The Calling of a Prophet

1 Nephi 1

1 Nephi 1:4“…in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;…and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent…”

“Prophetic messages of judgment and destruction were in fact common among the so-called classical prophets of Israel who are known to have been active at this time.” Among them are Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk. “It was…typical at this time for these prophets to work largely by themselves. They fulfilled ‘their missions alone as individuals,’ although this does not imply that they were ‘detached from the mainstream of Israel’s religious tradition.’ Lehi appears to have worked this way, acting on his own inspiration and initiative, for Nephi’s account is silent on any involvement Lehi might have had with his fellow prophets.”(Welch)

1 Nephi 1:5

“Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people.”

“Lehi’s first recorded impulse was to pray on behalf of his people. In so doing, he was in harmony with the spirit of classic Hebrew prophecy which flourished during his day. A prophet who knows with moral certainty what will happen to his people has been characterized as having an ‘irresistible’ need not only to deliver his message, but ‘to intercede on behalf of his people.’ Such attempts by the prophets to try through prayer to offset the impending doom of all their people as a whole community have been identified as one of the notable functions of the classic Israelite prophets during the time of Lehi. Thus, Lehi’s action would probably have been viewed by his contemporaries as being in tune with the spirit of prophecy in his day.” (Welch)

1 Nephi 1:6

“…there came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him…”

See Exodus 13:21; Helaman 5:43; Joseph Smith History, 1:16-17; Ezekiel 1:3-4, 26-28

The Pillar of Fire symbolizes the presence of God.

1 Nephi 1:6

“…and he saw and heard much…”

See Moses 1:4, 7-8; Moses 1:6 (Given to know of the Savior)

1 Nephi 1:6-7“…and because of the things which he saw and heard he did quake and tremble exceedingly”

“And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.”

See Moses 1:9-11; Joseph Smith-History 1:20, 48; Daniel 10:9; 1 Nephi 17:47; Revelations 1:17 (John sees the Savior and is overcome)

1 Nephi 1:8-10

Lehi sees a vision

See Moses 1:27-35; Jacob 4:7-8; Revelation 4:1-2

1 Nephi 1:11-12, 19Lehi is given a book; knowledge, testimony, witness of the truth

See Revelation 10:8-11(the bitterness that John feels is the wickedness of those who would deny the truth, persecute the righteous, and crucify the Savior; the sweetness is the knowledge of the gospel and the promise of salvation); Ezekiel 2:9-10; 2 Nephi 27: 6-12, 14-15, 17, 19, 22, 29; Joseph Smith-History 1: 46, 51-54

1 Nephi 1:18

“…after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.”

Calling secured; begins his ministry. See Ezekiel 2:1-3; Jeremiah 1:7-9, 17

1 Nephi 1:20

“But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”

See Abraham 3:22-23; I Corinthians 1:24-28; Doctrine & COvenants 1:17-19; Doctrine & Covenants 121:34-40

Elder Bednar states: “I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits “his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men” (D&C 46:15)

“Recall how the Savior instructed His Apostles that He would not leave them comfortless. Not only would He send “another Comforter” (John 14:16), even the Holy Ghost, but the Savior said that He would come to them (see John 14:18). Let me suggest that one of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through His abundant and tender mercies. For instance, as you and I face challenges and tests in our lives, the gift of faith and an appropriate sense of personal confidence that reaches beyond our own capacity are two examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord. And the persistence and the fortitude that enable us to press forward with cheerfulness through physical limitations and spiritual difficulties are examples of the tender mercies of the Lord.”

Lehi goes into the Wilderness

1 Nephi 2:1,3

LEHI GOES INTO THE WILDERNESS

“Blessed art thou, Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee…”

“And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him.”

1 NEPHI 2:11-13Laman and Lemuel: Models of Rebellion

Elder Maxwell states: “Failing to understand the ‘dealings’ of the Lord with His children—meaning His relations with and treatment of His children—is very fundamental. Murmuring is but one of the symptoms, and not the only consequence either; in fact, brothers and sisters, this failure affects everything else!

To misread something so crucial constitutes a failure to know God, who then ends up being wrongly seen as unreachable, uninvolved, uncaring, and unable—a disabled and diminished Deity, really—about whose seeming limitations, ironically, some then quickly complain.”

1 Nephi 2:14

Lehi confounds the wicked

What motivates Laman and Lemuel to follow their father? Is their decision long-lasting? Why not?

1 Nephi 2:15“And my father dwelt in a tent.”

“Any easterner would appreciate the significance and importance of the statement, which to us seems almost trivial. If Nephi seems to think of his father's tent as the hub of everything, he is simply expressing the view of any normal Bedouin, to whom the tent of the sheikh is the sheet anchor of existence. ‘A white flag,’ we are told, ‘is sometimes hoisted above his tent to guide strangers and visitors. All visitors are led directly to the tent of the [sheikh].’ When Nephi urged the frightened Zoram to join the party in the desert, he said: ‘If thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us’ (1 Nephi 4:34). The correctness of the proposal is attested not only by the proper role of Lehi in receiving members and guests into the tribe but also in the highly characteristic expression, ‘thou shalt have place with us.’ For since time immemorial the proper word of welcome to the stranger who enters one's tent has been ahlan wa sahlan wa marhaban, literally (perhaps), ‘a family, a smooth place, and a wide place!’ Equivalent expressions are found in the Old Testament, as when Abraham invites his heavenly visitor to sit beneath his tree (Genesis 18:4), and here too such details are authentic touches of Bedouin life. But none of the Bible expressions are as typically "Arabic" as Nephi's invitation.” (Welch)

1 Nephi 2:16-23

Nephi represents the qualities of the righteous individual:

“…having great desires to know of the mysteries of god.”

“I did cry unto the Lord”

“…he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe…”

“Blessed are thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart” (1 Nephi 2:19).

Retrieving the Plates of Brass

faith, obedience and remembrance

1 Nephi 34-5 (Command to retrieve the plates)

6-8 (Nephi accepts his father’s command)

12 (Lehi’s Genealogy)

16 (Persistence of Nephi in being obedient)

19-20 (Importance of records/remembering)

28-31 (Inefficacy of miracles)

1 Nephi 4

3-6 (Faith in the face of doubt)

7-13 (Lord slays the wicked to bring about his righteous purposes)

14-18 (Remembering the words of the Lord; Following the promptings of the Spirit)

1 Nephi 5

1-8 (Follow the Prophet; Doubt not)

18-22 (Plates of Brass valued; to be searched and preserved)

1 Nephi 6Purpose of Nephi’s Record

3: “write the things of God”

4: “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.”

5: “Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the World.”

1 Nephi 7

This chapter is an important preface to Lehi’s vision. In it Nephi describes the continued rebellion of Laman and Lemuel. In it we also note Nephi’s continued faithfulness.

This chapter will set the stage for the anxiety that Lehi feels when he sees the “future” of his children with regard to salvation or destruction.

Welch, John W. “The Calling of A Prophet,” pp/ 35-48 in Nyman, Monte S. and Charles D. Tate, First Nephi: The Doctrinal Foundation.