Scripture Thought
1 Nephi 7:8-15
When I read these verses, I start thinking of my own children. I think of all of us piled in the car driving to a far away land. One or two of them decided to do something, complain about something, or just plain comment on something. Of course this something was the something that breaks the camels back. When this happens, suddenly the car is full of feuding.
I wonder if that is what is happening to Nephi here. He has been doing all that he could to make sure the wishes of the Lord and his father are taken care of. Maybe they were sitting around the campfire and something that Laman or Lemuel wanted to eat got torched, someone complained about how hard this journey was, or maybe they were just making fun of him. And that was all it took. He went off on his brothers.
Do you think he was tired of leading or being ridiculed for leading? Do you think he was upset that they were not leading? Can you see this interaction in your mind's eye? Do you think he called them on the choices they were making? I can see him telling them that they can take the leadership position if they wanted it. I am sure he let the know that he would follow them to the ends of the earth, if they would lead him in righteousness.
I can totally see this happening. I can completely see where Nephi is coming from. I, like Nephi, have a hard time understanding how people who appear to have been following a righteous path suddenly stop. They stop looking beyond the brief moment they are in. They just want to have simple pleasure of the moment and have it now.
Because of the manner of choice making they experience, they fail to understand why things don't work out for them when the simple pleasure has passed. To make the sadness worse, when they don't understand these things they fail to seek understanding to learn from the experience. Thus they continue to make the same rash choice in the moment of satisfaction instead of with eternal perspective.
It makes me wonder if they were really ever on the right path. They feel the influence, they enjoy the moment of it, but when they walk away from the fire, they loose the flame, its light, its warmth, and it influence. Why can't they receive the Holy Ghost and carry the flame with them like a torch.
Sometimes, I would like to be able to duct tape the torch to their hands and make sure they carry it, but know that the torch has to be received, accepted, and willingly carried. It is not something that can be force upon them.
When I read these verses, I start thinking of my own children. I think of all of us piled in the car driving to a far away land. One or two of them decided to do something, complain about something, or just plain comment on something. Of course this something was the something that breaks the camels back. When this happens, suddenly the car is full of feuding.
I wonder if that is what is happening to Nephi here. He has been doing all that he could to make sure the wishes of the Lord and his father are taken care of. Maybe they were sitting around the campfire and something that Laman or Lemuel wanted to eat got torched, someone complained about how hard this journey was, or maybe they were just making fun of him. And that was all it took. He went off on his brothers.
Do you think he was tired of leading or being ridiculed for leading? Do you think he was upset that they were not leading? Can you see this interaction in your mind's eye? Do you think he called them on the choices they were making? I can see him telling them that they can take the leadership position if they wanted it. I am sure he let the know that he would follow them to the ends of the earth, if they would lead him in righteousness.
I can totally see this happening. I can completely see where Nephi is coming from. I, like Nephi, have a hard time understanding how people who appear to have been following a righteous path suddenly stop. They stop looking beyond the brief moment they are in. They just want to have simple pleasure of the moment and have it now.
Because of the manner of choice making they experience, they fail to understand why things don't work out for them when the simple pleasure has passed. To make the sadness worse, when they don't understand these things they fail to seek understanding to learn from the experience. Thus they continue to make the same rash choice in the moment of satisfaction instead of with eternal perspective.
It makes me wonder if they were really ever on the right path. They feel the influence, they enjoy the moment of it, but when they walk away from the fire, they loose the flame, its light, its warmth, and it influence. Why can't they receive the Holy Ghost and carry the flame with them like a torch.
Sometimes, I would like to be able to duct tape the torch to their hands and make sure they carry it, but know that the torch has to be received, accepted, and willingly carried. It is not something that can be force upon them.
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