Blessed of the Lord Exceedingly

To my son,

                All of us have times when we feel frustrated or down, and part of life is learning to work through those moments. After Nephi beheld a great vision of the future in which he saw even our day, he was struggling because he learned that his posterity would largely turn to wickedness and eventually be destroyed. He wrote this, “And it came to pass that I was overcome because of my afflictions, for I considered that mine afflictions were great above all, because of the destruction of my people, for I had beheld their fall” (1 Nephi 15:5). Sometimes, as we are upset and struggling with our personal challenges, we too might say to ourselves, “Mine afflictions are great above all.” We are in good company with Nephi and many others like Elijah and Joseph Smith if we have times when we feel down. But with the help of the Lord, we can overcome even these feelings and recognize, despite our challenges, the great blessings of God in our lives. What struck me today as I read in the Book of Mormon was what Nephi wrote just a short time later as he prepared to leave the valley of Lemuel: “And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly” (1 Nephi 16:8). So in one verse he felt that his afflictions were “great above all,” and in just the next chapter he rejoiced in how blessed he was of the Lord. What changed?

I see at least two things Nephi did to help him overcome his feelings of despair. First, he went to the Lord for help—he wrote simply “I had received strength” (1 Nephi 15:6). I imagine that he spent many hours in prayer seeking the Lord’s help in changing his sense of hopelessness. That is surely how he received strength, and it is a key for all of us to face our challenges. We must turn first to the Lord to give us hope. Second, Nephi focused on keeping the commandments of the Lord despite his challenges. Between these two verses he encouraged his brothers to be obedient: “I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord.” Nephi also got married, along with his brothers and Zoram, to follow the instructions of the Lord. He also recorded, “And thus my father had fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him” (1 Nephi 16:8). Nephi and his father Lehi continued to be obedient to the Lord as they were guided to the promised land step by step. And as he did so, Nephi’s problems—the future destruction of his posterity and the animosity of his brethren—didn’t change, but Nephi could see and feel the great blessings of the Lord that were over him. I hope that you will always remember Nephi’s example and do those two things when you face discouragement and challenges: pray fervently to the Lord for help and keep striving to keep the commandments of the Lord. As you do so you will see the fulfilment of King Benjamin’s promise in your life: “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41).  

Love,

Dad