So they journeyed. And they did come across hard times. The first attempt to obtain the plates failed, but Nephi knew that they could not return to their father until they had succeeded. The next attempt also failed, and the brothers nearly ended up losing their lives. But still they had to try again. During the final attempt, Nephi was told to slay Laban and struggled with his conscience before he did so. By killing Laban, Nephi was able to get the brass plates and return home with his brothers to his family, for which I will be forever grateful, since those plates were compiled into parts of the Book of Mormon. Using the timetable of 12-14 days journey, each way, I can safely guess that the brothers were gone for a month or more.
"And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned
because of us."
I love reading these next few verses. As a mom, I can imagine the anguish and worry that she felt for these, her sons. Nephi tells us that Sariah had "complained against [his] father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness." Now, I'm sure Sariah was a very strong woman. There is no record of her murmuring when they were asked to depart from Jerusalem. No murmuring along the hard, hard journey. Only when she thought she had lost her children did she start to complain. And Lehi's answer to her is just as touching: "I know that I am a visionary man...but behold I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yeah and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness." He was not defensive. He had compassion for his wife and at the same time, trust in the Lord. And they did return, and Lehi and Sariah's "joy was full, and [Sariah] was comforted".
Could we, as Nephi did, have such faith in the Lord? He knew the way would be hard - remember, he'd already taken the journey from Jerusalem to the wilderness - but he said "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." Could we say the same? I submit that we already have.
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, one of our central beliefs is that we lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth and that we will (if we do what is asked of us) return to live with him again someday. But we were not forced to come to earth. Just as Heavenly Father has given us free agency here, we had the choice then also. Would we come to the earth to gain a body and to be tested? All of us on this earth chose Heavenly Father's plan. Just as Nephi did, we said that we would "go and do what the Lord commands". And Heavenly Father has provided and continues to provide ways for us to "accomplish the thing which he commandeth". Will we face "hard things"? Undoubtedly. Will we all make it? Unfortunately not. It is our choice. But, also like Nephi, we must keep trying "until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." And when we return home to our Heavenly Father and Mother, I firmly believe that their joy will be full, and they will be comforted.
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