Lessons from Nephi

Today we were walking on a steep, rocky hill to an outlook of Bethlehem. The hill was covered in thorny bushes that were hard to avoid. It was also very hot and we were carrying heavy backpacks. A group of us complained about the thorns and the heat, and this and that, etc. 

Shortly after our arrival, Sister Woods (the wife of my religion professor) shared Moses 6:63 with us. It states, "And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me." She talked about the power of applying all things to the Gospel. If we have the right attitude and perspective, we will see how all things testify of Christ. During her journey, Sister Woods took the time to look at the individual thorns in the bushes and was lead to think of Jesus Christ and the suffering that He bore in our behalf. It is interesting that I on the other hand, was quick to complain about the very thorns that brought her closer to Christ.

This lead me to think about the similarities and differences between Nephi and Laman and Lemuel. They were all on the same journey, but their reaction to the circumstances on the journey was very different. Nephi reacted to the thorns of life with faith, obedience, humility and hope in Christ. While Laman and Lemuel reacted to the thorns with murmuring, pride, fear, and anger. 

We are all on the same journey called mortality. It is vital for us to look inward and evaluate who we are choosing to live like on a daily basis. I learned a powerful lesson today. To be honest, after being in the hot and dry wilderness that Lehi and his family lived in, I can understand why Laman and Lemuel complained. But on the other hand, knowing how Nephi reacted after living in this hot and dry place, makes me love Nephi's example that much more.

It is really, really easy to find something to complain about, but we don't need more complainers in the world. May each of us try to be more like Nephi and Sister Woods and remember that all things testify of the reality of God and His love.