What Was the Purpose of the Second Spindle?
In one section of my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," I ask this question: What was the purpose of the second spindle of the Liahona? 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.
The Liahona
There are many theories regarding the functionality of
the second spindle of the Liahona. One theory is that the second spindle always pointed the
same direction (likely north). Another theory is that it would at times point
to important resources, such as food and water. Another theory is that it
would point the exact same way as the first spindle, but only if the group was
exercising faith and the Liahona was working correctly. In other words, it
served as an indicator to signal to the group when the Liahona had stopped functioning. Another theory is that the second spindle was “settable” by Lehi and his group
to point in any direction they desired. If this was the case, the group could
set the second spindle to match the first spindle exactly, and whenever they would
wander off course a little, the spindles would not be properly aligned. The group could
then adjust their direction of travel accordingly. The more often the group would check
their alignment, the more precise their direction of travel would be. In other words,
it would work according to the diligence and heed they gave unto it. [i]
There is little incongruity between these many theories. In
other words, the second spindle may have incorporated many of these features
simultaneously. However, the functionality of the second spindle is not as
important as the purpose of the second spindle. In all these theories, it
seems that the purpose of the second spindle was to provide a way for Lehi’s
group to be able to (1) find important resources, (2) track their progress, (3)
true-up their direction of travel along the way, (4) have more precision
in their direction of travel moving forward, and (5) be confident that
their faith was allowing the Liahona to work its miracle.
Lehi’s group was likely unaware of all these purposes when they initially started using the Liahona. They simply saw that one spindle pointed the way to go. Their initial—and correct—assessment of the Liahona was that it was a simple device to use: “Follow that direction.” What they did not yet realize was that it was also a multifaceted, multifunctional device that allowed for pinpoint precision and continual improvements in their direction of travel. The group needed to gain more experience with this instrument before they could utilize it to its fullest potential. And remember, the Liahona is a symbol for the words of Christ.
Getting Off Course
With the Liahona in hand, the group departed for the promised land. Nephi states that the Liahona guided them through the most fertile parts of the wilderness (see 1 Nephi 16:16). But even with this heavenly guidance, the group suddenly found themselves in a part of the wilderness where it was extremely difficult to find food.
The group did not yet realize how easy it was to get off track by only utilizing one spindle. They looked on the ball, saw the direction the spindle pointed, and followed that direction as best they could. But how often did they check that direction?
Through this painful experience, the group now knew they had to give better heed to the Liahona. They had to use its many features in order to achieve more precise directions in their traveling. With time and experience, their knowledge of how to fully utilize this device continued to evolve.
Some Parallels for Us
The prophet Alma taught that the Liahona is a symbol for the scriptures; the words of Christ (see Alma 37:38–45). Consider how this comparison applies to
some of the principles discussed thus far.
Like the Liahona, the scriptures provide multiple points of
reference. We have the spindles of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We
have the spindles of ancient scriptures and modern-day prophets. We have
the spindles of hearing the whisperings of the Spirit as we study the
scriptures. The purpose of these “second spindles” is to allow us to be able to
(1) find important truths, (2) track our progress, (3) true-up our direction of
discipleship along the way, (4) have more precision in our direction of discipleship
moving forward, and (5) be confident that our faith is allowing the
words of Christ to work their miracles.
Like Lehi’s group, when we first start using the scriptures, we simply see that they are easy to use for guidance. But as we gain more experience with the words of Christ, we realize that they are a multifaceted, multifunctional tool which allows for pinpoint precision and continual improvement in our journey. If we only use one spindle in our scripture studies, we will not be guided as clearly and effectively to the most joyous aspects of life—and we can’t be surprised if we end up wandering off track a little. Conversely, the more heed, attention, and diligence we give to the scriptures, the more precisely and safely we can follow the covenant path. Our ability to fully utilize the scriptures increases only as we gain experience with them.
For more thoughts on these things, pick up a copy of my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," available in both printed and eBook editions from Amazon. Thanks for reading.
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