Nephi is concerned about his older brothers Laman and Lemuel. He sought to know the truthfulness of his father’s words and received a testimony through a heavenly visitation, and his brother Sam believes him but Laman and Lemuel will not listen. Nephi loves his brothers and wants them to taste the light of the gospel, and so he has spent much time praying for them.
Verse nineteen:
And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.
Right there, the Lord gives us a recipe for how to demonstrate faith, which is to seek Him diligently with lowliness of heart. “Diligently” would mean persistently, with hope in finding the answer. “Lowliness of heart” indicates humility, the willingness to turn to God in everything and not trust the arm of flesh.
Verse twenty:
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
This is a promise He makes to all of us, not that He’ll lead us to a new land, necessarily, but that He will prosper us and lead us to a place (spiritually, mentally, if not physically) that will be good for us.
Verses twenty-one, twenty-two, and twenty-three:
And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.
And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.
For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also.
This must have been both joyous and heart-rending for Nephi to hear. On the one hand, he’s being promised that he’ll be prospered and lifted up, and because he has righteous desires, he would of course rule righteously. But at the same time, he’s hearing of the possible condemnation of his brothers. Given how much he cares about his brothers, this must have concerned him mightily.
Verse twenty-four:
And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.
Notice that the Lord isn’t saying, “This is what will happen.” He always gives us our free agency and He is pointing out that these bad things will only occur if Laman and Lemuel choose not to repent. Of course, He knows their hearts and He knows that they are set on evil, but He says “if it so be,” leaving room for them to change and repent.
From today’s reading: how can we follow Nephi’s example in praying for those we love, even when they are resistant to hearing the truth? How can we show better appreciation for the gift of free agency?
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