1 Nephi 2

“Thou Hast Sought Me Diligently”

Nephi praying by a stream

The Lord sometimes commands us to do things that we may find difficult to understand or do. After calling upon the people of Jerusalem to repent, Lehi obeyed a revelation to move his family into the wilderness. Rather than murmur like Laman and Lemuel, Nephi turned to the Lord for further understanding and had his heart softened. This lesson is intended to help you feel a greater desire to turn to the Lord when He asks you to do difficult things.

Remembering the lawgiver. When teaching about God’s laws and commandments, remember to also teach about the lawgiver. Help students consider what God’s commandments teach about Him, His desire to guide and bless them, and the love He has for them. Help students understand that laws have been given by a loving Father in Heaven to help them become more like Him and His Beloved Son.

Student preparation: Ask a friend or family member, “When have you sought and received the Lord’s help to believe and obey His words, even when it was difficult?”

Possible Learning Activities

Responding to the Lord’s counsel

Consider displaying the following scenario and questions. Give students sufficient time to ponder and discuss how they might answer the questions.

Imagine you are listening to general conference and the President of the Church gives counsel that you think will be difficult to follow. After conference, you begin to hear other Church members complaining about his counsel and asking why the prophet would ask us to do this thing. As you listen to these arguments, you begin to wonder what you should do.

• What could be some negative ways to react to the complaints and criticisms of the members?

• What are some positive approaches to this situation? What would please the Lord?

In 1 Nephi 2, you will see Lehi’s children responding in different ways to a challenging commandment God gave them through His prophet. As you study, look for principles that can help you if it ever seems difficult to follow the prophet.

The Lord commands Lehi to leave Jerusalem

You might remember that Lehi was commanded by the Lord to warn the people of Jerusalem that they would be destroyed if they would not repent. Read 1 Nephi 2:1–5, looking for the Lord’s counsel to Lehi after he had preached repentance. You may also want to watch “Lehi Counsels with His Family to Leave Jerusalem” (2:27), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Consider displaying this map. To help students visualize the distance Lehi’s family may have traveled, you might also give an example of a place that is approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) from where you and your students are located.

map of possible route of Lehi’s journey in the wilderness

The distance Lehi’s family may have traveled from Jerusalem to the borders of the Red Sea was approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers). Their journey would have taken many days and led them through a hot and barren country that was known to have thieves who waited to rob unprepared travelers.

• If you were one of Lehi’s children, how do you think you would have reacted in this situation? Why?

• What questions might you have had?

• How do you see the Lord’s mercy demonstrated in His commandment to leave Jerusalem?

One way to help students study this chapter is to help them compare and contrast the responses of Laman and Lemuel with the responses of Nephi and Sam. Comparing and contrasting individuals in the scriptures is a scripture study skill that can help students reflect on their own efforts to follow God. Consider having students practice this skill by creating the table below on the whiteboard. Invite students to write what they discover on the board. It may also be helpful to point this out as a scripture study skill that they can apply throughout the scriptures in their own personal study.

Response of Laman and Lemuel	Response of Nephi and Sam
Response of Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 2:11–13	Response of Nephi and Sam 1 Nephi 2:16–21

You may also want to watch “Nephi Prays for Laman and Lemuel” (6:02), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, looking for other insights you can add to your chart.

• What did you notice as you compared the actions of Laman and Lemuel with the actions of Nephi and Sam?

  Inviting students to summarize what they have learned can be a good way to allow them to identify principles from the scriptures. Students will often discover principles that are similar to those in the teacher manual. If students share truths that are different from what is in the manual, their discoveries may be more meaningful to them. Seek guidance from the Holy Ghost to determine which principles will be most meaningful to discuss with the class.

• In one sentence, how would you summarize what you learned from the examples of Laman and Lemuel? How would you summarize what you learned from the examples of Nephi and Sam?

Take a moment to review what you have written. Consider which actions or motives are most similar to your own. What desires, thoughts, or feelings come to you as you make this comparison?

From Laman and Lemuel you may have discovered that not knowing the dealings of the Lord and disbelieving His prophets can cause us to murmur. From Nephi you may have learned that when we diligently seek to understand the Lord’s commandments, He can soften our hearts to help us to believe and obey.

Nephi’s comment that the Lord “did soften [his] heart” (1 Nephi 2:16) indicates that, similar to Laman and Lemuel, this was not an easy commandment for him to obey. Think about how Nephi’s decision to turn to the Lord in this situation may have impacted the rest of his life. Think about how the lives of Laman and Lemuel could have turned out different if they had followed Nephi’s example.

• What are some situations you are facing or could face in which you would benefit from following Nephi’s example?

• How could humbly seeking the Lord in these circumstances, rather than disbelieving and murmuring, impact your life now and in the future?

• What do you understand about God that can keep you from murmuring when He asks you to do something difficult?

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared what we can do when we may not initially understand or agree with counsel from the Lord’s prophet.

Elder Neil L. Andersen

Don’t be surprised if at times your personal views are not initially in harmony with the teachings of the Lord’s prophet. These are moments of learning, of humility, when we go to our knees in prayer. We walk forward in faith, trusting in God, knowing that with time we will receive more spiritual clarity from our Heavenly Father. One prophet described the incomparable gift of the Savior as “the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father” [Mosiah 15:7]. The surrender of our will to God’s will is, in fact, not surrender at all but the beginning of a glorious victory. (Neil L. Andersen, “The Prophet of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 26)

• What blessings have come to you as you have sought to surrender your will to Heavenly Father, as Jesus and Nephi did?

Take a moment to record your thoughts and spiritual impressions. What have you learned that you want to remember? What adjustments do you feel inspired to make in your life based on what you have studied today?

Commentary and Background Information

How can strengthening my relationship with the Savior influence the way I respond to difficult situations?

Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Seventy taught:

Elder Craig C. Christensen

After listening to his father speak of his many spiritual experiences, Nephi wanted to know what his father knew. This was more than simple curiosity—it was something he hungered and thirsted after. Even though he was “exceedingly young,” he had “great desires to know of the mysteries of God” [1 Nephi 2:16]. He yearned to “see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost” [1 Nephi 10:17].

… Because of his believing heart and his diligent efforts, Nephi was blessed with a marvelous experience. He received a witness of the forthcoming birth, life, and Crucifixion of the Savior Jesus Christ; he saw the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the Restoration of the gospel in the last days—all as a result of his sincere desire to know for himself.

These personal experiences with the Lord prepared Nephi for the adversity and challenges he would soon face. They enabled him to stand strong even when others in his family were struggling. He could do this because he had learned for himself and he knew for himself. He had been blessed with his own testimony. (Craig C. Christensen, “I Know These Things of Myself,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 50–51)

Visualizing the scriptures

To better visualize the scriptures, consider watching “Lehi’s Family Departs into the Wilderness” (3:47) in addition to analyzing the text.

Supplemental Learning Activities

Grateful in any circumstances

After studying about Lehi’s family leaving Jerusalem, invite students to read 1 Nephi 2:7, looking for what Lehi did. Discuss Lehi’s example of giving thanks by asking questions such as “Why do you think Lehi gave thanks after losing so much?” or “What effect do you think Lehi’s gratitude had on his family?”

Share the following statement by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, and encourage students to strive to be grateful in any circumstance.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Grateful in Any Circumstances,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 75)

Long-term impact of decisions

Ask students to share how they feel the decisions of Nephi, Sam, Laman, and Lemuel in 1 Nephi 2 could have impacted the rest of their lives. Invite students to study some or all of the following scripture passages. As they study, invite them to consider how the events recorded in 1 Nephi 2 may have impacted the reactions Laman, Lemuel, and Nephi had in these verses.

	Laman and Lemuel	Nephi
Lehi’s sons are commanded to retrieve the brass plates	Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 3:5	Nephi 1 Nephi 3:6–7
An angel assures Lehi’s sons that the Lord will deliver Laban into their hands	Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 3:31	Nephi 1 Nephi 4:1–3
Lehi shares his vision of the tree of life	Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 15:2–3, 8–9	Nephi 1 Nephi 10:17; 11:1
Nephi breaks his bow	Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 16:18–20	Nephi 1 Nephi 16:23, 30–32
Nephi is commanded to build a ship	Laman and Lemuel 1 Nephi 17:17–18	Nephi 1 Nephi 17:8–9, 50-51
Lehi’s sons respond to new leadership following Lehi’s death	Laman and Lemuel 2 Nephi 5:1–3, 20	Nephi 2 Nephi 5:5–11