And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:16)Something I noticed in this scripture is that Nephi seems to suggest that he was not always the intrepid, faithful person that we have come to know and love. He notes that when he prayed to know the mysteries of God, the Lord softened his heart and helped him believe his father’s words, which shows us that his heart was hard before and he may have had difficulty believing.
Why do I find this scripture helpful? It suggests that I can pray for the Lord to soften my heart and help me believe the words of my leaders if I notice that I am not receiving counsel as I should.
(Image credit - "See the Change" blog, nvrlost.blogspot.com/2006/12/rope-breaking-on...)
2 comments:
An interesting comment on this scripture. I must admit that this was a line of thinking that I had not previously considered.
Yes, I agree, I was rather surprised too when I noticed it. I think what set Nephi apart was his desire to know and to ask the Lord himself. He let that desire work in him until he gave place for a portion of the word.. and he asked about it.
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