A Life of Unwearyingness

The Come, Follow Me chapter this week says this, “There are many prophets described throughout the Book of Mormon, but Helaman 7–11 is a particularly good place to learn what a prophet is, what he does, and how we should receive his words.” Indeed, Nephi was a powerful example of a prophet and the experiences of his life are quite incredible, from astounding missionary success to calling down a famine to performing miracles. His ministry lasted from Helaman 5-16 and I think it is impressive to review all the events of his life together. Here is my attempt to summarize Nephi’s incredible life:

     53^rd Year: He began to reign in the stead of his father in the judgment seat in righteousness. “He did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk in the ways of his father” (Helaman 3:37).

·        54^th – 62^nd Year: While Nephi was the chief judge there was much wickedness and dissensions. The Lamanites took over most of the Nephite lands and Moronihah was only able to regain part of them.

·        62^nd Year: “Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram.” He was tired of all of the wickedness and “took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days” (Helaman 5:1,4). This is exactly what his great-grandfather Alma (the Younger) had done.

·        62^nd Year: In this single year he had Lehi had incredible missionary success, preaching among many of the cities of the Nephites and then to the Lamanites in Zarahemla. An astounding 8000 were converted there, and then they moved on to the land of Nephi. There many Lamanites were converted as well after the miraculous experiences in prison (Helaman 5:14-52).

·        63^rd – 69^th Year: Nephi and Lehi went into the land northward to preach to the Nephites there. We do not have any significant details about their labors there other than this summary: “For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them; And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them” (Helaman 7:2-3).

·        About 70^th Year: Back in Zarahemla, he lamented the wickedness of the Nephites. On his tower in his garden the people listened to him, and he called them to repentance, testified of the Messiah, and by inspiration declared the murder of their chief judge. He also declared the murderer by revelation and some believed on him (Helaman 7-9).

·        About 71^st Year: The Lord granted him the sealing power because he had “with unwearyingness declared the word.” The Lord said to him, “Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people” (Helaman 10:4,7). He returned to preaching unto the people but they still continued in wickedness.

·        About 73^rd Year: Nephi called down a famine on the people because of their great wickedess, saying to the Lord, “O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir them up in remembrance of the Lord their God” (Helaman 11:4).

·        76^th  – 80^th Year: Nephi pleaded with the Lord to remove the famine in the 76^th year, which He did. The people then had relative peace for several years and Nephi “knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations daily, therefore [he] did preach unto the people” (Helaman 11:23).    

·        80^th – 85^th Year: The Gadianton robbers came back and caused much destruction among the people. The Nephites also fell back again into their wickedness and were ripening for destruction (Helaman 11:24-38). This caused Mormon to lament as he abridged the record, “O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!” (Helaman 12:4) Surely Nephi had the same lament.

·        86^th Year: Samuel the Lamanite came and preached to the Nephites, calling them to repentance and prophesying of the coming of the Savior (Helaman 13-15). Those who believed in the words of Samuel “went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord” (Helaman 16:1).

·        86^th – 90^th Year: Nephi’s work among the Nephites was described this way: “For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come” (Helaman 16:4).

·        91^st Year: Nephi’s ministry ended and he “departed out of the land, and whither he went, no man knoweth; and his son Nephi did keep the records in his stead, yea, the record of this people” (3 Nephi 1:3). That was the end of his service among the Nephites.

What a life of devoted service that was! He preached for nearly thirty years after serving them for almost ten years as their chief judge. For nearly four decades he was a prominent figure among the Nephites and Lamanites, testifying of the Savior, calling them to repentance, and serving his people. He saw times of great wickedness and great righteousness, he saw great success in missionary labors and also saw great rejection. He worked miracles, communed with God, and received powerful revelations; in short, he was a powerful prophet of God whose example invites us to similarly serve the Lord “with unwearyingness” in our own stewardships.