LESSON PLAN FOR 1 NEPHI 1-7

INTRO:

I imagine that most of us are familiar with the great story of Lehi and his family’s travels to the Promised Land. It stands as one of the great journey narratives in the scriptures, along with the Exodus of the Old Testament, the Jaredites, and the early Pioneers. I’ve found the best way to make these stories more relevant is to compare their journey to their promised land with our journey to our promised land, the Celestial Kingdom. Life is like a wilderness. It’s a journey, fraught with dangers and pitfalls. But it’s not a hopeless endeavor and it doesn’t have to be a miserable one either. Lehi’s family is going to show us the right way to do it, and the wrong way to do it. We have examples of both in 1 Nephi. We follow their positive examples and learn from their mistakes.

ICEBREAKER

Can you identify what comes next in this sequence of numbers

1

11

21

1211

111221

312211

________

Answer: 13112221. Why? Because each succeeding line is describing the line before it. So you start with the number 1. How would you describe that? Well, there’s one one. So I write that down. Now how would I describe that number? Well, there are two ones, so I write, 21, then next, there’s 12 and 11, then 11,12,21. Next 312211, which then leaves us with 13112221.

What shape comes next in this sequence? (See Video)

Answer: 88 Why? Well, they are just numbers 1-7 in sequence with their reflection on the other side. So if you drew a line down the middle of each shape you would see they are numbers on the right side of the line, and the reflection is on the other.

TRANSITION

There are also patterns and sequences in the scriptures. And 1 Nephi 1 starts out with a really important one. On the surface, it's a very simple story, but upon further examination, you almost have to come to the conclusion that it was no coincidence that this was included as the first story in the Book of Mormon. I call this pattern the "Revelation Creation" pattern. Or "How to Gain a Testimony”. I might even write that at the top of page 1 or 2 as a label, and mark the steps in a specific color. Take a look at the following verses and see if you can identify a sequence of steps in the process of receiving revelation from God.

REVELATION CREATION

• 1 Ne. 1:4 “Many prophets prophesying” INTRODUCTION

• 1 Ne. 1:5 “Prayed unto the Lord with all his heart” INVOCATION

• 1 Ne. 1:6 “He saw and heard much” ILLUMINATION

• 1 Ne. 1:12 “Filled with the Spirit” CONFIRMATION

• 1 Ne. 1:19 “Testified” DECLARATION

And Isn’t that interesting. The very first story of the Book of Mormon is about a man who hears the words of the prophets, prays to understand them, has his prayer answered and then testifies of it to others.

Isn’t that exactly what we are meant to do with the Book of Mormon ourselves? This year, you are going to hear the words of prophets. You are going to hear their warnings and calls to action. And what should we do when we come in contact with the words of the prophets? Do what Lehi did: pray about them and ask for guidance. Don’t wait until you’ve finished the Book of Mormon to pray about its truthfulness. It’s not just something we do once we finish the Book of Moroni. We do it all along the way. The confirmation should come throughout your study, not just once at the end. If you approach your study this way, I can almost guarantee that you too will see and hear much. Now it may not come in the form of a pillar of fire or heavenly visions, but it will come. God’s light and power will be made manifest to you and he will confirm the message by filling your soul with the Spirit. But then what next? Don’t forget the last step. Once you have had its truthfulness confirmed, go out and share it with others. In fact, that may be a prerequisite to receiving an answer in the first place, a willingness to act on the answer you are requesting. Testify and declare your faith once you have found it for yourself. That's how the church grows in the latter-days. That’s how it becomes the rolling stone cut out of the mountain without hands—individuals applying the revelation process over and over again as the truth spreads and passes from one person to the next, exponentially snowballing throughout the world.

And don’t you love the way that God reveals the truth to Lehi? Go to vs. 11-12 for this. He doesn’t have it announced by an angel. It’s not proclaimed by the voice of God even. How does he do it? Jesus walks over to Lehi and hands him a book and says “Read this". And as Lehi reads, he's filled with the Spirit. I believe that this is the exact situation that you are in as a student of the Book of Mormon at this moment. You too are seeking divine help and wisdom from God. And how is he answering you? His son, Jesus Christ, is handing you a book and saying “read this”. That book is the Book of Mormon.

Do you think it’s a coincidence that this is the first story in the first chapter of the Book of Mormon? I don’t.

So one thing that will help us on our journey to our promised is personal revelation.

NEPHI VS. LAMAN

Put up pictures of two different objects and tell me what they have in common.

What do they have in common? Apple and Orange

They are both edible, They both are fruit, they are both considered healthy.

But in what ways do they differ?

One is red, the other is orange, one has an edible peel, the other does not.

Here’s another. What do they have in common? Cat and Dog

They are both animals, they are both kept as pets, they both have tails

Where do they differ?

One can climb trees, the other can’t, one meows, and the other barks, and one couldn’t care less about you, while the other loves you with all its heart : )

What do they have in common? Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

Where do they differ?

TRANSITION

We've just proven that you know how to compare and contrast. This is a vital skill to have when you are studying the scriptures. Very often, the scriptures will present you with two contrasting characters and invite you to compare them. In literature, this device is called foils. We have foil characters. And when you compare them, their qualities will be augmented by juxtaposing them with the offer. You see this with King Noah vs. Abinadi, Alma vs. Korihor, Amalakiah vs. Captain Moroni.

Q: And in 1 Nephi, who are going to be our major foil characters to examine?

A: Nephi vs Laman.

You could also do an interesting study by comparing Sam with Lemuel here too. You have those who lead for good or evil, and those who follow the influence of those that are good or evil, but for our purposes here, let’s focus on Nephi and Laman.

THE BIG PICTURE

Now I hope you’re OK with this, but this portion of the lesson is going to expand far beyond just chapters 1-7. To really see the full message of this comparison, you’ve got to examine it from beginning to end. And I hope that you know that it’s ok to do that as a teacher sometimes. You don’t need to feel bound by the way the manual breaks certain lessons up. There is great value in stepping back on occasion and looking for Big Picture principles. And that’s not a criticism of those who put the manuals together, I think they would agree with me, but you have to divide the chapters up somehow to make a manual, just don’t feel hamstrung by it. And this is a principle that I think is vital for us to see. So we are going to look at these two brothers from the beginning of first Nephi to the beginning of Second Nephi because we all know how this story is going to end. The family is going to split and you are going to end up with Nephites, and Lamanites. But let’s examine how this happened.

At the beginning of the story, I don’t think Nephi and Laman are really as far apart in character as we might imagine. If they had not been given the commandment to leave Jerusalem, at least in the beginning, the distance between their commitment or their spirituality would not have been as far away from each other as they would eventually become. But as challenge after challenge comes to them, they begin to separate, they drift further and further apart in a step by step progression or regression. Laman and Nephi may have wound up worlds apart from each other in spirituality, but I don’t believe they started out that way.

NEPHI VS. LAMAN (REWARDS AND REBUKES ACTIVITY)

In order to really see how that process took place, let’s do this study activity. I call it Rewards and Rebukes. I’ve highlighted 9 separate challenges that both Nephi and Laman face in the story of their journey to the promised land. I want you to go through the following sets of verses and see how each responded to the challenge, and what was the result, reward, or rebuke to that response. I think this will illustrate some enlightening principles for us. This activity page will be available for download at my shop if you’re interested. You may even want to mark them in two separate colors. That’s what I’ve done, I have my Nephi color and my Laman color.

REFLECTION

Now as you reflect back on that entire account, Did anything stand out to you? Do you see any truths taught by comparing Nephi’s experiences with Laman’s?

One thing that I noticed? Every time Nephi obeys or demonstrates faith, he’s rewarded with incredible varied experiences with the Spirit. His prayers are answered, he hears the voice of the Lord, he’s rescued by an angel, he’s given physical strength to break bonds, he accomplishes impossible things, he’s blessed, nourished, and happy.

His life illustrates this principle that I love in Doctrine and Covenants 50:23

As Nephi responds to his challenges with faith, obedience, and gratitude, God gives him more and more light, And by the end of his record, you see just how close he’s gotten to God, how much light is in his life.

Laman, on the other hand, goes in the exact opposite direction. It’s interesting to note that Laman experiences everything Nephi does. Laman does end up obeying, basically, the commands of the Lord. Does he leave Jerusalem? Yes. Does he go back for the plates? Yes. Does he help build a boat? Yes. Does he travel to the promised land? Yes. He ends up doing everything that Nephi does. So, why do they end up in such different places by the end? It’s in the attitude, it’s in how he obeys. He obeys with murmuring and reluctance. How do you obey? Do you go to church or seminary, but with a terrible attitude? Do you pay your tithing, but with a grumble under your breath? Do you fulfill a calling, but just at the bare minimum and a bad attitude? That’s a lame attitude or a Laman attitude.

And look at what happened to Laman every time he murmured or rebelled or got angry. He was rebuked. But do you notice anything interesting about the order of rebukes?

• Rebuked by his father

• Rebuked by his younger brother

• Rebuked by an angel

• Rebuked by a woman’s pleadings

• Rebuked by the Lord himself

• Rebuked with a physical shock

• Rebuked by a threat to his life

It’s like God has a big wall of rebukes he can choose from, and as he goes down the line they get stronger and bigger each time, don’t they? At first, a rebuke from his father is all he needs to be straightened out, but then a rebuke from your younger brother is even harder to swallow. Then I really think the order of the next two is interesting. They’re rebuked by an angel, and then the pleadings of Mrs. Nephi are what work after that. Maybe that suggests the power a woman’s tears and pleadings have. Maybe even more powerful than an angel? You women, don’t forget the great power and influence you have to help others to do good. You’re more powerful than angels. Then the Lord rebukes with his own voice. Then they are shocked physically, and then finally, it’s really interesting to look at what happens as they are in the storm on the ship. All the former things don’t work. They’re too hardened by this point. Lehi and Nephi’s pleadings do nothing, the pleadings of Nephi’s wife and children have no effect this time, the only thing that wakes them up is the threat of death. As Nephi has become closer and closer to God, Laman has removed himself further and further from him. Nephi’s rise in spirituality, as compared to Laman’s demise in spirituality.

Now, why does God rebuke Laman? Because he hates him and wants to punish him for his bad behavior? No. God Loves Laman. And he’s hoping that these chastisements will change his heart and turn him around for good. Like it says in

Doctrine and Covenants 95:1-2

Rebukes and chastisement open a way for us to be forgiven. God can’t afford to be dismissive or permissive with us. He wants what is best for us. He knows that Laman is capable of better, that he has a greater potential. He’s like “Laman, if you don’t wake up soon, you are going to end up at the end of a road that you don’t want to be on. What’s at the end of that road? Spiritual death. And I don’t want you to die. So let me help you. Unfortunately in Laman’s case, it works for a little while, but eventually, he slips back into his old ways. Eventually, when Lehi dies and Laman is back to his old tricks again, it’s as if God reaches out for the next rebuke and finds there’s nothing there. He’s used them all up. He’s tried everything he could. So now, he resigns them to their lot, and they are cut off from his presence. I hope you never find yourself at the end of that road.

Perhaps share an example of somebody you know who has experienced some measure of this in their life. Maybe yourself.

So some of the big lessons for us that I see in this:

• Don’t be apathetic towards the things of God

• Obey willingly, not with murmuring or reluctance.

• Trust in God’s commandments, if he asks you to do it, you can do it! Even the impossible!

• Expect opposition to obedience.

• Obedience=Reward, Spiritual Experiences

• Disobedience=Rebuke

• Learn to respond positively to the smaller rebukes

So, please, learn from the outcomes of the lives of these two brothers. Don’t be lame. Or don’t be a Laman, be a Nephi.

THE WORTH OF THE WORD

I like to play a very brief version of The Price is Right with my students. So I randomly select a student to come to the front to play the game, you know with the whole, Come on Down, you’re the next contestant on the Price is Right. The whole bit. I even have the theme music playing in the background. But you tell them that the price displayed is incorrect. Each number is off by one. And all they have to decide for each number is whether it should be the number higher or the number lower than the one displayed.

Display a number of items you research online and play a few rounds of the game.

Then display a picture of the scriptures.

What are they worth?

What are they worth to you? Perhaps the book of 1 Nephi can help you to see how we should value them.

So try out this marking activity. Make a label at the top of p. 5 entitled, The Worth of the Word, and then choose a unique color to mark these things with. Then read the following verses and identify what the story of the brothers returning to Jerusalem for the brass plates reveals about the worth of the scriptures.

• 1. 1 Nephi 2:6/3:2 A great journey (6 days)

• 2. 1 Nephi 3:22-24 All their worldly wealth

• 3. 1 Nephi 3:13, 25 Risking their lives

• 4. 1 Nephi 4:10-18 The life of a wicked man OR Doing the hardest thing he's ever done

Just look at what the scriptures are apparently worth, what God asked Nephi and his brothers to do or give up in order to have the scriptures in their lives.

Q: What has God asked you to give up in order to have the scriptures in your life?

A: Not much, right. 10 to 20 minutes of your time each day? If you want the scriptures you could run over to Deseret Book and buy a set for a small fee. Your efforts to study them. In comparison, God asks us to give very little for his word. When you consider what Nephi gave to have the scriptures, our excuses for not studying them appear rather weak.

And why are they worth so much?

A couple of ideas here and you could mark these in the same “Worth of the Word” color.

• 1 Nephi 3:20 They preserve the words of the prophets.

• 1 Ne. 4:2-3 We can draw strength from their examples

• 1 Ne. 4:15-16 They teach us the commandments

• 1 Ne. 5:17 They fill us with the Spirit

• 1 Ne. 5:21 They are desirable and preserve the commandments

• 1 Ne. 6:3 They contain the things of God

• 1 Ne. 6:5 They help us to stay separate from the world

• 1 Ne. 6:6 Only things of worth are in them

APPLY

As you look at that list, when have you seen the scriptures fulfill one of those purposes for you?

Is the Spirit prompting you to do anything different to show that you truly value God’s priceless word?

CONCLUSION

So there you have it. 3 great principles that will help you on your journey to the promised land. Personal Revelation, Faith and Obedience to God’s commands, and the scriptures. If you keep those three things in mind, one day, you too will arrive at your promised land. But that’s not all 1 Nephi has to teach us about our journey. Next week, we’ll discuss more.