In verse 20, Nephi reiterates that his brethren were in such a state that there was only one thing that could get their attention and help them do what was right. And that thing was the power of God. He sent a storm in the ocean, which probably meant lots of waves, thunder, and lightening threatening to swallow them up in the sea. And when they realized that their very existence was at stake, then they tried following the pleadings of everyone else and untie Nephi.
When they did so, Nephi took the compass and it began to work. He then prayed to God and presumably plead with Him to calm the storm, because after he prayed the winds ceased, the storm ceased, and there was a great calm. Then Nephi guided the ship towards the promised land.
I want to think about the great calm that Nephi describes. It stands out to me because, if you think about it, the storm had been raging for four days, and then when things stopped you could sense the calm more so than usual. Sometimes it is like that with life for me. If you watch too much TV or radio, then when you turn it off, you notice the calm. Or, if you can't turn off the interruptions of life, you long for the calm and seek it. This is a good thing because in the calm you can perceive the Spirit and receive instructions from the Lord about your life, just as Nephi did in order to guide the boat to the promised land.
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