Nephi was the son a great Book of Mormon prophet named Lehi. When the family was told by God to leave their home for their own safety and to go into the wilderness, they did so, some willingly and with faith, others grudgingly. Early in their journey an event occurred which offers many spiritual lessons. In this post, I’ll explain the story. In the next several posts, I’ll outline some of the lessons we take from the story.
Nephi, although only a teenager, was the best hunter in the family. He was very skilled and had an outstanding bow made of steel. The family came to depend on his skills in the wilderness for their food.
One day, Nephi and some of the men went off to hunt. Shortly after they began, and before anything had been caught, Nephi’s bow broke. The men were tired from the long journey and hungry. It may be that there hadn’t been much food for a while. The men were angry and lashed out at young Nephi. They returned home, where everyone was dismayed to discover there would be no food and everyone, acting out of discouragement began to complain, not just against Nephi, but also against God, wondering why they had been sent on this unusual journey anyway. Even the extraordinarily faithful Lehi, the great prophet, lost faith momentarily and began to complain at God as well. They were facing starvation and their faith—those that had it to begin with—sagged.
Only Nephi, the youngest of the group, held on to his faith. He worked to remind the others of their testimonies. As the others complained, he quietly made another bow, not a great one of steel, but a simple one of wood. He made arrows out of sticks, and also created a slingshot and gathered rocks to shoot from the slingshot. With these simple solutions in hand, he asked his father, who had regained his faith due to Nephi’s efforts, where to find food.
Lehi went to God, who reminded him to go to the Liahona, an unusual tool given to them by God to guide them. Following the instructions given by the Liahona, Nephi was able to obtain food for his family. The family humbled themselves, repented of their lapse in faith, and continued on their journey.
This seemingly simple story is one of faith, leadership, and courage, and Latter-day Saints draw from it many life lessons that guide them as they travel on their own journeys into the wilderness of mortality.
To read the story yourself, in its powerful simplicity, visit 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon.
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.
