Another aspect of family interactions throughout 1 Nephi 1-7, is how Lehi, Sariah, Nephi, and others suffered when Laman and Lemuel abused Nephi. Oftimes others were also abused. In the specific verses 19-21, what can we learn from Nephi's example of forgiveness?
From Come, Follow Me :
What impresses us about Nephi's example in these verses? How is our family blessed when we "frankly forgive" each other?
As you read the story below, ponder how Nephi's example of forgiveness ties in to what the Pratt brothers learned about the power and promises of temple and family history.
Elder Renlund: "Family relationships can be some of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences we encounter. Many of us have faced a fracture of some sort within our families. Such a fracture developed between two heroes of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. Parley and Orson Pratt were brothers, early converts, and ordained Apostles...During the Nauvoo era, their relationship became strained, culminating in a heated, public confrontation in 1846. A deep and prolonged rift developed. Parley initially wrote to Orson to resolve the rift, but Orson did not reply. Parley gave up, feeling that correspondence was over forever, unless initiated by Orson. Several years later, in March 1853, Orson learned about a project to publish a book on the descendants of William Pratt, the brothers' earliest American ancestor. Orson began to weep "like a little child" as he glimpsed this treasure trove of family history. His heart melted, and he determined to repair the breach with his brother.
Orson wrote to Parley, 'Now my dear brother, there are none among all the descendants of our Ancestor, Lieut[enant] William Pratt, who have so deep an interest in searching out his descendants as ourselves.' Orson was one of the first to understand that Latter-day Saints have an obligation to research and compile family histories so that we can perform vicarious ordinances for our ancestors. His letter continued: 'We know that the God of our fathers has had a hand in all this. ... I will beg pardon for having been so backward in writing to you. ... I hope you will forgive me.' Despite their unshakable testimonies, their love for their ancestors was the catalyst to heal a rift, mend a hurt, and seek and extend forgiveness.
"... as we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to 'healing' blessings promised by prophets and apostles. These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:
Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
Increased influence of the Holy Ghost7 to feel strength and direction for our own lives;
Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;
Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;
Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;
Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone;
Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord's help, serve others;
Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; and
Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.
If you have prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you do so, your prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God's children on earth are healed. No wonder President Russell M. Nelson, in his first message as President of the Church, declared, 'Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.' (Dale G. Renlund, "Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing," General Conference, April 2018)
As a family, read stories about your ancestors and research ideas for compiling and sharing histories, stories collections, and memories. Continue to share what you are working on and any finished projects. Sharing family history stories, events, photos and memories on social media might help unite your family and open the door to receive promised blessings. Read Hashtags, Tweets, and Blogs: the New Language of Family History for ideas to get started.
Perhaps simply making a family history connection with family members will be the beginning to healing troubled relationships. Think of any ways you may have offended another family member and ask for forgiveness. Make a call, write a message online, or write a letter. Pray as a family for help to clear up any misunderstandings, and become closer to those you love. Rely on the promises!
Lehi's vision offers an invitation to reflect on where you are in your personal journey to become like Christ. ... As you study, consider filling out a chart like this one [sample of chart below].
The symbols in Lehi's vision offer an invitation to reflect on where we are—and where we are going—in our personal journey to know the Savior and feel His love. In addition, these symbols (and others) can also help us remember our family heritage and the faith of our ancestors who have walked the path to the tree before us.
Symbols are a powerful way to communicate without language. What symbols speak to your soul and inspire you to walk in the footsteps of your forebears? Perhaps you have a family coat of arms or crest that you could display and use as a tool for teaching (read this article to find out how to check for authenticity).
Family Crest
Consider creating a crest or coat of arms for a specific family line, for your current family, or consider designing a collection of symbols that simply inspire you personally. See this article for ideas to help children create a family coat of arms, and check out more instructions here. Find information about ancestors' home lands and what symbolizes these places in The Family History Guide countries section. Discover many Latter-Day Saint symbols and their meanings here and in this article. Learn about symbolism in gospel ordinances here.
The Lord's "wise purpose" in having Nephi create two records became clear centuries later. After Joseph Smith translated the first 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon, he gave the pages to Martin Harris, who lost them (see Doctrine and Covenants 10:1–23). But Nephi's second set of plates covered the same time period, and the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to translate these plates rather than retranslate what had been lost (see Doctrine and Covenants 10:38–45).
When doing family history work, adding "paper witnesses" or sources to an ancestor's profile helps others see the evidence for the dates and other information that exist there. 2 Corinthians 13:1: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." Have some fun reviewing and using record hints (shortcuts designed to help you easily find information and actual records about your family) to establish correct data. This is a great activity for individuals, groups, and families.
Record Hints
Find record hints on your tree by signing into your FamilySearch account with the information found here, or you can a) access the fan chart on the FamilySearch Tree, b) click the "Research Helps" option and c) use the "Record Hint" option that appears on the right side.
For more information on using the new fan chart options in FamilySearch, read this blog article.
Add Sources
Add sources to the profiles of your ancestors with help from The Family History Guide, FamilySearch Family Tree Project 1, Goal 8: Adding Sources. You just may be astounded by the wealth of information you can gather and attach to your ancestors! If you need help setting up an account and starting your pedigree chart, see FamilySearch Project 1.
Ancient prophets knew about Jesus Christ's mission and testified of Him
The account of Lehi's vision surely made an impression on his family, but he still had other eternal truths to teach them about the Savior's mission. As you read 1 Nephi 10:2–16, think about why the Lord would want Lehi's family—and all of us—to know these truths. Consider what you could tell your loved ones to invite them to turn to the Savior ...
One idea is to have every member (who would like to take part) participate in reading one or more paragraphs of "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles" out loud. Record this activity and preserve it on FamilySearch. See excerpts below:
You could share portions of your testimony along with memes, quotes, and church videos on social media. You may want to follow President Nelson and the apostles on Facebook and Instagram. Consider also sharing family history messages, photos, and stories with your family members and others on social media (see Nine Ways To Use Technology to Share Your Beliefs, which includes the video below). You may also want to read Hashtags, Tweets, and Blogs: the New Language of Family History for ideas to get started.
Elder Bednar: "I believe the time has come for us as disciples of Christ to use these inspired tools appropriately and much more effectively to testify of God the Eternal Father and His plan of happiness for His children, of His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world, to proclaim the reality of the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days, and to accomplish the Lord's work." (David A. Bednar, BYU Education Week devotional, August 19, 2014)
Elder Bednar's message to the youth (video below): "This is the work of salvation. See, it's not just indexing. It's not just researching names. These are people, sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. We are here to participate in the work of salvation in inviting all of these people to come unto Christ and receive the saving ordinances of the gospel. That's who we are. That's why we're here on the earth. With the technology capability that you young people have, you were prepared for this day. The time is now."
A wonderful service for others is to record their testimonies and help them preserve their words for generations to come.
Your Personal History
Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have compiled 50 stories to add to your personal history. Save as a story (also consider audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions or those from (or inspired by) the #52 Stories Project below. For example:
In addition to recording your testimony of Jesus Christ and his gospel, share a time when you felt you helped someone else strengthen theirs.
Describe one of your favorite ancestor stories about gaining a testimony. How does that story strengthen your own testimony?
Do you have a personal symbol of your faith, and if so, how did you select it and how does it continue to inspire you?
