None Other Object

When Lehi finished speaking to his son Jacob, he said to all his sons, “I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls” (2 Nephi 2:30).  When he finished speaking to Laman and Lemuel he similarly spoke of the motives of Nephi: “Ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare” (2 Nephi 1:25).  Lehi was trying to help them see that Nephi’s actions had not been motivated by selfishness or a thirst for power; all the Nephi did was for the glory of God and for the welfare of others.  And Lehi too had no other motivation in the way he taught and commanded his children other than their “everlasting welfare.”  Theirs is an example for us to follow in our interactions with others whom we may have opportunity to teach or guide—do we have motives other than their eternal welfare?  Are we seeking the glory of God—i.e. the immortality and eternal life of man—or are we looking for honor and glory for ourselves? 

               Other Book of Mormon prophets similarly tried to show that their motives were pure and they sought only for the welfare and blessings for their people.  Jacob wanted his people to understand what motivated him as he had to teach them difficult things: “I, Jacob, according to the responsibility which I am under to God, to magnify mine office with soberness, and that I might rid my garments of your sins, I come up into the temple this day that I might declare unto you the word of God.”  He was driven to preach hard things to them by his desire to follow God’s commands and his “anxiety for the welfare of [their] souls” (Jacob 2:2-3).  King Benjamin also sought to help his people see that their welfare was his primary focus: “As I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you…. And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne…. I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God” (Mosiah 2:11-16).  Like Nephi, he was only motivated by two things in his service as king: love of God and his fellow man.  Nephi the son of Helaman also was one who labored tirelessly for his people and had love of God as his primary purpose.  The Lord saw this and declared to him: “I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments” (Helaman 10:4).  Like Jacob, doing the will of the Father was his central motivation even if it meant being in disfavor with the people he loved and sought to serve.  All of these prophets, and many others, showed that it is really the two great commandments which should be the motivating force in any service we give to others: it is love of God and love of our neighbor that brought Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, and others to do the difficult things the Lord commanded and boldly serve and teach their people.