Editor’s Note: Four years ago, Jonn Claybaugh began writing the Study and Teaching Helps series of articles for Interpreter. We now have these wonderful and useful posts for all four years of Come, Follow Me lessons. Beginning this year we will be reposting these articles, with dates, lesson numbers, and titles updated for the current year’s lessons. Jonn has graciously agreed to write new study aids for those lessons that do not directly correspond to 2020 lessons.

What a tremendous prophet of God was young Nephi! President Heber J. Grant said, “I read the Book of Mormon as a young man, and fell in love with Nephi more than with any other character … except the Savior of the world. No other individual has made such a strong impression upon me as did Nephi. He has been one of the guiding stars of my life.” (Gospel Standards, 357.)

1 Nephi 1:1, 3    The Preparation of a Prophet

What things did Nephi mention in verse 1 that had prepared him to write what would become scripture? (goodly parents, taught in the learning of his father, many afflictions, highly favored of the Lord, great knowledge of God’s goodness and mysteries).

What experiences have we had, which have prepared us to do our part in the Lord’s work? In verse 3 Nephi bears testimony of the truthfulness of his record, drawing us in to pay careful attention.

1 Nephi 1:6-7    A Pattern of Spiritual Gifts

Lehi has a heavenly manifestation (or vision) which begins a pattern in Nephi’s record, similar to all prophets. In these few chapters, other heavenly manifestations and interventions are recorded in:

We would do well to consider the pattern of spiritual gifts the Lord has granted to each of us.

1 Nephi 1:20    Tender Mercies

Nephi calls the Lord’s protection of his father a tender mercy. He then promises to “show unto [us] 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.” This becomes a major theme of Nephi’s 55 chapters; there being dozens of instances of the Lord’s goodness in the lives of those of the faithful and ways they were “delivered.”

As each of us considers the goodness of God in our lives, we may see many ways in which He has repeatedly delivered us and blessed us.

1 Nephi 2:11-13    The Sin of Murmuring

The reason Laman and Lemuel murmured against their father was not because he was a visionary man; rather “they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them” (verse 12).

When we are tempted to murmur, we must consider whether we are revealing our ignorance of God’s will in our lives!

1 Nephi 3:4-7    Go and Do

Laman and Lemuel return to their murmuring, but Nephi is “favored of the Lord” because he had not murmured (verse 6). Nephi verbalizes his attitude by stating, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,” explaining, “for I know … he shall prepare a way” (verse 7). What experiences in Nephi’s subsequent life show that he truly was willing to “go and do”? Perhaps each of us can think of experiences wherein the Lord “prepared the way” for us to do what He has asked. This is the Lord’s work and He is able to accomplish it, even as He works through weak vessels such as ourselves!

1 Nephi 3:11-13, 24-26 and 1 Nephi 4:1-3, 6-7, 38    We Can Do Hard Things (with God’s Help)

• What was the first plan for obtaining the plates? (Go to Laban’s house and ask for them.)
• What was the result? (Laban threw Laman out and threatened to kill him.)
• What was the second plan? (Exchange the family riches for the plates.)
• What was the result? (Laban stole their property and sent his servants to kill them.)
• What was the third plan? (Go back, be faithful and strong, do not doubt, and rely on the Spirit.)
• What was the result? (The Lord tailored the circumstances, allowing Nephi to obtain the plates.)

As in 4:6, being “led by the Spirit” often means “not knowing” what you will do nor what will happen—you simply go. As Nephi said, “Nevertheless [without clarity], I went forth” (4:7). He didn’t wait to be told what to do; he just went. When we do not see the way, we can have confidence that God can lead us, even in the dark of night.

1 Nephi 3:14-15    Spiritual Tenacity

After their first failure to obtain the plates from Laban, all four brothers were “exceedingly sorrowful,” but Nephi was the one who was not “about to return unto my father in the wilderness.” Instead, Nephi declared, “As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.” Nephi might have said, “Well, we tried but it didn’t work.” But he had previously expressed his conviction that the Lord would prepare the way—and Nephi may have sensed that the way would be difficult. Nephi swears an oath by God’s life and by his own life, making success the only option.

1 Nephi 5:1-8    Loving Communication

Sariah mourned over what she perceived as the loss of her sons. She also “complained against” her husband (verses 2-3), but Lehi’s response was kind and loving: “I know that I am a visionary man … I know that the Lord will deliver my sons.” Lehi did not lash out at Sariah, but rather he bore his testimony to her and he comforted her (verses 4-6). What followed was a reunion with their sons that was “full of joy,” upon which Sariah took a turn to bear her own testimony, saying twice, “I know of a surety” (verses 7-8). In addition to attesting to the hand of the Lord in their lives, Lehi demonstrated a charitable approach in his marriage relationship, setting a Christlike example for us in all our personal interactions.