  We need to always acknowledge our nothingness, our unworthiness, and our dependence on God for everything we have, including even the breath we take in.  This is a well-known concept in many Christian churches, and a turn off to some.  But in LDS circles, this is rarely discussed, and this kind of talk is often frowned upon.  Yet I think it's exactly what we need.  (See "All is Well" for more on that thought.)  We boost one another up in our talk of "self-esteem", but we forget that without God, we are nothing.  And without humility and a contrite and broken heart, it is hard for Him to reach us.  This is the case here, with Lehi.  Was his heart broken, after hearing the words of impending doom for those he loved?  Was his spirit truly contrite, in seeking for God's mercy upon them?  Was Lehi praying for their hearts to be softened, made humble and contrite?  One can only guess.  But we do know that at very least, he prayed with all his heart.    

1 Nephi 1:4

1 Nephi 1:4

For it came to pass in the commencement of the ^afirst year of the reign of ^bZedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at ^cJerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many ^dprophets, prophesying unto the people that they must ^erepent, or the great city ^fJerusalem must be destroyed.

 Right here, in the forth verse of the Book of Mormon, 1st Book of Nephi, we are given a time reference.  Almost like a date on the letterhead.  Nephi knows (although it is not addressed here) that we will have the Bible, which will refer to Zedekiah, king of Judah.  He knows there are many, many references to this king in the Bible, and by sharing this, Nephi knows that all the scholarly people who like to figure out timelines and dates, etc., will do so.  He doesn't have to tell us, "I left Jerusalem at 600 B.C."  Well, at least not yet.  (At 600 B.C., I don't think they referenced their time as "B.C."  That's just my guess, from logical thinking.)  

This reference to Zedekiah does many things.  

• It bears witness of the validity of the Bible, acting as a "second witness", which is applying God's "law of witnesses".  
• It tells us the date of when this part of his history began.
• He asserts that he knew that Zedekiah was king.  He didn't just hear of Zedekiah.  He knew of him, and likely knew of the political happenings of the day as well.  
• It may tell us that Nephi was of age to be aware of political happenings.  I was about 12 when I started realizing what was happening in my country, politically.  Perhaps it helps us presume that Nephi was at least of maturity to understand a bit of political events.

Next, we learn a little more about Lehi.  It says he dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days.  Have you, or anyone in your family, lived in generally one location all your days?  As I explore my family history, I can assert that yes, most of my family has lived in the same 100 mile radius most of their lives, if not their whole lives.  It is only in the last 15 or so years that my family has felt to become more mobile, thanks to ease of transportation.  Prior to that, however, my parents and grandparents for generations back lived in the same place.  And before they emmigrated, they generally stayed in the same province, from what I understand.  

Here, Nephi is telling us that Lehi dwelt at Jerusalem all his days.  This leads me to make an assumption.  There is likely a lot of family tradition here.  There are emotional, family, and traditional ties.  This family was likely very well established, if not well known in their community.  Lehi was settled enough to have had at least four sons, and some daughters.  To afford to support such a family, he would have had to have supported an honorable income.  He was likely highly successful. 

"...in that same year there came many ^dprophets"  This is also a second witness to what is evidenced in the Bible record.  It also says there prophets.  Not just one, but many.  Can you imagine their personalities?  We are told in the New Testament that there was a prophetess named Anna.  Perhaps were any of these prophets prophetesses?  The Bible references the names of some of these prophets.  (If you click the link above over "prophets" there are many Bible cross references.)  

(photo source - courtesy of AP/DailyMail)

"...prophesying unto the people that they must ^erepent, or the great city ^fJerusalem must be destroyed." Here is a perfect "if/then" lineup. And it sums up what the prophets shared. Repent or the awesome city of Jerusalem is going down! This brings up a few points.

• Repent of what?  We're sure to find out what they had to repent of, if not directly, then by the example of others who end up being destroyed in this record.
• The prophets were pointing out their sins.  Were they popular because of this?  Are prophets ever popular?  Have you ever heard of a prophet who is loved by those who are being chastised?  
• There was a chance for Jerusalem to not be destroyed.  The people had to repent.  It would likely involve a lot of personal change and repentance, but it was possible.  They just had to embrace the message and believe.  Believing and changing proved harder than the ensuing destruction.  There was probably a lot of self-justification and denial of miracles going on too.

From this verse, we can learn so much.  Even continuing the thought from the last bullet point, we can see how hard it is to get un-ensnared from the tangles of sin.  How much easier it is to not willingly commit sin, than to engage in it and have to get freed somehow? 

Your thoughts on 1 Nephi 1:4?

Book of Mormon Geography

What is this, you ask?  A sketch, or drawing of sorts? 

Why yes, yes it is.  I'm a nerd for Book of Mormon geography, and this is my map of where it all went down. 

While I won't say that it did or didn't happen in one region or another, I will say that this is my interpretation or layout of how it's described during the period from Alma-Helaman.  I appreciate having a layout, so I can envision the movements of all the armies.  Having it set out like this allows me to ponder some questions.  Like in Alma 51, it says that the city of Nephihah was so strongly fortified that Amalickiah refused to go against it.  Instead, he headed for the city of Moroni (bottom right), and then continued on to take Lehi, Morianton, Omner, and Mulek.  (It doesn't mention here anything about Jershon or Antionum.)  They were headed toward Bountiful, when they were repulsed by Teancum and his men, who were "great warriors".  I gather that Teancum and his men were likely the best of the Nephite forces; their elite.  So why were they kept up in the north-east corner, when the Lamanites would've likely come up from their lands, in the south (the land of Nephi)?  Having a good sense of the layout of the land helps bring up questions like these.  Good things worth pondering. 

Another interesting thing is that the "narrow neck of land" took one and a half days for a Nephite to cross, from the east to the west seas (Alma 22:32).  Was this on foot, or horseback?  Something I'd surely like to know.  (And now that I looked, I already need to make an adjustment to my map.  Bountiful goes all the way from the east sea to the west sea, not just the north-east corner.  Alma 22:33)

One can say that the geography got all messed up when Jesus was crucified.  Cities were sunken, burned, raised up and down... so it might all be entirely different from what it was.  But I really enjoy having something to imagine with.  Hopefully someday soon it'll all be revealed.  What a fun day for all that will be!

~Jen:)

Ammon, descendant of Zarahelma

It's been fascinating to read the Book of Mormon in a relatively fast manner.  It's allowed me to grasp things through different glasses.  There's a section in Mosiah and into Alma where there's a bit of a "flashback", where so many different stories are told quite quickly, and it's often been hard for me to keep them straight.  I hope to record on here some notes to keep the stories a bit more clear in my mind.

One thing I caught yesterday in Mosiah 7:3 was the description about Ammon.  Often when we take lazy perspectives on the Book of Mormon, we just assume that most of the main characters are descendants of Lehi, and then Nephi as well.  They're all lumped into the label "Nephites" for general reference.

In regards to Ammon, we learn that he is "a descendant of Zarahemla" –a Mulekite.  For the reference chain on this, read Mosiah 7:3, Omni 1:14-15, and Mosiah 25:2.  (If you click on Mos. 7:3, there's a hyperlink that'll lead you to Omni, then to Mosiah.  Cool!)  That means he was a descendant of Mulek, son of Zedekiah, king of Judah.  He was not of the descent of the family of Lehi. 

Ammon and about 40 others, to include his three brothers, were sent to find the people of Zeniff, who left Zarahemla about 79 years prior to settle in the land of Lehi-Nephi.  When they encountered Limhi and his guards, they (Ammon & bros.) were taken, bound, and imprisoned for several days. 

(The Lamanite King before King Limhi, by Minerva Teichert)

Upon giving an opportunity to speak with Limhi again, they all basically get reintroduced.  We learn of Limhi's background, but *thus far* there is nothing spoken to say if he's a Nephite or Mulekite.  I'm excited to read the account that was kept from Zeniff down to Limhi, and learn more about what went on! 

~Jen:)