Lehi's Lesson on Receiving Revelation

How could you appropriately begin a book that would change the course of human salvation for the rest of eternity? What could possibly be said to introduce lessons proving the divinity and utter importance of a living Messiah? While you or I might have difficulty deciding the perfect "first lesson" of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the God of the World hit the nail square on the head.

The First Book of Nephi teaches us two major lessons: Bad things happen, but there is always good to learn; and - what I will emphasize in this post - how to receive revelation from the Most High.

The chapter starts out by explaining that throughout Nephi's life, he's been through a lot, but that it's really helped him get closer to God and understand of His goodness. In verse three, he says something very profound, though:

"And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge."

Clearly, Nephi has more than just a simple testimony, much more than basic faith. This kind of understanding can only come through strong revelation. In the first verse of this chapter - the first verse of the entire Book of Mormon - Nephi attributes most of his learning to his "goodly parents." After bearing powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, Nephi give an account of his father, Lehi, receiving revelation. This pattern is worth modeling our lives around.

When Lehi finds out that Jerusalem, where he has spent all his life, is about to be destroyed, he immediately prays. Where most people would pray for their own protection, to hopefully sway the Lord to protect our homes or friends, to maybe reverse God's decision. Lehi is a bit more humble; he prays "with all his heart, in behalf of his people."

The result? A vision paralleling that of Moses' and later of Joseph Smith's. The Lord answers Lehi's prayer with a pillar of fire, in which he sees and hears much. Nephi's account doesn't go into much detail, but certainly a pillar of fire from God is a pretty spectacular response to prayer, and it caused Lehi to "quake and tremble exceedingly."

I love what Lehi does next, though. He goes home... and lays on his bed. Wait, come again? When we receive revelation, we don't just have to hit the ground running straightaway? Revelation, in a lot of ways, is as simple as a Primary song: search, ponder, and pray. Lehi here takes time to recuperate from his experience and really think about what he just saw.

If he hadn't done so, I don't think he would have seen the next part of his revelation. As he laid on his bed, Lehi was "overcome with the Spirit" and was shown a vision of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. Now, what did the Savior do? He gave Lehi a book. The Lord often doesn't have to speak to us as
individuals; the Holy Ghost, though, can make the messages and words written centuries ago apply very differently to different people at different times in our lives. I have found that I receive most of my personal revelation by prayerfully reading the scriptures.

Lehi is no different; we can read, "as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord." He then comes to fully understand the future fate of Jerusalem. He learns that God is just and has to hold people accountable.

However, there is yet another lesson to learn from Lehi's reaction. As he comes to understand the destruction of his home, rather than bemoaning its fate, he praises the Lord for being merciful enough to give him a warning. He knows that he is being watched out for and is receiving a special tender mercy of the Lord. In fact, verse 15 tells us:

"[H]is soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him."

Now is probably the most important lesson of the whole chapter. Verse 18 tells us:

"[A]fter the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father... behold he went forth."

At the end of such a marvelous experience, Lehi had to go to action. He had to act. He had to go forth, even in the midst of persecution by the Jews.

All right, so what steps did Lehi have in his revelation here?

1. When he recognized a concern, he prayed. Not just prayed, but prayed very selflessly.
2. He pondered what he had learned.
3. He received more revelation.
4. He studied the scriptures, which helped him understand even more.
5. He thanks his Heavenly Father for the direction he received and for His ultimate mercy.
6. He went forth.

As we read the Book of Mormon, this is the best model to follow. I can promise you that if you'll face all questions and concerns in life in a similar manner, you will get the direction from God that you seek, and your life will be greatly blessed.