Lehi's prophetic teachings were recieved differently among his family members. Nephi readily accepted Lehi's message and consequently found refuge, safety, and promised blessings. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

President John Taylor asked, “What is the first thing necessary to the establishment of his kingdom? It is to raise up a prophet and have him declare the will of God; the next is to have people yield obedience to the word of the Lord through that prophet.”[1] Likewise, Elder Mark E. Petersen declared: “Always when the Lord has had a people on the earth whom he has recognized as his own, he has led them by living prophets to whom he has given guidancefrom heaven. . . . Although he is a God of communication, he follows a particular method of transmitting knowledge to man. It is an unchanging pattern,which is, that he always speaks to the peoplethrough living prophets.”[2]

One way our Father in Heaven demonstrates love for his children is that he sends to them a living prophet.[3] Moreover, this divine pattern—God speaking to his people through prophets—can be found throughout the Book of Mormon, from Lehi to Nephi, from Mosiah to Alma,and from Mormonto Moroni. In fact, the need for living prophets, and in turn our charge to follow them, is explained clearly in the Book of Mormon. Specifically, lessons taught by Nephi are rich with principles on why following a prophet is critical to our salvation.

1 Nephi: Conversion and Prophetic Loyalty

The account in 1 Nephi is a powerful example of prophetic devotion found right at the outset of the Book of Mormon. President Harold B. Lee once quoted this statement: “That person is not truly converted until he sees the power of God resting upon the leaders of this church, and until it goes down into his heart like fire.”[4] Nephi seemed to possess that type of conversion. He knew that his father, Lehi, was the prophet, and the words of Lehi appeared to go down into Nephi’s heart like fire (see 1 Nephi 2:16)! Although many have viewed Nephi and Lehi through a familial or patriarchal lens, they can also be regarded as prophet and pupil.

Lehi as a Prophet

One of the initial lessons that can be learned from 1 Nephi 1 is the pattern by which prophets function. For example, in 1 Nephi 1:5–13 we read that Lehi prayed unto the Lord for his people.Like Moses, and other prophets,Lehi knew what it meantto pray and plead for those people to whom he ministered. As he prayed,he received a revelation that caused him to quake and tremble exceedingly. In the revelation, Lehi was instructed that (1) Jerusalemwould be destroyed, (2) the inhabitants would be exterminated, (3) many would die by the sword, and (4) many would be carried awaycaptive into Babylon (see v. 13). Often, prophets must be the bearers of such warnings.Perhaps the heaviest burden that rests on a prophet’s shoulders is the gift of seership—having a panoramic view of thoselife-changing eventsthat will occuryears down the road, or perhaps months or even weeks ahead.

After receiving such knowledge from God, Lehi had the responsibility to share this key information with his people.Therefore he went forth and declared unto the citizens of Jerusalem “the things which he had both seen and heard” (1 Nephi 1:18). What we learn in 1 Nephi 1 is the pattern by which prophets seem to operate. First, they seek the will of the Lord. Second, the Lord’s mind and will are revealed to them. Third, they convey the Lord’s message to the people.Of course, the people have an opportunity to accept or reject prophetic counsel.

In the case of Lehi, the citizenry of Jerusalem did not like his message of wickedness, abominations, and the need to repent (see 1 Nephi 1:19). Consequently, his own people wanted to kill him, theultimate form of prophetic rejection.Lehi and his family had to flee for their safety, and true to form, Jerusalem was destroyed, just as Lehi had prophesied.

The message from prophets to repent and change our ways is sometimes uncomfortable to hear. Some Latter-day Saints tend to obey prophetic counselthey find easy but to disregard counsel that does not appeal to them or may be difficult to understand. For some members, not ingesting cocaine is a no-brainer; however, having a three-month supply of food may be a more challenging prophetic pill to swallow.The Jews in Lehi’s day did not want to hear that they neededto repent of their wickedness (indeed, who does?). Elder Neal A. Maxwell spoke of this propensity:

This is a hard but necessary dimensionof the doctrine about livingprophets, and each in his circumstantial turn will need to be tested to see if he really subscribes to it. Our relationship to living prophets is not one in which their sayings are a smorgasbord from which we may take only that which pleases us. We are to partake of all that is placed before us, including the spinach, and to leave a clean plate![5]

To Nephi, the words of his father, the prophet Lehi, were not a smorgasbord, and they were certainly not spinach—they were a cherishedfeast. He treasured the word of the Lord. Like the Psalmist, Nephi could have declared, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103).[6] The words that came from Nephi’s prophet, Lehi, were indeed sweet to him. He was willing to accept the prophetic message, regardless of how difficult it was (see 1 Nephi 3–4). Indeed, he was willing to eat everything, including the spinach! As a result of following the counsel and example of his prophet, Nephi and his family were able to find refuge and safety in the wilderness, and ultimately the land of promise.

Learning Obedience from Prophets

Moreover, Nephi learned the value of obedience from his prophet,Lehi. For instance,in 1 Nephi 2:1–3 Lehi received a second major revelation. The Lord instructed Lehi that he was blessed because of his faithfulness and obedience. As a result,the Lord told himto take his family and depart into the wilderness for safety and protection. It is interesting that revelation begets revelation. Since Lehi was obedientto the first directive the Lord gave him (callingthe people to repent for their wickedness), other injunctions followed. The command to take his family into the wilderness may not have come if Lehi was not willing to declare repentance to the people—the first major undertaking the Lord asked of him in his prophetic role.

Nephi learned the principle of obedience by simply observing his father’s obedient nature. We learn in 1 Nephi that Lehi was obedient to all that the Lord asked him to do (see 1 Nephi 2:3). Nephi was a quick study and always seemed to follow Lehi’s example.No wonder he was able to say in the following chapter, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded” (3:7). That was not something Nephi made up on the spot—it was a principle that he had witnessed firsthand from his prophet and father.

Because Nephi was awareof the prophetic pattern seen in the events of 1 Nephi 1, he was able to apply it in his life in the events we read in 1 Nephi 2.We learn that Nephi had great desires to know the Lord’s will, and so he cried to the Lord, who visited him just as he had visited the prophet Lehi. Through the Holy Ghost, Nephi’s heart was softened (see v. 16), and he believed the words of his prophet and father. There is a significant relationship between obeying the prophet and having the Holy Ghost as our companion to lead and guide us. As Nephi was obedient to Lehi, his heart was softened by the Holy Ghost (see v. 17). He knew that Lehi was a prophet, and he would be willing to do anything the Lord, or his prophet for that matter, asked him to do. Elder Neal A. Maxwell spoke of the relationship betweenfollowing the prophetand receiving the Holy Ghost:

A lack of obedience to the leaders will, therefore, mean that we will not have the precious promptings of the Spirit, which we need personally—so much and so often. This potential loss would be reason enough for us to be obedient to the prophets, for apparently we cannot have one without the other. Vital as the words of the prophets are, these come to us only periodically. We need the directions of the Spirit daily, even hourly.[7]

Since Nephi believed his father was a prophet (see 1 Nephi 3:7), he was able to accomplish a great mission. After the family reachedthe wilderness, Nephiand his brotherswere able to go back to Jerusalem and accomplish the herculean task of obtaining the brass plates. How did he accomplish this? Perhaps since Nephi tried to be obedient to the Lord’s commandments and also followed Lehi, he “was led by the Spirit”(4:6; see v. 18). It was the Holy Ghost that directed Nephi to obtain the brass plates. Killing Laban, puttingon his clothes, and capturingZoram were all revelations that came to Nephi from the Lord. Perhaps he never would have thought of those ideas on his own.

Relying on the Words of the Prophets

Nephi was also able to rely on past prophets to help him accomplish his mission. In 1 Nephi 4:1–2, he was able to encourage his brethren after they had failed twice to obtain the plates. How did he encourage and inspire them? With the words of the prophets. He implored them to “be strong like unto Moses” and then reminded them of the things Moses was able to do with the Lord’s help. In fact, Nephi seems to quote from Moses often when he or his familyis in trouble (see 1 Nephi 4; 17). He learned to rely on the words of the prophets for safety, direction, and deliverance in his life. It was not until Nephi reminded his brothersof Moses’s words that the Holy Ghost directed Nephi to Laban, who lay on the ground in a drunken stupor, and thence to Laban’s treasury to secure the coveted plates of brass.

Sariah’s Conversion to Prophetic Counsel

Nephi and his brothers were not the only ones who encountered difficult experiences after obeying their father’s prophetic counsel to flee Jerusalem.Their mother, Sariah, was deeply concernedabout her sons returning to Jerusalem to get the plates. When she reachedher low point,she feared that (1) Nephiand his brothers had perished in the wilderness, (2) Lehi was delusional and visionary, (3) they had lost their home and all their possessions, and (4) Sariah, Lehi, and the rest of the family would also perish in the wilderness (see 1 Nephi 5:2). Because Lehi spoke to her gently, and since he bore his testimony to her of who he was and what the Lord needed the family to do, Sariah was comforted by the Holy Ghost. With prophetic assurance Lehi promised, “I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness” (1 Nephi 5:5). When Nephi and his brothers did return, just as Lehi had prophesied, Sariah did “know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; . . . and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons . . . and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them” (v. 8). Her testimony was strengthened by her husband’s reassurances and fulfilled prophecies.

After learning throughthis experience (and others that followed) that Lehi was a prophet, Sariah never questioned his ability to receive revelation. In fact, once her testimony was secured,she never reneged on or floundered in her faith. There are many other examples of the blessings that can come from following prophets found in the Book of Mormon (see, for example, 2 Nephi 5:6–27; Mosiah 18; 24; 3 Nephi 10:12). Consequently, the prophet Lehi and then Nephi were prepared to lead their people on the journey to the promised land. Likewise, if we heed the counsel of our living prophet, we will eventually arrive in our own promised land. That does not mean there will not be trials, because there will be—ask Nephi. Nor that we will not face difficult circumstances—ask Alma, Mosiah, and Abinadi. Along this line, Elder Robert D. Hales explained:

If we follow the counsel given by the prophets, we can have a life in mortality where we do not bring upon ourselves unnecessary pain and self-destruction. This does not mean we will not have challenges. We will. This does not mean we will not be tested. We will, for this is part of our purpose on earth. But if we listen to the counsel of our prophet, we will become stronger and be able to withstand the tests of mortality. We will have hope and joy. All the words of counsel from the prophets have been given so that we may be strengthened and then be able to lift and strengthen others.[8]

Therefore, like Nephi, if continue to be faithful, we will eventually inherit a promised land of peace, happiness, and safety. We will also be able to lift, help, succor, and strengthen those around us.

The Making of a Prophet

Moreover, because there were “many prophets in the land” (Ether 9:28), Nephi was able to sustainhis own family through trials that would have destroyed most people. Consider some of the tribulations that Nephi and his family experienced:

• Nephi was severely beaten by his brothers (see 1 Nephi 3:28).
• Nephi and his family traversed and sojourned in the wilderness for eight years

(see 1 Nephi 17:4), suffering many hardships.

• Nephi was bound with cords several times (see 1 Nephi7; 18).
• Nephi and his familysometimes lacked food (see 1 Nephi 16).
• Nephi’s familywas often in a state of contention (see 1 Nephi 3; 15–17)
• Nephi’s brothers sought to kill him (see 1 Nephi 7:16; 16:37; 17:48).
• During the perilous sea voyage, aging Lehi and Sariah nearly die from illness

and grief over their rebellious children (see 1 Nephi 18:17–18).

• Ishmael and Lehi die (see 1 Nephi 16; 2 Nephi 4).
• Perhaps the most severe trial of all, Nephi was commanded to take the life of Laban (see 1 Nephi 4).

These are just some of the crucibles Nephi felt to share with the reader. Likely there were many other tribulations that were not recorded. Why such trial and difficulty? (After all, Nephi is the model for obedience and devotion to thegospel.) Because the Lord was making him into a prophet. And with that preparation often comes severe testing. Elder Orson Hyde explained it this way:

When an individual is ordained and appointed to lead the people, he has passed through tribulations and trials,and has proven himself before God, and before His people, that he is worthy of the situation whichhe holds. . . . A personthat has not been tried,that has not proved himself before God, and before His people, and before the councils of the Most High . . . is not going to step in to lead the Church and people of God. . . . Someone that understands the Spirit and counsel of the Almighty,that knows the Church, and is known of her, is the character that will lead the Church.[9]

Nephi was such a person. The Lord needed him to pass through severe trials and chastening so that he could one day lead His people.And Nephi did just that. His trialsmolded and shaped his character. When Lehi died, Nephi, the pupil, was ready to step in and take the prophetic lead. Of God’s intimate knowledge of a prophet’s worthiness, President George Q. Cannonstated:

God has chosen [the prophet] to stand where he does—not you or me; and He knows every secret thought of men’s hearts. His all-piercing eye has penetrated the innermost recesses of his heart, and He has seen all there is about him, inside and out. He knows him thoroughly, because He created him. He knew his past history; He knows his present history. And knowing this He has chosen him. What can we do better than to show respect to our God by listening to His servant, by treating him with reverence, asking his counsel and seeking for his guidance?[10]

Indeed, the most important step Nephi’s family could have taken would have been to sustain him, love him, and obey him. Why? Because he was the person the Lord chose to lead and guide them to safety.The book of 1 Nephi provides examplesof the role of prophetsand the blessings and consequences that are sure to come to those who reject them or follow them (see 1 Nephi 1–3; 16–18). Nephi’s obedienceto the prophet Lehi enabled him to receive untoldblessings in his life. One key blessing is that he was able to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost, which attended him because of his obedience to prophetic counsel. Consequently, he was blessed and able to lead his people to safety (see 1 Nephi 17–18; 2 Nephi 5).

The Transition of the Mantle

The Lord told Nephi, “Inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacherover thy brethren” (1 Nephi 2:22).In time Nephidid replace Lehi, becoming the leader of his people. There was a process that attended Nephi’s preparation to become a prophet. In his prophet training, Nephi was given a grand vision in which he saw the Spirit of the Lord, Mary the mother of Jesus, the Savior’s ministry, the land of promise, the history of the American continent, the restoration of the gospel, the building up of Zion, the future of Lehi’s posterity, and the gathering of Israel (see 1 Nephi 11–15).

Another key factor in Nephi’s prophetic development appears to be teaching his vision to his brothers (see 1 Nephi 15). It was not enough to see in vision the destiny of the house of Israel; Nephi needed to teach those principles and doctrines to his family. However, his knowledge was not limited to what he learned in visions.He also appears to have been searching the scriptures diligently, for he did teach his family much from the words of Isaiah (see v. 20) and urged them to repent of their sins, rid themselves of wickedness, and become clean.[11]

Arguably, another key occurrence that prepared Nephi for his role as prophet was the breaking of the bow experience in 1 Nephi 16.Here we see a glimpse of the transition of the prophetic mantel—from Lehi to Nephi. In fact, Nephi seemed to become the key teacher in the family as he exhorted his brethren “with all diligence, to keep the commandments” (v. 4). Nevertheless, Lehi still seemed to be the prophet since the Liahona was placed in front of his tent, not Nephi’s. However, when Nephi broke his bow, Lehi murmured (see v. 20), as well as the rest of the family. This experience appears to be the defining moment for Nephi. Instead of joining in their complaints, Nephi was strong and urged the others to have faith. Although the Lord chastened Lehi and instructed him to look at the Liahonafor further instruction, Lehi only saw warnings (see v. 27, footnotea). It was Nephi who saw a “new writing”(v. 29) and took the Liahona into the wilderness, followed the directions on the ball, and slew wild beasts (see vv. 30–31), a timely action that preserved the family.

In 1 Nephi17 and 18, Nephi was the one who was commanded to build the ship, the one who called Laman and Lemuel to repentance, and the one who visited with the Lord often in the mountain. In fact, we learn that as Nephi went to the mountain often, the Lord showed him great things (see 18:1–3). Despite Nephi’s leadership and accomplishments, the Lord came to Lehi and gave him the directive when it was time to board the ship and sail for the promised land (see v. 5). However, when the brothers became rude on the ship, Nephi was the one who called them to repentance (see v. 10). Moreover, when they tied Nephi up, not Lehi, the Liahona ceased to work (see v. 12). Perhaps Lehi was too sick or old to carry out his prophetic duties (see v. 17), and for the most part, it appears that the prophetic mantle had been shifted to Nephi. Nevertheless, out of courtesy and respect, Nephi always yielded to his father first (see 16:23). The Lord had prepared him well to be the next prophet of the Nephites.

The Rejection of a Prophet

Years ago, President Henry B. Eyring made this poignant observation:

The choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. It becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. . . . Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety.[12]

The Nephites learned the blessings of obedience to prophetic counsel, and, unfortunately, they also saw firsthand what happens when prophetic counsel is rejected (see 1 Nephi 16–18). Furthermore, just as Nephi was told that if he kept the Lord’s commandments he would be a “ruler”and a “teacher” over his brethren, he was also told, “Inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, . . . [and] in that day that they shall rebel against me [the Lord],” they would be “cut off” and cursed for doing so (see 2:21–23).

The Book of Mormon is clear: Laman and Lemuel did rebel against Nephi often. They rebelled against him when he tried to secure the brass plates (1 Nephi 3:28), when they journeyed back from Jerusalem with Ishmael’s family (7:6), when he told them they could not enter God’s kingdom unless they repented and became clean (15:34), when he broke his bow (16:18), when he began to build a ship (17:17–18), when they crossed the ocean (18:10–20), and, finally, when he preached to them after Lehi’s death (2 Nephi 5:1–4). Ironically, their rebellion appears to have always been directed toward the things Nephi was doing to help them.

Ultimately, Nephi had to followthe same patternhe learned from his fatherand prophet, Lehi—he had to lead his people into the wilderness to find refuge and safety (see 2 Nephi 5:5). Meanwhile,what of those who rejectedprophets? What would be their fate? Our modern-day prophets have spoken succinctly on this subject. Those who reject prophets can expect God’s displeasure, loss of the Holy Ghost, spiritual darkness, spiritual death, and apostasy (see Alma 9:18; 16:9; Ether 15). Note the words used to describe Nephi’s brothers who rebelled against him and became Lamanites. They were

• cut off from the presence of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 2:21);
• they experienced a sore cursing (see 2 Nephi 5:21);
• they became a loathsome people (see 1 Nephi 12:23; 2 Nephi 5:22);
• they became idle, full of mischief(see 2 Nephi 5:24);
• they became a filthy and bloodthirsty people (see Enos 1:20).

These curses all came as a direct consequence of rejecting prophets. Each of these attributes describes a people who had lost the Spirit. Similar consequences await those today who reject the Lord’s anointed or refuse to follow their counsel and commands.

The Book of Mormon, especially 1 Nephi, powerfully attests the vital role of prophets, the blessings of following prophetic direction, and the consequences that come to those who reject prophetic teachings. In our dispensation similar blessings and consequences apply to those who will accept or reject living prophets. Indeed, “he that receiveth a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward” (Matthew 10:41). A prophet’s reward could include happiness, peace, prosperity, and safety.[13] As we seek to follow living prophets, may we receive the same reward that Nephi sought, and ultimately found, that of eternal life.

Notes

[1] John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, ed. G. Homer Durham (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1943), 214.

[2] Mark E. Petersen, “Another Prophet Now Has Come!,” in Conference Report, October 1972, 150.

[3] Henry B. Eyring declared, “Because the Lord is kind, He calls servants to warn people of danger” (Ensign, November 1998, 32).

[4] Harold B. Lee, in Conference Report, April 1972, 118.

[5] Neal A. Maxwell, Things as They Really Are (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978), 74.

[6] Instead, what Nephi did say was “For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children” (2 Nephi 4:15).

[7] Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979), 104.

[8] Robert D. Hales, “Hear the Prophet’s Voice and Obey,” Ensign, May 1995, 17.

[9] Orson Hyde, in Journal of Discourses, 1:123.

[10] George Q. Cannon, in Conference Report, April 1900, 13.

[11] At a recent general conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited the priesthood of the Church to repent. He said, “Brethren, we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to ‘thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength.’ The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages” (Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019).

[12] Henry B. Eyring, “Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 25.

[13] M. Russell Ballard declared, “History has shown that there is safety, peace, prosperity, and happiness in responding to prophetic counsel” (“His Word Ye Shall Receive,” Ensign, May 2001, 65).