The teenaged Nephi was asked by his older brothers to explain the vision their father had received. The vision contained some strong warnings for the two oldest sons of their father, Lehi. These older sons, Laman and Lemuel, lacked faith and did not enjoy living the gospel. When they were told what the vision meant, and particularly the parts that referred to them, they complained:
1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.
3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us. (1 Nephi 16)
Have you ever listened to a church sermon or attended a self-improvement lecture that covered things you already did well? You listened happily, with a sense of peace because you did these things. Have you ever been in the same situation, but heard counsel you knew you should be doing but didn’t do—and didn’t really want to do? Ahh, this is so much harder. It’s no fun to sit in your seat, squirming in discomfort, hearing once again that you are failing in your duties. This second setting is the one Laman and Lemuel found themselves in. Eventually, Nephi convinced them they should give the gospel a try, and they humbled themselves, but not for long. They were soon back to their wicked ways. Like the woman who sits through a class on budgeting and goes home fired up and ready, but passes the clothing store on the way home, they wanted something else more than they wanted eternal blessings. They wanted to live a life of pleasure and ease right now, not later, when they’d earned it.
When our goals are in line with God’s, obedience is much easier and it’s a joyous experience to hear the gospel preached. We don’t find the words hard when our will is the same as God’s. After all, Laman and Lemuel had been sent back to Jerusalem with their younger brothers to retrieve some vital records, and would whine about how it was too hard. But in the very near future, they would be sent back again—even further by now—to bring with them a family that would provide their wives, and this time, they wouldn’t whine at all, because their goals were suddenly in line with God’s. They cared about wives; they didn’t care about records.
When our hearts are in line with God’s, we can hear hard things and feel sorrow, not resentment. That sorrow can, if we choose, lead to true repentance. However, it must be a true sorrow, and a longing to become righteous if it’s to last long enough to matter. When Nephi heard hard commandments, he said without hesitation that he would go and do as the Lord commanded. When his oldest brothers heard those same commandments, they whined and fussed, and if they did them at all, it was resentfully. This attitude difference is what led Nephi to become a prophet and his brothers to fall into a path championed by Satan.
How will you handle the hard things God asks of you? Decide now, before faced with the challenge, and you’ll always choose the right attitude and path.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
