1 Nephi 3

God Prepares a Way

Nephi sitting by a stream

After traveling for days through the wilderness, Nephi and his brothers faced a test of their obedience and faith in God when they were commanded to return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from Laban. At times, you will also be asked by the Lord to do difficult things. This lesson can help you exercise faith in God to accomplish what He asks you to do.

Helping students recognize the Lord’s influence in their lives. As students learn about how the Savior blessed the lives of people in the scriptures, look for ways to help them recognize His blessings in their own lives. Invite them to ponder how the Savior might be answering their prayers, strengthening them, or healing them.

Student preparation: Invite students to work on memorizing the doctrinal mastery passage 1 Nephi 3:7 and to think about how it applies to situations they face in their lives.

Possible Learning Activities

Difficult commandments

To help students find relevance in the account of Lehi’s sons being commanded to do hard things, consider writing on the board students’ answers to the following questions and referencing them throughout the lesson.

• Which commandments, standards, or other prophetic invitations are the hardest for teenagers to obey today? What makes these more difficult than others?

• What would you say to someone who feels that a certain commandment or standard is too hard to keep?

An alternate way to begin class is to help students see that we need the Lord’s help to accomplish what He asks of us. One way to do this is to ask a student to do something that will require the teacher’s help. For example, as part of a task, they might need to open something that requires a key from the teacher.

If there is a commandment that has been difficult for you to obey, keep it in mind as you study 1 Nephi 3. Seek to learn from the examples you study, and ponder how your choices can influence your relationship with the Lord.

The Lord gives a commandment to Lehi’s sons

Read 1 Nephi 3:1–6, looking for what Lehi’s sons were commanded to do.

• Why do you think Nephi’s brothers were correct in calling this commandment a “hard thing”? (verse 5).

The following paragraph could help if students are unsure how to answer the previous question.

Imagine how Lehi’s sons might have felt leaving their home and traveling hundreds of miles through barren country into the wilderness only to be asked to return to Jerusalem a short time later to get the plates from Laban.

Read 1 Nephi 3:7–8 and identify the reason Nephi gave for his willingness to do what the Lord commanded.

1 Nephi 3:7 is a doctrinal mastery passage. Consider marking doctrinal mastery passages in a distinctive way so you can locate them easily. You will have an opportunity in the next lesson to practice applying the doctrine taught in this passage to a question or situation.

• What did Nephi understand that his brothers might not have understood?

One thing we learn from verse 7 is that God prepares a way for us to accomplish whatever He asks us to do.

Consider how this truth relates to commandments that may be challenging for you.

Although God will help you accomplish what He asks, He has not promised that it will be easy or that your first attempt will be successful.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, explained:

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Yearning for Home,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 22)

• What does this statement help you understand about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Think back to the commandments, standards, or other prophetic invitations that you identified earlier in the lesson as the hardest for teenagers to obey.

• What are obstacles that can make it difficult to obey these commandments?

• How might the Lord “prepare a way” to help youth obey these commandments?

Invite students to share multiple responses to the previous question.

Nephi and his brothers attempt to obtain the plates

For the following activity, students could be divided into small groups, with half of the groups studying the first attempt and the other half studying the second attempt. Each group could prepare to act out what happened in their account and perform for another group who studied the other account, or each group could summarize their account for another group.

Students could watch the suggested videos instead of reading or acting out the accounts.

Study the following accounts of the first two attempts to obtain the brass plates. Look for how the different brothers reacted to each attempt. (Note: In the lesson “1 Nephi 4–5” you will learn how the Lord eventually provided a way for them to succeed.)

First attempt: Read 1 Nephi 3:10–15 or watch “Nephi Is Led by the Spirit to Obtain the Plates of Brass” from time code 4:43 to 8:18. This video is available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. (It may be helpful to know that casting lots is a way of randomly selecting one option among many.)

Second attempt: Read 1 Nephi 3:22–31; 4:1, or watch “Nephi Is Led by the Spirit to Obtain the Plates of Brass” from time code 8:18 to 15:10.

• What could these brothers have learned about themselves from the challenges they had while trying to obey God’s commandment?

• Why do you think our loving God might allow us to struggle for a time before He provides a way to accomplish His will?

• How do you think the brothers’ different reactions to what happened influenced their faith and relationship with Jesus Christ? Why?

Applying this account to your life

The Savior can help you overcome obstacles that make it harder to obey His commandments and follow the counsel of His prophets. To help you apply this to your life, answer the following questions in your study journal.

Consider displaying the following question options for student reference.

When students are done, invite volunteers to share part of what they wrote with the class. Testify that the Lord will always make a way for us to fulfill what He commands us.

1. Imagine Nephi giving you counsel about a commandment or the prophet’s counsel that you find difficult to obey. What do you think he might say to you?

2. What specific actions will you take to obey one of the Lord’s commandments or prophet’s counsels more fully?

3. What have you seen or experienced that gives you confidence that the Lord will prepare a way for you to obey His commandments and follow His prophet?

If students would benefit from studying the rest of the account of Nephi obtaining the plates before they are taught the doctrinal mastery lesson for 1 Nephi 3:7, you can wait to teach the doctrinal mastery lesson until after the “1 Nephi 4–5” lesson. Another option could be to have a student summarize the events recorded in 1 Nephi 4 to help the class see how the Lord provided a way to obey His commandments.

Commentary and Background Information

Where do I start if I’m struggling to keep multiple commandments?

President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) taught:

President Harold B. Lee

The most important of all the commandments of God is that one that you are having the most difficulty keeping today. … Put that aright and then you start on the next one that is most difficult for you to keep. That’s the way to sanctify yourself by keeping the commandments of God. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], 30)

Why does Heavenly Father give us commandments?

God helps answer this question in Doctrine and Covenants 82:8–9.

Sister Carole M. Stephens, formerly of the Relief Society General Presidency, explained:

Sister Carole M. Stephens

As we allow our Father to teach us, we will begin to see that His laws are a manifestation of His love for us and obedience to His laws is an expression of our love for Him. (Carole M. Stephens, “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 119)

What can we learn from the life of Jesus Christ about obedience?

Watch the video “Obedience Brings Blessings” (3:26) to hear what President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) taught about obedience.

Supplemental Learning Activities

“Nephi’s Courage”

To introduce the storyline in 1 Nephi 3, consider inviting students to sing or listen to “Nephi’s Courage” (Children’s Songbook, 120). Then invite a volunteer to share the details of the account spoken of in the first verse of the song.

“I Will Go and Do”

Consider playing the song “I Will Go and Do” (3:56) and inviting students to follow along with the lyrics as they listen. Invite students to share thoughts, feelings, or words that stood out to them as they listened to the song.

The importance of our attitude

Invite students to answer the following questions:

Which of Lehi’s sons left their home to live in the wilderness with their parents? returned to Jerusalem to get the brass plates? sacrificed their riches in exchange for the brass plates? (The answer to each question is all four of them.)

Invite students to read 1 Nephi 3:6 to find one reason why the Lord favored Nephi more than Laman and Lemuel even though all the brothers obeyed in action.

Invite students to share experiences when they felt blessed because they were willing to obey without complaining.

Other examples of obedience to God

Ask students to share examples from the scriptures or Church history of those who showed great faith in God through obedience during difficult circumstances. If students need help, show images of people such as Noah, Moses, or Joseph Smith.

Invite students to share what the person was willing to go through to obey, what obstacles they faced, and how the Lord prepared a way for them to accomplish what He commanded them.

Be sure to lead the discussion to the Savior’s example of perfect obedience to His Father. Consider using the following statement:

“Of all the lessons we learn from the life of the Savior, none is more clear and powerful than the lesson of obedience” (Robert D. Hales, “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 35).