1 Nephi 17:22

In this post, we will just take a look at verse 22. It states:

"22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us."

Essentially, the we must consider the spirituality of Laman and Lemuel in contrast with the spirituality of Lehi and all the other prophets, like Jeremiah, who were called to preach repentance to the people of Jerusalem about 600 B.C. Nephi's version of Lehi's account is found in 1 Nephi 1. Here are some pertinent excerpts:

"4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must, repent or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed...

"13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon...

"18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.

"19 And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their wickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard, and also the things which he read in the book, manifested plainly of the coming of a Messiah, and also the redemption of the world.

"20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you 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."

And so, the people of Jerusalem were wicked at this time. The Bible has insight on this, too, from Jeremiah 37-38, for starters. Here is verses 1-3 of chapter 37:

"1 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

"2 But neither he [Zedekiah?], nor his servants [who are really bad in chapter 37-38], nor the people of the land [the Jews for which Laman, Lemuel, Nephi, and Lehi talked about], did hearken unto the words of the Lord, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah [the prophet who consulted with the Lord, for His will for the kings of Judah and surrounding nations].

"3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the Lord our God for us."

This might be a tricky point, because as I read over Jeremiah 37-38, it seemed that Zedekiah was interested in the will of the Lord for his decisions as king, even though it seems that he didn't heed them, as stated in verse 2. There were several times Zedekiah called for Jeremiah to come to him in secret from where he might have been, which was prison for these chapters. It was the servants that put him there all the time.

In all it is an interesting study, but time does not merit a deeper look. What do you think of all this? Do you know the stories of Jeremiah?

1 Nephi 17:20-21

Yesterday, we had been presented with the text of what Nephi wrote as the language of his brethren to him as he was in the beginning stages of building a ship for the family to cross the great waters of Irreantum.

They began (v. 19) by calling the notion that Nephi could build a ship and sail the waters a lacking of judgement. They went on (v. 20) to say that he was like his father, lead away by the foolish imaginations of his heart. They said that they have wondered so long in the wilderness and that the women have suffered carrying, bearing, and taking care of children in the wilderness, and they have suffered everything except death. Then they make the grand conclusion that it would have been better to have died than suffer all these things. Why did they make such a comment? What kind of state were they really in when they made it to Bountiful? I'm thinking that we have to consider Laman and Lemuel's spirituality versus Nephi's. What would Nephi say about their experience? I would think that he would see how much they've gained spiritually over the journey. They realized (or had the chance to) that they they are dependent on the Lord. They were able to gain a personal relationship with Him. Other groups like the pioneers and those that went on Zion's Camp did, too. If they had stayed in Jerusalem like Laman and Lemuel said they should have done, would they have the same relationship with the Lord as they do now? Probably not, if they were enjoying their possessions the whole time and not thinking about the Lord (see v. 21). Do we have so many things here that distract us from cultivating our relationship with the Lord?

Here is a great question from the Book of Mormon Institute: Why do you think the Lord permitted such trials? What do you think? The manual suggests for us to look at Mosiah 1:16-17 and Alma 37:41-43. Here is what Mosiah 1:16-17 says:

" 16 And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him.

17 Therefore, as they were unfaithful they did not prosper nor progress in their journey, but were driven back, and incurred the displeasure of God upon them; and therefore they were smitten with famine and sore afflictions, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty."

Here is what Alma 37:41-43:

" 41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;

42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions.

43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual."

So, what do you think? Why has the Lord permitted these trials? Well, perhaps we can ask, why does the Lord give us trials? What does He want us to learn? Perhaps, there is something important about cultivating your relationship with your Father in Heaven, and becoming like Him and know what He knows.

1 Nephi 17:17-19

Nephi's brothers soon see that he is going to build a ship and they think that it is a foolish idea. I've always found their language to be interesting. How could they be so unbelieving? How could they be so mean to their brother? Here is what they say:

"Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters."

Nephi shares that they did not believe that he could build the ship, and neither that he was instructed of the Lord. He took this pretty hard and began to be sorrowful. I wonder if it was because of their making fun, or if it was more of the fact that they were going back to their old ways and fulfilling the events of Nephi's vision. He could have been sad that they were once more not heeding the commandments of the Lord and heading down the path of unrighteousness, one that would eventually cut them off from the presence of the Lord. Here is more of what they say:

"We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

"And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

"Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

"And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him."

(Analysis tomorrow! : )

1 Nephi 17:15-16

After Nephi received the commandment from the Lord to build a ship, and as he was preparing to make tools with which to build his ship, he mentions in the record that he strove to keep the commandments of God and also to exhort his brethren to faithfulness and diligence. This is our first clue to the reaction his brothers had when Nephi told them that he was going to build a ship. Nephi finishes making tools out of the rock molten. Then his brothers find out that Nephi is going to build a ship and sail across the sea.

We must remember that Laman and Lemuel were humbled by opposition, meaning that when they were going to die for lack of food and a talking to from the Lord they followed Lehi and Nephi. Here, they've been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days. They had the comforts of life and they didn't have to travel or work. This is the time when men are who they truly are. They became lazy and unbelieving. If things are going good for us, are we as believing (or faithful to the daily things God has asked of us) or as hardworking as when times are tough?

1 Nephi 17:14

We last left Nephi in the middle of a conversation with the Lord on a mountain near the land Bountiful. The Lord is now telling Nephi about how they will be grateful to have been brought to the promised land and saved from being destroyed in the land of Jerusalem, and that it was He that brought them out. I wanted to say that we need to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all aspects of our lives. In Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 it states, "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." So I was thinking about how many times I confess that the hand of the Lord was in my life. I know that there are things that I miss. I like to think that if we pray about something we need and the Lord waits until He thinks it is time to bless us, then we realize that it only came by His hand. I know that He truly blesses us with many things, much more than we realize. Let us try to count our many blessings...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ..., ∞.

1 Nephi 17:10-13

Nephi has been praying to the Lord about His will for the entire family. The Lord wants the family to travel across the ocean in a boat built after the manner that Nephi will be shown. Nephi asks the Lord to show him a place to find ore so that tools can be made. And the Lord does. Nephi continues in some detail about how he accomplished this task. He starts by making a bellows from skins of beasts. This is for blowing his smelting fire. He strikes two stones together and makes a fire.

He takes a side note here and says that he and his family did not make much fire during their travel through the wilderness. They did not cook their meat and other food. The Lord said that He would make it "sweet" for them. What do you think that means? And, what about walking around in the dark at night? Nephi shares that the Lord said that He would be the light in the wilderness. Also, that He would guide them if they kept the commandments. There were times when the Lord had to chasten them for not keeping the commandments and I imagine that they were, at times, wandering some in the wilderness, like the Israelites of old. They knew that it was the Lord that cared for them and led them. Today, we must recognize that the Lord is the one who leads our lives, if we keep the commandments, and He cares for us, too.

1 Nephi 17:7-9

Starting in verse 7, we find that Nephi and his entire caravan have been dwelling in the land of Bountiful for many days. The voice of the Lord comes to Nephi and tells him to arise and go to a mountain. It is interesting to me that Nephi was told to arise and go. Was he sleeping in? Was he relaxing on the beach? Was he told to arise because the mountain would be higher in elevation from the beach? Well, it probably doesn't matter, but I thought it would be interesting.

So, Nephi goes to the mountain and "cries" to the Lord. I think that it is significant that even though the Lord told him to go there, Nephi still has to cry unto the Lord for Him to speak to Nephi. It is of note to think about what action the people had to do to constitute a translation to the word cry in English. I'm not sure that Nephi was shedding tears and sobbing to get a response from the Lord. I think that it is a form of intense pleading or fervent prayer. What do you think? It actually happens quite frequently in the Book of Mormon, on average about every 5-10 pages. I think that this shows that we should be fervent in our prayers and not be vain and repetitious.

Then the Lord answers and tells Nephi that he has to build a ship whereby He might bring his people across the great waters, or likely the Indian and Pacific Oceans. He specifically mentions that the boat will be built after the manner that the Lord will show. Nephi responds showing great faith. Here is another excerpt from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual:

"Nephi’s response to the Lord’s command to build a ship is another remarkable insight into his faith. Several of the great prophets felt overwhelmed by tasks the Lord assigned to them. Moses felt inadequate in confronting Pharaoh and asked for someone to speak for him (see Exodus 4:10–17). Enoch felt he was slow of speech and asked the Lord why he wanted him (see Moses 6:31). Nephi easily could have wondered how he could ever know how to build an oceangoing ship capable of carrying approximately two dozen people. But his immediate response was simply: 'Whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten . . . ?' (1 Nephi 17:9). Obviously Nephi’s confidence did not come from any previous shipbuilding experience, for Laman and Lemuel’s reaction shows how ridiculous the idea was to them (see vv. 17–19). Rather, Nephi’s confidence stemmed from his faith in God, and he was shown how to build the ship."

This quote shows us how much faith Nephi had in the Lord. Nephi is a great example of faith in every one of his adventures. May we apply that to our lives and have such faith in all the Lord's commandments.

1 Nephi 17:4-6

It seems that there were no other major events that happened while Lehi's family traveled in the wilderness, at least none that Nephi felt he should share with us. After eight years of traveling, they reach the sea. Eight years is a long time to get anywhere, and they haven't even arrived at their final destination yet. However, this is a major milestone. Here is a comment from the Book of Mormon Institute manual on this topic:

"Lehi’s people were strengthened both spiritually and physically as they wandered in the wilderness. Through their hardships they were prepared to establish a civilization in the new world. Nephi comments that the Lord “did straiten [the Israelites] in the wilderness with his rod” (1 Nephi 17:41). Certainly the eight years in the deserts of the Arabian peninsula did much to prepare Lehi’s family."

Well, if you compare their sojourn in the wilderness to the forty-year wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness, eight isn't so bad.

They come to a land flowing with fruit and wild honey. They call it Bountiful. Compared to what they were used to while traveling, this must have been like heaven. It is interesting to note that the fruit and honey and all the comforts of Bountiful were prepared of the Lord that they might not perish. He is taking good care of them, as He does all His children who follow the commandments. Everything we have is of the Lord. If we earn our money, we must thing who was it that blessed us with a job to earn it? I know that my family has been truly blessed. The sea that they come to, which is most likely the Indian Ocean (which connects to the Pacific Ocean), they name Irreantum, or "many waters." Finally, Nephi shares with us that they passed though so many afflictions, they they cannot be written in this book. This happens every once in a while in the Book of Mormon. In my youth, I had wished that they could have said more and let us in on all the parts where Mormon or Moroni said this. However, now, I believe that they included the most important and precious parts of their ministry for us in our day (see Jacob 4). So, what we have is the most important of all their happenings.

1 Nephi 17:1-3

It seems that Nephi's family have taken a turn in the wilderness toward the east, and they continue to have trials of their own. I don't imagine that it was a long time after Nephi and his brothers were married that they started to have children. The women on the journey were incredible in order to be able to be pregnant, have children, and care for them while traveling through the wilderness desert. Lehi and Saraiah also had two more boys while journeying there, and they were not young. Nephi also shares with us that their women were strong, and began to do everything without murmuring. This is amazing.

In verse 3, Nephi talks again about one of his favorite themes, faith in following the commandments. He says that the Lord provided for them in the wilderness. He testifies to us that those who follow the Lord's commandments will be blessed and He will provide for them as they follow His commandments. Nephi knew this and started to follow any commandment with this in mind. As a contrast, I'm not sure that Laman and Lemuel ever realized this. We will see again later on in this chapter what their attitudes were like with the boat thing.

1 Nephi 16 Post Commentary

We have discussed much about the spirituality of Laman and Lemuel. It has become poignant for me as I've studied here that it was purposeful that Nephi inserted these comments on Laman and Lemuel's attitude with respect to spiritual matters. First, here is the insight from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual:

1 Nephi 16:36–39. Never Truly Converted
Never at any time were Laman and Lemuel truly converted. To be converted is to undergo change within the inner man. This change requires a contrite spirit and a broken heart, which means to humble yourself before God. Laman and Lemuel refused to do this, for as Nephi stated, they were “hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought” (1 Nephi 15:3). Laman and Lemuel refused to yield their hearts unto the Lord, so no experience could have changed them. They were impressed with the miraculous power demonstrated by their brother, but the effect was not lasting and did not change their hearts because, as Nephi later commented, they were “past feeling” (1 Nephi 17:45).

This is an interesting statement. One that I believe is true. One of the purposes that Nephi probably had including Laman and Lemuel when writing the spiritual account of his life was to illustrate for us what can happen when we do not give our total selves to the Lord. Ultimately, this is the only thing that we can give.

Elder Maxwell said, "The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him. And that hard doctrine lies at the center of discipleship. There is a part of us that is ultimately sovereign, the mind and heart, where we really do decide which way to go and what to do. And when we submit to His will, then we’ve really given Him the one final thing He asks of us. And the other things are not very, very important. It is the only possession we have that we can give, and there is no lessening of our agency as a result (Neal A. Maxwell, “Insights from My Life,” Ensign, Aug 2000, 7)."

Laman and Lemuel never did that. They did humble themselves a few times and stopped their complaints for a while, but in the end they did not try and become converted and submit their will to the Lord. Mosiah described the process in this way in Mosiah 3:19:

"19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

Now, what does this have to do with us in the here and now? We must take a look at the spiritual choices that Nephi makes versus the ones that Laman and Lemuel make. With whom does our current attitude align more with? Are we like Nephi who said that he would go and do anything that the Lord commands, or do we pick and choose like Laman and Lemuel and murmur the whole way when we are doing something good, which choice to do good is rare? Now, the one great thing is that if we are more like Laman and Lemuel right now, we have the opportunity to change our will and desire and give it to the Lord, by sincerely following the commandments. It may take time, but it can be done. I know that we cannot go wrong by doing this.

So, from the quote from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual, in Chapter 17 we will see more of the repercussions of spiritual choices of Laman and Lemuel, and probably more examples of what we should do from Nephi.

1 Nephi 16:38-EoC

In verse 38 and 39, we see the reasoning behind Laman and Lemuel's current rebellious episode. They also are trying to cause trouble and I'm assuming that they believe that they are going to get some sort of relief if Nephi and Lehi are out of the picture. They make several claims which, because we know the truth, are distorted. First they say the Nephi lies to them, and because they are using the present tense, we can assume that they believe that he did it before and is currently doing it now. They claim that he works many things by cunning arts, that he deceives their eyes. This is how they explain the admonitions of the voice of the Lord, their visit from an angel, and the promptings of the Holy Ghost. This shows their unbelief. But, unfortunately, this is not the only time they do this. In 2 Nephi 5:20-21, the Lord explained to Nephi the consequence of their unbelief:

"20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.

21 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them."

They feel that Nephi is doing all this deceiving to lead them away to an unknown place and make them his servants. Well, in verse 29, Nephi recounts that the Lord chastens them exceedingly and they repent of their sins and the Lord blesses them again with food. It is interesting that the Lord does not choose to do this in 2 Nephi 5 when they are in the promised land, but has a plan for the Lamanites to be a scourge to the Nephites when they are wicked to call them to repentance. However, the Lord does work miracles and because of the desires of some Nephites, many Lamanites are brought to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Nephi 16:33-37

In verse 33, our traveling family picks up their tents and supplies and begins to journey in the wilderness for the space of a time. Nephi says many days. It is interesting to note that he did not mention a specific number of days. I imagine that they kept a record. Perhaps this is one of those things that is on the Large Plates of Nephi and not the small ones. Even though I had this thought, it is obvious that the point is what comes in between these journeys as they rest. This is where it seems that they have the most spiritual experiences and time to talk about them. Remember that the small plates are a more spiritual record and that what is recorded here is pleasing to Nephi and the Lord.

Nephi then shares with us that Ishmael dies. It seems that we do not have much knowledge about Ishmael, but that he was good enough to go on this expedition, and did not side with the crew that always complains, parts of his family included. Well, this is a major event, and guess what happens when something as bad as this occurs in their expedition. It is interesting, although not surprising, that Nephi shares with us that it was the daughters of Ishmael who mourned exceedingly at the loss of their father. They must have loved their father very much, just like daughters generally do. However, I thought that it was surprising that they began to complain against Lehi for dragging them out to this awful place where they've suffered hunger, thirst, and fatigue. It seems that from a subsequent verse, that they are again out of food. The daughters of Ishmael are fearing that they will perish in the wilderness with hunger. They murmured against Lehi and Nephi and said that they wanted to go back to Jerusalem (even though it was about to be destroyed and that they would have to trek all the way back through the wilderness to do it.) It is interesting to think about if the wives of Nephi and Sam were in that mix. I'm sure that they were very sad that their father died, but were they in the complaining group to Lehi and Nephi? Nephi doesn't specifically exclude them, so it is possible that they were in that group. Perhaps they needed to learn a few things about having faith in the Lord (especially when things get rough) and that He will fulfill His promises.

Of course, Laman and Lemuel pick up on this. Additionally, the sons of Ishmael, who have been so-so also up to this point, are now with Laman and Lemuel. They want to slay Lehi, their father and Nephi, their brother. They didn't say maim or beat up, they said kill. How sad is that? They even feel that Nephi wants to be a ruler over them. Well, tomorrow we shall see more into their thinking.

1 Nephi 16:30-32

Nephi is now ready to go out to hunt again. He reads the directions on the ball and goes to a nearby mountain to hunt for food. He is able to slay wild beasts for his family. He brings them back and when his family sees them, how great is their joy! I would imagine that their joy is great. The only thing that I have experienced in my life compared to this is when it is time to eat again after a 24 hour fast. (I wonder if any one of them thought to fast when they didn't have food anyway.) This is a huge blessing when there are so many families that always go without. I've had kids in my classes when I taught school that would have to come without breakfast every morning. It was so sad because they thought that this was what life was supposed to be like. In the end of verse 32 it says that the whole family did humble themselves again before the Lord and gave thanks for the food that they had. This is important to note because they were doing something good and for the next few verses.

1 Nephi 16:29

In verse 28, we find that Nephi was looking at the pointers in the ball, which worked according to their faith and diligence. One way that they did this is found in verse 29. It says that writing appeared there and was changed from time to time according to their faith and diligence. So, in this verse, Nephi shares with us that there was a new writing appeared there. It was plain to their understanding and instructed them in the ways of the Lord. He states that by this small means, the Lord did bring about great things.

When Nephi said this, he knew exactly what great things he had seen. In order to see ourselves, perhaps we need to take a step back from the story. Remember that Nephi is writing all these events about 30 years after they happened (see 1 Nephi 19). An idea that occurred to me was that it was the Liahona that had enabled them to make key decisions that affected their journey in such a way that it was successful. Imagine going through the desert around to the edge of Saudi Arabia, then across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas with a group that wanted to kill you and your father nearly all the time. It would have to take a miracle to pull it off. One of the great things that came about as a result was the building up of two great nations. They populated a portion of the Americas, had the gospel, and provided a place for hundreds of thousands of Heavenly Father's spirits to have a mortal existence. This is a great thing.

1 Nephi 16:26-28

So, we leave our family in the wilderness in a grave situation. They have suffered because they had no food. I think that we as a society depend a lot on food, of course. I guess I mean that we take it for granted. I wonder how many of us, that do not fast monthly, have decided to try and go without food for a while. I know that if fasting did not come with prayer, I would die every time. So, I could imagine a little about how they were when there was no prospect for food because their bows had broken or were unusable. Nephi has make-shift weapons for hunting and asks his father where to go for food, so (I assume) that he wouldn't wonder aimlessly for days and, perhaps more importantly, to help his father get back on track as the head of the family and a prophet of God. It seems to work.

Verse 26 starts with the Lord saying, in answer to Lehi's prayer for direction, to look at the writing on the ball. This is interesting because the Lord could have just told him where to go, but he doesn't. He uses this as a teaching moment and points Lehi and his family back to the device already prepared for them. This shows them that they need to pay attention to the Liahona, or the ball or director, as they called it. Verse 27 says that when they beheld the words that were written there, they did fear and tremble exceedingly. Not just Lehi, but Nephi's brethren, the sons of Ishmael, and our wives. (What do you think was written there, to cause such fear?)

It is interesting to note that in this list, Nephi leaves out himself and Ishmael, as far as I can tell. The wording on this is a little tricky, but I would not be surprised if Ishmael, who they don't say too much about, would not fear and tremble, like Nephi at words of warning. This says something about their spirituality, because in the last part of 1 Nephi 22:17 it says, "Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire (emphasis added)."

In Verse 28, we see that Nephi makes an amazing discovery. He finds out, perhaps with this very exercise that the Lord has them do, that the pointers on the ball worked according to the faith, and diligence, and heed which we did give unto them. We need to follow these three things in our lives. We need to heed the words of the prophets. This means that we need to seek them, listen to them, and follow them. We need to have faith to believe what the prophets say, that if we follow them, we will be better off and blessed because of it. Then, we need to be diligent in following through with following the commandments. It takes diligence in order to (but not limited to) pushing past all the excuses for not doing them or doing them half-heartedly and Satan's attempts to thwart you. May you be blessed as you do so...

1 Nephi 16:17-25

Nephi and his family are traveling in the wilderness. They have been traveling for the space of many days. They decide to stop and go out and hunt more animals for eating. In verse 18, Nephi shares that he broke his bow, which was made of fine steel, and they didn't end up getting any food. Now when things don't go smoothly, guess who gets upset...You're right! Laman and Lemuel get angry. When they return to the camp without food, everyone begins to murmur against God. Then, Nephi is afflicted much because of his brothers getting onto him for breaking his bow. It seems that they had bows, too, and the phrasing is interesting in this part because it says that their bows didn't work because they had lost their springs. I found it interesting that in the Spanish Book of Mormon the translation was that their bows lost their elasticidad. This means, as you may guess, that their bows lost their elasticity, and when an arrow was pulled back in it, the strings would not be able to tighten back and thus launch the arrow. This is how I envision it. Which makes sense that Laman and Lemuel's bows had lost their springiness. I'm not sure if they literally had coiled springs in them, but it's still a possibility.

Then Nephi makes a bow and an arrow from the materials around them. He brings the bow and the arrow, along with his sling and stones, to the tent of his father and asks him where he should go to hunt for food. This is an interesting moment because Nephi explicitly shares that even Lehi complained and murmur against God. He was their spiritual and family leader. Nephi also shares that they had soon humbled themselves, because of Nephi's words. He says that the Lord chastened Lehi exceedingly for doing this and Lehi was brought down to the depths of sorrow. So, Nephi asked his father where to go. Lehi learns from this experience and asks the Lord where Nephi should go for food.

There is a fair amount on this topic from the Book of Mormon Institute Manual, which is interesting:

Elder Marion D. Hanks said:

I see a lesson of life here that I do not think Joseph Smith could possibly have contrived. It has too much meaning. He did not have the experience. He had not lived long enough. This is so simple a thing that I doubt many would pause to note it. It is the lesson of the day Nephi broke his bow when they were in the wilderness. This bow was a symbol of food. He was keeping them alive, being a great hunter. And when that bow broke they were in trouble. Laman and Lemuel complained, of course. They were habituated to, they were looking for trouble. But for the first and only time the book tells us about, that I know of, even wonderful old father Lehi complained. He to whom God had revealed his will, this Lehi, when it came to facing starvation, even he complained. Then what happened? This situation is sometime present in almost every business, every college, every governmental unit in the land, in many homes, in churches, where there is a crown prince and heir apparent, the boy who is ready to step up. Lehi was the prophet, but he was old. Nephi had already been designated to succeed. He had seen angels and marvelous experiences. The time was here, now, for him to take over—his dad was wavering. The old man had lost it. What to do? Nephi says he made a bow and an arrow out of some available wood, got a sling and stones and, "I said unto my Father, 'Whither shall I go to obtain food?'" It is a simple thing, isn’t it? This is what Goethe meant when he said, "If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he could be and ought to be, he will become what he ought to be." This means that Nephi went to his father and said, "Dad, the Lord has blessed you. You are his servant. I need to know where to go to get food. Dad, you ask him, will you?" Oh, he could have gone to his own knees. He could have taken over. I count this one of the really significant lessons of life in the book, and, I repeat, the pages are full of them. A son who had strength enough, and humility enough, and manliness enough to go to his wavering superior and say, "You ask God, will you?" because somehow he knew this is how you make men strong, that wise confidence in men builds them. Lehi asked God and God told him, and Lehi’s leadership was restored (Steps to Learning, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year [Provo, 4 May 1960], p. 7).

President Ezra Taft Benson tells of an actual experience that illustrates how this principle can be applied:

Some time ago, a young man came to my office requesting a blessing. He was about eighteen years of age and had some problems. There were no serious moral problems, but he was mixed up in his thinking and worried. He requested a blessing. I said to him, "Have you ever asked your father to give you a blessing? Your father is a member of the Church, I assume?" He said, "Yes, he is an elder, a rather inactive elder." When I asked, "Do you love your father?" he replied, "Yes, Brother Benson, he is a good man. I love him." He then said, "He doesn’t attend to his priesthood duties as he should. He doesn’t go to church regularly. I don’t know that he is a tithe payer, but he is a good man, a good provider, a kind man." I said, "How would you like to talk to him at an opportune time and ask him if he would be willing to give you a father’s blessing?" "Oh," he said, "I think that would frighten him." I then said, "Are you willing to try it? I will be praying for you." He said, "All right; on that basis, I will." A few days later he came back. He said, "Brother Benson, that’s the sweetest thing that has happened in our family." He could hardly control his feelings as he told me what had happened. He said, "When the opportunity was right, I mentioned it to Father, and he replied, 'Son, do you really want me to give you a blessing?' I told him, 'Yes, Dad, I would like you to.'" Then he said, "Brother Benson, he gave me one of the most beautiful blessings you could ever ask for. Mother sat there crying all during the blessing. When he got through there was a bond of appreciation and gratitude and love between us that we have never had in our home." (in Conference Report, Oct. 1977, pp. 45–46; or Ensign, Nov. 1977, pp. 31–32).