Out of Wood a Bow

After Nephi’s bow broke and his family started murmuring because of hunger and the seeming impossibility of obtaining food, he went to work to try to solve the problem. He wrote, “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones.” After asking his father where he should go, he was led by the Liahona to the top of a mountain. He continued, “And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families.” What is remarkable to me is that he had only one arrow, not giving him many changes for mistakes (the arrow could be easily lost if he missed his shot) and also meaning that he could only obtain at most one animal from the bow and arrow. But, like David of old, he had the help of the Lord and apparently with his sling he was able to slay other animals and bring back plenty of food for his family. And he did this all alone as the text suggests that no one went with him to help. He perhaps reflected on his recent experience going into Jerusalem—again alone—to get the plates from Laban. In both instances he left behind his murmuring brothers and put all His confidence in the Lord. Knowing that God had provided the way forward in Jerusalem, he trusted that the Lord would lead him again to obtain the food. And because of his “faith and diligence and heed” he miraculously was able to obtain food with a single arrow and some stones (1 Nephi 16:23, 28, 31).

                As I thought about this story yesterday I realized that the Lord was preparing him for greater and greater things in his life. Nephi had to make a bow and arrow which likely was not an easy task. But surely he learned something about himself and the Lord in the process: he could take what was around him and build useful objects with the help of His God. And this experience making a bow and arrow surely prepared him for the much harder task of making a ship once they arrived at the ocean’s edge. He declared with faith, knowing how the Lord had helped him up to this point, “And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?” (1 Nephi 17:51) And the incredible task of building a ship likely prepared him for his later responsibility of building a whole city, including a temple to the Lord. He wrote, “And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords…. And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon…. The manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine” (2 Nephi 5:15-16). He made swords, buildings, and a temple of God, and he taught his people to do the same. Many years earlier he had made a bow and arrow with the help of the Lord, and now he was able to build an entire city because of his faith and experience. We can see how the Lord prepared him for the future from the beginning, and surely he does the same for us. As we put our trust in Him, we may be learning things now which will prepare us for much greater things later in our lives. And the key to success in any endeavor is to have faith in God as Nephi, saying in all circumstances, “If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them” (1 Nephi 17:50).