2 Nephi 1 is Lehi's last testimony to Laman, Lemuel, Sam, Zoram, and the sons of Ishmael. I was struck today when reading it of the love Lehi must have for his sons. I think the Lehi ever since the vision he had of the tree of life knew how things would turn out for Laman and Lemuel. I honestly don't see how he couldn't have known and he even says that he feared greatly for them.
But despite his almost sure knowledge he was given concerning their ultimate fate, he never faltered in reaching out to them and imploring them to live a better life and to listen to their brother, Nephi. I cannot think of another person in the Book of Mormon with so unique a situation. And yet Lehi behaves just as his Father in Heaven does and never gives up even though he knows the ultimate outcome.
In this way, Lehi is a type of our Father in Heaven. How many times did God send a prophet to call a people to repentance that He knew would not listen and He sent them anyway. It must have been enough that Jonah thought it silly to go and call the people to repentance and even after he had done so, he was so sure they would be destroyed anyway that he picked out a nice spot to watch the fireworks. And yet, our Heavenly Father never gives up on us. I actually had an experience one day after a particularly trying day where I had made some mistakes and was wallowing in my own self pity and saying my prayers and I had a clear thought intrude itself on my consciousness. The thought was this, "God hasn't given up on you, don't you give up on yourself." How true that is, and it can also be applied to all those parents out there with wayward children or the children who have wandered themselves. There is always hope for a better life and a better reward in the life to come, no matter what we have done. Until tomorrow.
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