The themes I’ve picked up on in this reading of First Nephi have been ones that trouble me, as well as the Bloggernacle, frequently: what does it mean to preside in your home? Further, what level of personal confirmation of our leaders’ words are we entitled to? Let’s see what Nephi and Lehi can teach us about these two related problems.
As you read First Nephi, you may notice one pervasive theme: the ubiquity of Nephi’s reliance on “the commandments of God” in his exhortations to his brethren. This is so in-character for him that the formulation often escapes further scrutiny. Well, think for a minute about the commandments he’s referring to. The Ten Commandments? No. The words written by prophets in the Brass Plates? Nope. He’s talking about the admonitions of none other than Dear Old Dad. I’ve linked four scriptures above that make that reference, but there are many, many more moments when Nephi speaks of his Father’s counsels as the Lord’s commandments. He could reason that going back for the plates is the right thing to do, or offer proofs or seek to prop up his dad’s authority. Instead, he just assumes it, definitively declaring that the old man’s dreams and visions are nothing less than the binding will of the Almighty.
Imagine using the same appeals in your own home, with your siblings when you were a kid, or with your kids now. “Guys, dad said he was inspired to ask us to go to mutual each week. Don’t you think we need to follow the commandments of the Lord?” Yeah, it’s a tough case to make.
Yes, because Lehi was a prophet, and I’m not.
In what way was he a prophet? Was he ordained a prophet? Did he hold the Priesthood office of ‘Prophet?’ Unlikely. He was righteous, devoted, and had the Spirit of the Lord. These things all contributed to his attainment of the very intriguing status of ‘visionary man.’ In other words, there is almost no external barrier holding you and me back from leading our families in exactly the same way. It’s possible for our own admonitions to our families to be nothing less than the Commandments of the Lord. I’m unwrapping a very, very simple concept here, but it’s helpful to me to realize it. How do I preside in the home? By using my proper role as the Priesthood holder in the home to receive literal revelations from the Lord as to the guidance of my family. We can preside by being prophets. I know of nothing to suggest that this status is unattainable for every worthy Priesthood holder.
Of course this setup also seems ripe for abuse, but that’s why we are shown the parellel lesson of how Nephi follows. In fact, given how much we talk about the follower’s right to peripheral, confirming revelation, I’m surprised Nephi isn’t invoked more often. I submit that he’s the perfect model for this kind of faithful, engaged following.
What are the great revelations of Lehi recorded in First Nephi? The standouts are his initial dream of the Lord and his apostles, followed by the warning to leave Jerusalem for a Promised Land, and the vision of the Iron Rod and the Tree of Life. Amazingly, Nephi, the son and follower, was given access not just to a confirming spirit, but to the exact same revelations, personalized addenda, and authoritative interpretations! This is an amazing realization to me. We lose this because we approach Nephi as a prophet, so it’s unremarkable that he receives these things– but we must emphasize that he comes to each of these revelations as a secondary participant, on the referral of his prophet-father. He gains access only in his attempt to confirm and understand the commandments of his file leader. In other words, Nephi learned to be a prophet simply by asking the Lord to help him understand what his Father was talking about.
The actual text is helpful to illustrate the spirit of his seeking. 1 Nephi 2:16:
And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold, he did visit me and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
1 Nephi 11:2-5:
And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou? And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw. And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he has spoken? And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.*
*Followed immediately by one of the greatest epiphanies ever recorded.
My point is that when it comes to the argument over personal confirmation of prophetic statements, both sides are wrong and small-minded. Conservatives are wrong to suggest the search for confirmation is faithless and rarely justified. Liberals are wrong in suggesting that the tone should be one of doubtful rationality. The real spirit in which we should seek confirmation of the prophet’s words is that exemplified by Nephi: not one of doubt, but of hunger. We don’t want to know if it’s right, we want to gain access to it, learn more about it, feel it, converse with the Holy Ghost himself about its meaning and ramifications and sheer wonder. Nephi doesn’t want anyone to tell him Lehi’s right. He wants the next stage– access for himself. Once Lehi eats the fruit of the tree, he looks around because he wants his family to have it. This is the model of revelation– though it is given first to only some, it ultimately belongs to everyone.
I think Lehi’s leadership and Nephi’s model of obedience fit very nicely together, and form the backbone of a very tidy narrative in First Nephi. Families should be lead by nothing less than a revelator, whose words are nothing less than the commandments of the Lord. And families should follow by first trusting the words, and then using them to achieve personal, primary access to the truths taught therein.
Please feel free to discuss these trains of thought as long as they remain fruitful, and then add your own insights gained from reading First Nephi.