In last October’s general conference, Sister Tamara W. Runia challenged us to “zoom out to view family relationships as a powerful vehicle to teach us the lessons we came here to learn as we turn to the Savior.” Many of us are familiar with the story of Lehi and his family leaving Jerusalem and going back to get the plates. Today, our challenge is to zoom out and view the family relationships in this story, exploring how the lessons in 1 Nephi 1–5 can turn us to God and the Savior.
Segment 1
Scriptures:
1 Nephi 1:1 (Nephi’s story)
Words of the General Authorities:
Let’s zoom out to view family relationships as a powerful vehicle to teach us the lessons we came here to learn as we turn to the Savior. (Tamara W. Runia, “Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens”, October 2023 General Conference)
Segment 2
Scriptures:
1 Nephi Heading (The family of Lehi)
1 Nephi 1:1 (Goodly parents)
Nephi’s Family Scripture Chain:
1 Nephi 1:16,18 (Lehi was visionary and a prophet)
1 Nephi 5:1-9 (Sariah was caring for her children and converted)
1 Nephi 2:9,11 (Lamen was stiffnecked)
1 Nephi 3:31 (Lemuel murmured)
1 Nephi 2:17 (Sam was a believer)
1 Nephi 2:16,18 (Nephi cared for his brethren and was faithful)
1 Nephi 18:7,19 (Jacob and Joseph were young and born in the wilderness)
2 Nephi 5:6 (Their sisters also believed)
Translations:
Goodly = good, or wealthy, or as a synonym for covenant keeping
Words of the General Authorities:
The Prophet Joseph Smith informed us that the record of Lehi contained on the 116 pages that were first translated and subsequently stolen, and of which an abridgment is given us in the First Book of Nephi , which is the record of Nephi individually. He himself being of the lineage of Manasseh; but that Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim, and that his sons married into Lehi’s family. and Lehi 's sons married Ishmael's daughters. (Erastus Snow, “Journal of Discourses” 23:184; “Improvement Era” 55 (September 1952): 642, 694)
Segment 3
Scriptures:
1 Nephi 2:2-6 (They go into the wilderness)
1 Nephi 2:20 (We can be led to the land of promise)
Wilderness = midbar - a place of transition (Hebrew)
Quotes:
Midbar is a place of nothing. It is empty. There are no guarantees in wilderness, no assurances. It can be scary. It is a place of wandering (which can, at times, feel endless). But it is also a place of discovery. Midbar—from the root dalet-vev-reish, which also is the root for "word" in Hebrew—is where Torah or God’s word is found. Wilderness is where we meet God. Wilderness is where we encounter ourself. It is the place. Yet the place wherein we eat and sleep and argue and love, the day-to-day journeys that move us from and to and sometimes back again, the ordinary landscape of life somehow gets overshadowed. But, well we know, it is the most important part. (Steven Kushner, “Becoming Midbar”, published on ReformJudiasm.org)
Segment 4
Scriptures:
1 Nephi 2:15 (My father dwelt in a tent)
CR: Genesis 12:8
Moroni 10:31 (Open your tents)
Segment 5
Scriptures:
1 Nephi 3-4 (Nephi and his brothers return for the plates)
1 Nephi 3:7 (Go and do the Lord’s commandments)
1 Nephi 4:7 (Nevertheless Nephi went forth)
Mormon 9:33 (Language of the Book of Mormon)
Hebraisms:
1 Nephi 4:32 ex: As the Lord liveth, and as I live = covenant wording, oath of all oaths
1 Nephi 3:3-4 ex: Plates of brass, house of Laban = construct state vs. possessive state of language
Words from the General Authorities:
Because the Book of Mormon is a translation of a modified Hebrew language, it contains many Hebraisms. (Russell M. Nelson, “A Treasured Testament”, Ensign July 1993, Adapted from an address given 25 June 1992 at a seminar for new mission presidents, Missionary Training Center, Provo, Utah)
Segment 6
Scriptures:
1 Nephi 1:5 (Praying with all heart)
1 Nephi 2:1 (A warning from God)
View transcript here.