Today I read 1 Nephi 7 and as I was reading it, some things stood out to me. For example, this chapter was an argument between Nephi, his brothers, two of the sons of Ishmael and two of the daughters of Ishmael who wanted to return to Jerusalem. I can't help but wonder what the other family members were doing during this? Especially once it came to physical violence. Were they so cowed by Laman and Lemuel that they were too afraid to come to Nephi's aid? I can imagine they very well might have been. It is difficult to intervene in some one else's argument.
I can also feel the love Nephi has for his brothers in this chapter. How easy would it have been to allow Laman, Lemuel and those who wanted to go, to just return to Jerusalem? It's not as if they were trying to stop Nephi and the others from journeying into the wilderness, at least not that we are told. But Nephi loved his brothers enough that he did not want to see them get killed. So he risked their wrath and violence, yet again, to try and talk some sense into them.
I can empathize with Nephi quite a bit in this chapter. I love my brothers and my sister. I personally think that family is the most important thing in this life. I could not just stand by and let them walk off a cliff that they were not aware of either. Despite his temper, Nephi's love for his family was so overwhelming that even after trying to kill him, sort of, he still reaches out to them in love and tries to help them see the folly of their course of action. That is true charity. That is doing good to those that hate you and spitefully use you. It is no wonder that when Mormon read the small plates he was pleased with what he found and saw no need to add anything to them. We can learn so much from Nephi! Until tomorrow.
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