He Will Hear My Cry

One of the major themes of the stories and teachings in the small plates is the importance and power of prayer. It only takes five verses for us to see Lehi praying. Nephi recorded, “Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people” (1 Nephi 1:5). Nephi came to know for himself that the words of his father were true because of his own prayers: “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… 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” (1 Nephi 2:16, 19). A repeated message of these small plates is the need for us to seek the Lord earnestly through prayer. Nephi showed us what this looks like on numerous occasions, such as when his brothers tied him up in the wilderness: “And they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound. And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again” (1 Nephi 7:16-18). When he was in Bountiful, he learned to build a ship because he sought the Lord with all his heart through prayer: “And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord…. And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things” (1 Nephi 17:7, 18:3). Once on the ship, he was tied up again, and again he turned to prayer: “Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.” When he was finally released, he caused the storm to stop through prayer: “And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm” (1 Nephi 18:16, 21). In some of his final words he urged us to pray: “For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ” (2 Nephi 32:8-9). He certainly showed us what that looks like. And in his final chapter, he was still praying: “But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry. And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people” (2 Nephi 33:3-4). Nephi simply never stopped praying. 

                The prophets who came after Nephi also taught through word and deed the importance of prayer. Jacob taught his people, “But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction” (Jacob 3:1). He also told how the Lord had “heard [his] cry and answered [his] prayer” in the story of Sherem (Jacob 7:22). His son Enos of course is known for his prayers, and he wrote, “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.” What impresses me most about Enos is that after his original all-day prayer, he spent the rest of his life earnestly praying: “I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them…. I prayed unto him with many long strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites…. I had prayed and labored with all diligence…. And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records” (Enos 1:4, 9, 11-12, 16). Several generations later, Amaleki also urged us to continue in prayer: “Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26). As Mormon found the small plates and joined them with his records, he wrote of these small plates, “They have fallen into my hands. And I, Mormon, pray to God that they may be preserved from this time henceforth. And I know that they will be preserved” (Words of Mormon 1:11). Prayer indeed preserved them and we are blessed to have their teachings on prayer for us today.    

I wrote yesterday about the numerous prophets that Moroni quoted in his final words to us (in Moroni 10). Most of those prophets were from the small plates of the Book of Mormon, the words of 1 Nephi through Omni. It is fitting that Moroni would quote these who focused so much on prayer, given his great invitation in this final chapter to pray to know whether the Book of Mormon is true. Earnest, pleading, heartfelt prayer is seen and taught about all over in the Book of Mormon, especially in the small plates, and Moroni invited us to follow suite with our own sincere prayers to come to know the Lord.