Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 17:45, 49

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 17:45, 49

"Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye are past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto them that they should murmur no more against their father; neither should they withhold their labor from me, for God had commanded me that I should build a ship."

I love this story after eight years in the wilderness they come to the seashore. The voice of the Lord tells Nephi to go up to the mountain and there tells him to construct a ship. Nephi's reply, where do I go to find the ore to make tools, the answer is revealed to him. I love his faith and dedication to the Lord's commands. 

When Nephi's brother find out he is building a ship they mock him. Nephi gives a very powerful discourse and in this I see what I picked up on yesterday. The voice of the Lord did speak to Laman and Lemuel. That is what the voice of thunder that shook the earth in this verse is. How powerful that must have been. Yet, we still see them without faith, believing what the Lord required of Nephi in building a ship could not be accomplished. So much so that after Nephi's discourse they want to toss him into the sea.

With that, the power of the Lord comes over Nephi and he commands them to touch him not or they would wither like a dried reed. For several days the brothers avoid going near Nephi for fear of him.

Over and over again I ask myself why did the Lord keep Laman and Lemuel around? So many times they wanted to go back to Jerusalem, so many times they wanted to kill Nephi and stop the Lord's work. Why didn't he just let them go? In this verse I see why, they were needed. Their labor was required to build a ship and then sail it to the land of their inheritance, to the promised land.

How many times do the wicked serve a purpose in getting doors opened for the Lord to do his work. I was reminded of the effect World War II had on opening the missionary efforts to the Japanese after the war. The young military service man had the experience needed in order to preach the gospel there. Yes, we don't like wars, wickedness and rebellion, but the Lord will work it all for his greater purposes. Even Laman and Lemuel with all their murmuring and threats served a greater purpose for the Lord. I also think of all the gospel lessons I have learned having to deal with difficult rebellious people. They have actually blessed my life because of what I learned. I would not change my experiences for the world. The Lord is wise and knows best how to teach his children.

Day 196 Tami Fitzgerald Harris