Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:8-9

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:8-9
"And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

While Nephi is receiving instruction from the Lord on the vision his father had, his brothers are disputing with each other over the meaning of the vision. He finds them in this condition and is overwhelmed with grief, after-all he had seen the destruction of his people by his brother's descendants. Nephi goes to be by himself until he receives enough strength to speak with his brothers. The first thing he asks them is if they had inquired of the Lord? They hadn't, because they didn't have faith that they would receive answers. What I noticed is that Nephi is willing to explain the answers to his brothers' questions, but he does not tell them all that he saw. In fact I'm not even sure he told his brothers about his vision only that he had asked and had the answers for them. He wrote about his vision for future generations to learn from.

A memory came back to me about my near-death experience. Something that is not found in the story that is recorded. Before I became gravely ill I had been pondering and praying on a particular matter. It was my gospel question that I could not understand. I still don't feel to share that question. But, after my near-death experience I totally understood the answer. I had never asked for a near-death experience, I had never asked to see a vision. I had only pondered and asked for understanding. It wasn't with doubt, it was done in faith believing that understanding would come. Yet, it was this act of pondering on a specific gospel question that lead to a uniquely personal answer.

Day 3364