Scripture study has become the central joy of my life. If I can't do anything else in a day, I study the word of God. Without this my Project Joy, and I dare say my whole life, would be meaningless. The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are my dear friends as is the Book of Mormon, my study focus this year. I know it is true, for I've taken the challenge of Moroni 10:4, sincerely read the Book of Mormon with an open mind, prayed to God in the name of Christ with real intent, asking to know the truth, and have been given a witness by the power of the Holy Ghost.
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| Lehi Flees Jerusalem C.C.A. Christensen |
Lehi was a prophet and seer. A prophet receives revelation from God for His children, the church, while a seer also sees the future and reveals the mysteries of God. Lehi was very unpopular, because he called the inhabitants of Jerusalem to repentance and for told of the destruction and captivity of that great city. This caused the people to seek his life. God warned Lehi in a dream to flee the city with his family, provisions, and tents. A wealthy man, he left behind much gold, silver, and property, although he took his real wealth, his family and testimony. At this time the family consisted of 4 sons, a wife, and an unnumbered amount of daughters.
I often marvel at the faith of this man. By American standards, my family is middle class, but the rest of the world would see us as wealthy. We are comfortable. Would I go where the Lord wanted me to go and do what He wanted me to do? Then I think, could I do what Lehi's family did? Am I or could I be soon ready to flee my home with provisions, tents, and family to do what the Lord would have me do where He would have me do it? How can I prepare?
While the Jews who wished to take the life of Lehi believed themselves religious, they were hardly followers of God. They had a form of worship but were not converted to the coming of the savior. They were hard hearted and stoned many prophets. They were ignorant of the prophesies of Isaiah and others of the coming of the Messiah and His expectations of His people. They had no personal relationship with that God who made them and did not understand. We see this same rebellion against the Lord and His servants today, because people are more comfortable living worldly lives.
Even in Lehi's family, some were not converted and did not believe. Two sons, Laman and Lemuel, did not understand visions and prophesy. With hard hearts, they murmured, which is complaining behind their father's back. Another son, Nephi, wanted a witness of the vision of his father and so prayed for such. After receiving this witness, he spoke to his brothers, asking them if they had prayed. They responded that they had not, because they didn't believe God would reveal anything to them.
Because of Nephi's faith and humility, he was promised a life of prosperity in a Land of Promise in the future. God also told Nephi that his brothers would be cut off from God and cursed if they didn't repent. Also, the descendents of Laman and Lemuel would be the enemies of Nephi's descendents. The people of Nephi would be safe if they continued to live according to the precepts of God. If they rebelled, the descendents of Laman and Lemuel, would prevail and bring them into bondage.
Nephi's visit with God would sustain him through many trials. The first, upon fleeing from Jerusalem, Lehi took his family into the wilderness. This wilderness was filled with roaming bands of bandits. Still Lehi built an alter of stones and made sacrifices unto God. This is a lesson in gratitude. How can a family feel grateful, when they loose their home, sacrifice all worldly possessions and comforts, have strive within their ranks, and become refugees? Faith must be great, but such faith is build by faith itself. The more we obey His word by faith, the more faith we have. The more faith we develop the more willing we become sacrifice and obey, which will bring great blessings. Entering the cycle is the first step of faith and it builds from there.
Later the sons returned to Jerusalem twice. Once they got the Old Testament and family genealogy. The second time they brought out a family with at least 5 daughters to be their wives. This family with daughters were kinsmen to Lehi's wife and of the tribe of Ephraim. This obedience allowed a branch of Israel, Joseph through Ephraim (Ishmael's family) and Manasseh (Lehi's family), to be saved from scattering and destruction. It allowed a new fold of sheep to be established on a distant continent, where the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ and the stick of Joseph, was recorded over more than 1000 years. The prophets in the New World knew they were not keeping the record for their own people but for the latter-days.
"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand." Ezekiel 37:16-19
"If you will carefully analyze this verse, you will discover that it positively states that this "stick" which is the "stick of Joseph," thus covering both tribes, is "in the hand of Ephraim." The record, after its presentation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, was placed in the hand of Ephraim, for Joseph Smith was of Ephraim. There is no reason for us to attempt a reconciliation. The Book of Mormon is as much the stick of Ephraim as it is of Manasseh, because both Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph. The record of Joseph is now in the hand of Ephraim. So far as the fulfillment of the prophecy is concerned, it becomes the record of Ephraim, for the Latter-day Saints are, in the main, of Ephraim." Joseph Fielding Smith
