New Writing

One of the intriguing aspects of the Liahona is that it had writing upon it that could change.  When Nephi’s bow broke and most of the family was murmuring, the voice of the Lord came to Lehi saying, “Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.”  Nephi recorded, “And there was also written upon the a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it.”  He then commented, “And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:26-29).  Alma similarly spoke about this idea of “small means” to his son centuries later when he taught him about the Liahona: “And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day. Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works.”  He then connected the Liahona with the words of Christ for us: “And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise” (Alma 37:40-45).  The Liahona was like the words of Christ and guided Lehi’s family just as the scriptures and words of the prophets can guide us today. 

               With that analogy in mind, then, I believe the fact that the Liahona’s words changed from time to time teaches us something important about the words of Christ that we have.  First, the obvious way that happens is that we receive new direction, new “writing” for us, regularly when the prophet and apostles speak to us.  We literally get new words of the Savior through general conference and other means, and like Lehi’s family we need to show faith and diligence and heed unto them.  It may seem like a “small” thing such that we don’t pay it much heed, but if that’s the case then we may find this description of Lehi’s group when they failed to heed the Liahona applicable to us as well: “They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey.”  The second way perhaps that we get “new writing” like the Liahona is that when we read the same scriptures the Spirit can reveal new things for us applicable to our current experiences.  The words themselves of course haven’t changed, but we have and if we give heed we can find new insights and direction and guidance even if we have read the actual words dozens of times previously.  As Alma taught of the brass plates, we need them to “retain their brightness” so that through “very small means the Lord… bringeth about the salvation of many souls” (Alma 37:7).  President Hinckley gave us this promise about the Book of Mormon specifically: “Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.”  We of course look forward to the day when we literally will have “new writing” of scripture—such as when the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon will be revealed—but for now we can find new guidance even in the same printed words no matter how many times we have previously read them, leading “us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.”