Lessons from 1 Nephi 1

What can we learn from the first chapter of the Book of Mormon? Apostles and Prophets have quoted 1 Nephi 1 on a variety of subjects: parenthood, prayer, the Book of Mormon as a witness of Jesus Christ, the tender mercies of the Lord, and more. Click on the "Read more" link below for some quotes collected from scriptures.byu.edu.

Parenting

Don't Leave For Tomorrow What You Can Do Today - Elder Claudio R. M. Costa

• Our Father has taught us that parents are obligated to teach the gospel to their children. [ See D&C 68:25. ] The prophet Lehi understood well his responsibility to teach his children. Nephi declared that he had been taught “in all the learning of [his] father.” [1 Nephi 1:1. ]

A "Mother Heart" - Julie B. Beck

• What is a mother heart and how is one acquired? We learn about some of those qualities in the scriptures. To paraphrase Proverbs: “Who can find a … woman [with a mother heart]? for her price is far above rubies. … She … worketh willingly with her hands. … With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. … She stretcheth out her hand to the poor. … Strength and honour are her clothing. … She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness” ( Prov. 31:10, 13, 16, 20, 25–27). A woman with a mother heart has a testimony of the restored gospel, and she teaches the principles of the gospel without equivocation. She is keeping sacred covenants made in holy temples. Her talents and skills are shared unselfishly. She gains as much education as her circumstances will allow, improving her mind and spirit with the desire to teach what she learns to the generations who follow her. If she has children, she is a “goodly parent” (1 Ne. 1:1) who lives and teaches standards of behavior exactly in line with the teachings of living prophets.

David, A Future Missionary - Darwin B. Christensen

• Immediately in the Book of Mormon, we learn lessons of parenthood. Father Lehi provided the foundation background, giving his son Nephi reason to make the famous statement, “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Ne. 1:1).

"Because My Father Sent Me" - Loren C. Dunn

• The history of the gospel of Jesus Christ from Adam and Eve down to the present day is closely associated with father and mother and family. The introductory pages of the Book of Mormon have the great prophet Nephi, while recounting the trials and blessings of his day, first paying homage to his father: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.” [1 Ne. 1:1]

"Therefore I Was Taught" - Elder L. Tom Perry

• The Book of Mormon begins with these words: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Ne. 1:1). What a different world this would be if the personal journals of each of our Father in Heaven’s children could begin with a similar phrase—having goodly parents and being taught by them.

Therefore I Was Taught - A. Theodore Tuttle

• As prophetic events unfold, one thing is certain: we will need to be more self-reliant. We will all need to teach more within the walls of our own homes. In the Book of Mormon we find some models: “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father” (1 Ne. 1:1). No doubt Nephi was taught the things of the Spirit—his writings reveal that. He probably was taught practical matters as well, for he was a very resourceful man. Today that son is fortunate whose father teaches him somewhat in all his learning.

Spiritual Reservoirs - Spencer W. Kimball

• Lehi and Sariah built and filled reservoirs for their children. One said: "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father . . . having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings" (1 Ne. 1:1). Though two of the brothers ignored those teachings, using their own free agency, yet Nephi and others of his brothers were strongly fortified and all their lives could draw heavily on the reservoir built and filled by worthy parents.

Education

The Supreme Test of Religion - Levi Edgar Young

• Think of what your message can become as you go forth to teach. But it is going to require of you some sort of planning toward an end. Your minds must become more sensitive to the revealed truths of God as never before. Your faith in your work must deepen from day to day. Let me call to your minds the words of the first two verses of the first chapter of the Book of Mormon: I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father: and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days. Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians (1 Ne. 1:1-2). What a noble tribute to education these words are. Lehi had become an educated man in his day, and his son pays him loving tribute. So you must study the words of Holy Writ every hour of the day and remember the admonition of the first teacher to the American Indians, called by some the apostle John Eliot: Work, with faith in Jesus Christ can accomplish anything.

The Standard Works - Levi Edgar Young

• In reference to the other Church works, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price stand with the Bible at the head of the religious books of today. Every one of our four Church works has a genuine and divine truth that God lives and that we are his children and are given the duty to work out our destinies. We cannot study them enough. Just to read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon gives us a lesson in the meaning of education. To think that Nephi was educated in both the learning of the Egyptians and the Jews (1 Ne. 1:2)! Today few people realize what that learning was. Some scholars maintain that the learning of the Egyptians in ancient times has never been equaled.

Prayer

Pray Always - David A. Bednar

• We learn a vital lesson from the example of Lehi in the Book of Mormon. Lehi responded in faith to prophetic instruction and warnings concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. He then prayed unto the Lord “with all his heart, in behalf of his people” (1 Nephi 1:5; emphasis added). In answer to this fervent prayer, Lehi was blessed with a glorious vision of God and His Son and of the impending destruction of Jerusalem (see 1 Nephi 1:6–9, 13, 18). Consequently, Lehi rejoiced, and his whole heart was filled because of the things which the Lord had shown him (see 1 Nephi 1:15). Please note that the vision came in response to a prayer for others and not as a result of a request for personal edification or guidance.

A Witness of Jesus Christ

The Book of Mormon's Witness of Jesus Christ - J. Thomas Fyans

• My wife, Helen, and I have read the Book of Mormon several times in the past few months. We have asked ourselves, “If this is another testament of Jesus Christ, how does it perform this task?”

  We determined to note every reference to the Savior as we prayerfully prepared ourselves for another excursion through this special witness. We had just turned the very first page in this sacred record, and the curtain began to open to a panorama of testimony that Jesus is the Christ.

  Here is the first scene. Lehi, praying with all his heart, had this experience:

  “There came a pillar of fire and dwelt upon a rock before him; and he saw and heard much. …

  “And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.

  “And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.

  “And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read” (1 Ne. 1:6, 9–11).

  What was Lehi’s reaction to this heaven-sent scene? “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” (1 Ne. 1:19).

  We were still in the first chapter of 1 Nephi, having barely begun our quest. As we continued, verse after verse, chapter after chapter bore witness of his reality.

The Keystone of Our Religion - Marion G. Romney

• From the title page of the Book of Mormon, the Prophet learned that one of the two purposes of the book was "the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ" (BM Title Page).

  For the accomplishment of this purpose, the book is from beginning to end a witness for Christ. Its first chapter contains an account of a vision in which Lehi beheld Jesus "descending out of the midst of heaven" in luster above the noonday sun. (1 Ne. 1:9) Its last chapter concludes with Moroni's great exhortation to come unto Christ and be perfected in him, with this assurance: ". . . and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be . . . sanctified." (Moro. 10:32-33)

All Men Everywhere - Dallin H. Oaks

• One of the things I learned in this most recent reading of the Book of Mormon was how much God loves all of His children in every nation. In the first chapter Father Lehi praises the Lord, whose “power, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth” (1 Ne. 1:14). Again and again the Book of Mormon teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ is universal in its promise and effect, reaching out to all who ever live on the earth.

Lesson From Laman and Lemuel - Neal A. Maxwell

• Nephi, “had a great knowledge of the goodness … of God,” hence Nephi’s firm declaration: “I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Ne. 1:1; 1 Ne. 11:17). If we have a love of God and know His goodness, we will trust Him, even when we are puzzled or perplexed.

God's Pattern

A Pattern For All - Merrill J. Bateman

• At the beginning of most dispensations, a book is given to the newly called prophet. Moses received tablets (see Ex. 31:18). Lehi was given a book to read concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (see 1 Ne. 1:11–14). Ezekiel was given “a roll of a book” (Ezek. 2:9–10) containing the Lord’s message for the house of Judah in his day. John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos was shown a book with seven seals (see Rev. 5; D&C 77:6). Is it any wonder, then, that the Lord would provide a book containing the fulness of the gospel as part of the “restitution of all things”? The Book of Mormon has the power to draw all men and women to Christ. Its references to the Savior’s Atonement are the clearest on record with regard to its purpose and powers.

The Holy Ghost

Becoming a Great Benefit to Our Fellow Beings - Spencer J. Condie

• Satan would diminish your faith and dilute your priesthood power to work mighty miracles, but a loving Heavenly Father has provided you with providential protection—the gift of the Holy Ghost. In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon we learn that as Lehi read the scriptures “he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.”[1 Ne. 1:8–12] Nephi later promises us that as we “feast upon the words of Christ … the words of Christ will tell [us] all things what [we] should do.” [2 Ne. 32:3]

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

True Happiness: A Conscious Decision - Benjamin De Hoyos

• Happiness comes as a result of our obedience and our courage in always doing the will of God, even in the most difficult circumstances. When the prophet Lehi warned the inhabitants of Jerusalem, they mocked him, and, as with other ancient prophets, they sought to take away his life. I quote the prophet Nephi: “I … 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.” [1 Ne. 1:20; emphasis added]

The Tender Mercies of the Lord - David A Bednar

• This afternoon I want to describe and discuss a spiritual impression I received a few moments before I stepped to this pulpit during the Sunday morning session of general conference last October. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf had just finished speaking and had declared his powerful witness of the Savior. Then we all stood together to sing the intermediate hymn that previously had been announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The intermediate hymn that morning was “Redeemer of Israel” (Hymns, no. 6).

  Now, the music for the various conference sessions had been determined many weeks before—and obviously long before my new call to serve. If, however, I had been invited to suggest an intermediate hymn for that particular session of the conference—a hymn that would have been both edifying and spiritually soothing for me and for the congregation before my first address in this Conference Center—I would have selected my favorite hymn, “Redeemer of Israel.” Tears filled my eyes as I stood with you to sing that stirring hymn of the Restoration.

  Near the conclusion of the singing, to my mind came this verse from the Book of Mormon: “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” (1 Ne. 1:20).

  My mind was drawn immediately to Nephi’s phrase “the tender mercies of the Lord,” and I knew in that very moment I was experiencing just such a tender mercy. A loving Savior was sending me a most personal and timely message of comfort and reassurance through a hymn selected weeks previously. Some may count this experience as simply a nice coincidence, but I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them.

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Testimony

LDS.org Gospel Topics

• A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior's true Church on the earth; and that the Church is led by a living prophet today. With this foundation, a testimony grows to include all principles of the gospel.
• Happiness in this life and throughout eternity depends largely on whether individuals are "valiant in the testimony of Jesus" (D&C 76:79; see also D&C 76:51, 74, 101).
• The quest for a testimony begins with a righteous, sincere desire.
  
• Testimony comes through the quiet influence of the Holy Ghost.
• Testimony grows gradually through experiences.
• Testimony grows as it is shared.
  

Scriptures

• John 7:17 - If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
• D&C 6:22-23 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?
• D&C62:3 - Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.
• D&C 88:81 - Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

Talks

Pure Testimony - Elder Ballard

• Clearly, in our world today it is a rare and precious thing to have a testimony that God our Heavenly Father lives; that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer; and that priesthood authority to administer the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored once again upon the earth. The profound blessing of having a testimony of these truths cannot be measured or ever taken for granted.
• Simply stated, testimony—real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost—changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changes what you say. It affects every priority you set and every choice you make. To have a real and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be “spiritually … born of God,” to “[receive] his image in your countenances,” and to experience a “mighty change in your hearts” (Alma 5:14).
• Real testimony of these precious truths comes as a witness by the Holy Ghost after sincere and dedicated effort, including teaching in the home, prayer, scripture study, service to others, and diligent obedience to Heavenly Father’s commandments. To gain and forever hold on to a testimony of gospel truths is worth whatever price in spiritual preparation we may be required to pay.

• My experience throughout the Church leads me to worry that too many of our members’ testimonies linger on “I am thankful” and “I love,” and too few are able to say with humble but sincere clarity, “I know.” As a result, our meetings sometimes lack the testimony-rich, spiritual underpinnings that stir the soul and have meaningful, positive impact on the lives of all those who hear them.

  Our testimony meetings need to be more centered on the Savior, the doctrines of the gospel, the blessings of the Restoration, and the teachings of the scriptures. We need to replace stories, travelogues, and lectures with pure testimonies. Those who are entrusted to speak and teach in our meetings need to do so with doctrinal power that will be both heard and felt, lifting the spirits and edifying our people.
• ...the Spirit cannot be restrained when pure testimony of Christ is borne.
• ...having a testimony alone is not enough. In fact, when we are truly converted, we cannot be restrained from testifying. And as it was with Apostles and faithful members of old, so is it also our privilege, our duty, and our solemn obligation to “declare the things which [we] know to be true” (D&C 80:4).
• While it is always good to express love and gratitude, such expressions do not constitute the kind of testimony that will ignite a fire of belief in the lives of others. To bear testimony is “to bear witness by the power of the Holy Ghost; to make a solemn declaration of truth based on personal knowledge or belief” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Testify,” 241). Clear declaration of truth makes a difference in people’s lives. That is what changes hearts. That is what the Holy Ghost can confirm in the hearts of God’s children.
• Testify God is our Father and Jesus is the Christ. The plan of salvation is centered on the Savior’s Atonement. Joseph Smith restored the fulness of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Book of Mormon is evidence that our testimony is true.

Testimony - Elder Oaks

• As we desire and seek, we should remember that acquiring a testimony is not a passive thing but a process in which we are expected to do something. Jesus taught, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

  Another way to seek a testimony seems astonishing when compared with the methods of obtaining other knowledge. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained on the feet bearing them than on the knees praying for them.

• Those who have a testimony of the restored gospel also have a duty to share it. The Book of Mormon teaches that we should “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in” (Mosiah 18:9).
• Our children should also hear us bear our testimonies frequently.

Bearing Testimony - Elder Jay Jensen
Pure Testimony - Elder Worthlin

• President Boyd K. Packer said: “A testimony is to be found in the bearing of it. Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that ‘leap of faith,’ as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have gone to the edge of the light and step into the darkness to discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.”

  Making a determined and confident public statement of your belief is such a step into the unknown. It has a powerful effect in strengthening your own convictions. Bearing testimony drives your faith deeper into your soul, and you believe more fervently than before.

  To those who faithfully bear testimony, the Lord said, “Ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.” I have tried to follow this counsel to bear testimony.

A Growing Testimony - Pres. Faust
The Power of a Personal Testimony - Pres. Uchtdorf
Securing Our Testimonies - Elder Donald Staheli
You Know Enough - Elder Neil L. Andersen

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