The Directors

After fulfilling all the commandments of the Lord in the valley of Lemuel, Lehi was commanded to take his family further into the desert. We read, “And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his journey into the wilderness.” I have to wonder if that was somewhat of a restless night for Lehi—he was going to travel into an unknown desert which meant they were cutting themselves off from Jerusalem for good. How would they know where to go? How would they find food? How would they protect themselves? Surely these kinds of questions filled his mind as he tried to sleep that night. But in the morning he received an incredible answer to all of these questions: “And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness.” This compass would direct them and protect them and lead them to food throughout their long journey to the promised land. Perhaps it is significant that the Lord did not give him the compass in the same moment he commanded Lehi to leave; rather, he let Lehi ponder the implications and test his faith that night to see if he was still willing. And then when the Lord knew that Lehi would go forward even without knowing how they were going to survive, He provided this incredible source of help for Lehi. Nephi summarized how this compass worked to guide them: “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.” It was not as easy as our modern apps on our phones that provide driving directions—it took diligence and faith and obedience to get directions from the ball. It pointed them but also gave them written words when they had paid the price to receive it: “There was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it” (1 Nephi 16:9-10, 29). Those directions led Nephi at that time—through his faith—to find animals to slay, and surely was a source of guidance time and time again during their eight years in the Arabian desert. And when they were on the boat, after showing incredible faith and righteousness, it guided Nephi to steer the ship to the promised land: “I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it” (1 Nephi 18:21).    

                It appears that the Liahona was passed down among the righteous of the Nephites throughout the rest of their history. Nephi recorded, “And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written” (2 Nephi 5:12). We next hear of it from King Benjamin whose father Mosiah surely brought it with him as they traveled from the land of Nephi to Zarahemla. As he passed on responsibility for the kingdom to his son Mosiah, “He also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him” (Mosiah 1:16). Later as he similarly passed on responsibility for the sacred records to his son Helaman, Alma spoke of this compass this way: “And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness. And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day” (Alma 37:38-40). Likely Alma was also passing on this ancient artifact to Helaman as he explained what it meant and how it worked. We do not hear of it again in the Book of Mormon, but in the time of Joseph Smith it was shown to the Three Witnesses (see Doctrine and Covenants 17:1). Just like the scriptures themselves, the Liahona was preserved throughout the Nephite history as a tangible sign that God would guide His people.

                Before we complain that we, unlike the Three Witnesses, never got to see the Liahona ourselves, we should consider these words that Alma also taught to Helaman: “And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual. For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise” (Alma 37:43-45). We do each have a Liahona and it can direct us as powerfully as that which led Lehi through the desert. The words of Christ in ancient and modern scriptures, as well as the words of modern prophets, will lead us just as surely to our own land of promise and ultimately back to the presence of our Father in Heaven. But, just as it was for Nephi’s family, our compass will only work according to our “faith and diligence and heed” that we give unto it.