Wandering or Direction?
In one section of my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," I ask this question: Was Nephi's group aimlessly wandering or being led by the Lord? For simplicity, I will dive right into the message of this post, but for more background on these events, feel free to visit the About Page.
Wandering or Direction?
At one point while Nephi's group was journeying towards the promised land, the daughters of Ishmael complained: "We have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness" (1 Nephi 16:35, italics added).
There was no evidence to suggest that the group was aimlessly wandering. Quite the opposite. All the evidence pointed to the fact that the Lord was guiding them towards the promised land. The two strongest points of evidence were these: (1) they had been consistently following a specific direction, and (2) they had experienced many miracles from the Lord.
1) A Clear Direction
Without a long-term perspective, it is always easy to question the Lord’s guidance. The daughters of Ishmael had no map of the area, no chart of the oceans they were to cross. This was a journey made almost completely by faith. Unless they took the time and effort to track their progress over a long period of time via the Liahona, they could not say with certainty that their course was anything more than random wanderings.
Nephi, on the other hand, knew they were not aimlessly wandering. He had kept track of their progress. He knew that they had started traveling south-southeast, and had then turned straight east (see 1 Nephi 16:13; 17:1). Does this sound like aimless wandering?
Do we see the direction our lives have taken as somewhat haphazard, with the Lord helping us along the way? Or do we see the direction of our lives as being far more directed by God? Do we think we are wandering in the wilderness, or being purposefully led to an exact location?
2) Forgetting the Miracles
Throughout their journey, the group had experienced dozens of miracles to prove that the Lord was with them; the Liahona, the uncooked food, the Lord’s audible voice, a visible light at night, “and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day” (Alma 37:40). Yet somehow, the daughters of Ishmael no longer saw the Lord’s hand in the miracles they had received thus far.
Why is it so easy to remember our afflictions, but so difficult to remember the Lord’s miracles? How could Nephi’s group forget the many witnesses they had received? Were these things not strong indicators that the Lord was guiding them?
Laman and Lemuel Would Always Be Wandering
Laman and Lemuel did not see the vision. They said that Lehi had led them out of Jerusalem, not the Lord. They did not believe that the Lord was leading them to the promised land. They did not see the purpose of their journey. As a result, everything was more difficult for them.
Person | Vision | Means | Level of Murmuring |
Nephi | Gained the vision early | Through prayer | Never murmured |
Sam | Gained the vision early | Through Nephi’s words and example | Never murmured |
Lehi | Gained the vision fairly early | Through scripture study (the brass plates) | Murmured once after gaining the vision |
Sariah | Gained the vision fairly early | Through trial | Murmured once before gaining the vision |
Laman and Lemuel | Never fully gained the vision | Despite abundant prayer, study, example, and trial | Only had one period of life where they did not murmur |
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