This week, the scripture I want to focus on is one that I think would normally be over looked. The readings for my Book of Mormon class were good, just like usual, but this one verse stuck out to me in particular. It comes right after a couple chapters about Nephi (the one in the book of Heleman). In these chapters, Nephi is given the sealing power from Heavenly Father, and is told that anything he binds on earth, will be bound in heaven. The people are being pretty wicked and there are a lot of wars going on, and so Nephi asks Heavenly Father if He will make a famine happen to stop the war. Nephi figures that the people will be compelled to be humble whether war makes them or famine makes them, but he thinks that famine will more likely make them look toward God and be humble. And so, Heavenly Father creates a famine on the earth. A few years later, the people are compelled to be righteous, and Nephi asks Heavenly Father to remove the famine, true to his promise to bind what Nephi asks, the famine is removed.
Anyways, the point of all of that was to tell you just how righteous Nephi was. Heavenly Father trusted him so much to give him the power to seal, and Heavenly Father really trusted him to exercise that power wisely.
However, my focus tonight isn't going to be Nephi. It's his brother, Lehi.
"And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to things pertaining to righteousness." -Heleman11:19
Lehi is with Nephi for a lot of the missionary work, but doesn't get much mention in any of these chapters. However, this verse really says it all.
Most of us, throughout our lives, aren't going to be Nephi's. Most of us won't be prophets, or in case you're a girl, a General Relief Society President. Most of us won't spend our lives in the spotlight like Nephi did. Most of us will have normal callings, normal families, normal jobs, and die normal people.What I love about this verse, is that it tells us that Lehi was just as righteous, deserving, able as Nephi was, yet he wasn't the one to get the sealing power. He's like most of us. Normal. He did his best to serve God and spread the gospel.
If Lehi were here today I'm sure he would have a normal 8-5 job, live in a normal subdivision, with his normal kids and family, and on Sundays he probably would teach Sunday School. When it snows, he'd go shovel his neighbor's driveway. Every now and then, he'd stop by his non-member neighbor's house just to say hi. He might even invite him to an Elder's quorum activity. He would do his best to be fulfill his callings, be a great father/husband/neighbor, and excel in his workplace. By many people's standard, he would probably be considered normal, but by Heavenly Father's standard, he would be much, much more.
Throughout my life, I'm not anticipating being a Nephi. I probably won't be known throughout history books, or known church-wide for anything I accomplish in this life. However, I can do my best to be the best sister, daughter, friend, wife (hopefully), mother (also hopefully), yw leader or nursery teacher (who really knows), missionary that I can be. I can give my time and my talents and try to spread the gospel, serve my neighbors, and raise a righteous family....And I'm thinking, that'll be good enough.
At the end of my life, well throughout it really, I hope that Heavenly Father will grow to see me as "not one whit behind" what He needs me to be.
Love your insight!
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