Lehi's Anguish

In Nephi’s account of his family’s journey and challenges we get a small glimpse of the suffering and anguish that Lehi felt because of the rebelliousness of Laman and Lemuel.  This is clear from the very beginning.  After their made their initial departure into the wilderness, Lehi tried to teach his sons with deep sincerity.  To Laman he exclaimed, “O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!”  To Lemuel he said with similar earnestness, “O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!” (1 Nephi 2:9-10).  At the same location he had his vision of the tree of life, and the takeaway from the whole dream was all centered around Laman and Lemuel: “And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord” (1 Nephi 8:36).  He clearly suffered great anxiety because of his concern for their eternal welfare. 

               Nowhere is the suffering and anguish of Lehi more apparent than in Nephi’s description of what happened on the boat to the promised land.  At the worst part of the journey when Nephi was tied up and dying, and the rest of the passengers were wondering if they could survive the storm, Nephi recorded the situation for Lehi this way: “Now my father, Lehi, had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael; but, behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me; and my parents being stricken in years, and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sick-beds.  Because of their grief and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God; yea, their grey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust; yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave” (1 Nephi 18:17-18).  Later in the promised land as Lehi was nearing death he pled with Laman and Lemuel this way: “Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.”  He continued with this fervent petition to them, “And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity” (2 Nephi 1:14, 21).

Exceedingly feared.  Suffered much grief.  Nearly cast with sorrow into a watery grave.  Trembling parent. Brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave.  That’s how Nephi described his fathers feelings as they related to Laman and Lemuel.  The patriarch labored his whole life trying to encourage Laman and Lemuel to love God and keep his commandments, but ultimately they did not and he suffered great emotional pain because of their wickedness and rejection of the Lord.  That he never gave up, that he never wrote them off or stopped hoping and praying and pleading with them surely shows the kind of man he was.  I don’t know how he found the strength to continue after so much suffering because of Laman and Lemuel, but he certainly stands as an example of the kind of parent we should be—we must exhort “with all the feeling of a tender parent” and never give up trying to teach and love and serve our children, no matter how rebellious they may be (1 Nephi 8:37).