Reading The Book of Mormon this morning left me thinking about what truly creates a happy people.
This chapter begins with heartbreak. Nephi and those who believed his words were forced to leave because of the anger and threats of Laman and Lemuel. Families divided. Loved ones left behind. Once again, they entered the wilderness.
And yet the scriptures say:
“We lived after the manner of happiness.”
What made them happy?
The Lord was with them.
They kept their covenants and prospered. They were industrious. Nephi made swords for protection. They built buildings and worked with wood, iron, copper, brass, steel, gold, silver, and precious ores. Even in the wilderness, the Lord provided what they needed.
They also carried reminders of where they had come from — the Liahona, the brass plates, and the sword of Laban. Sacred reminders matter.
They taught.
They worked.
They created.
They built a temple.
That sounds like a people with purpose.
One of the hardest things to watch is someone leave the covenant path. Whether family or friend, there is pain in watching someone step away from light and truth.
Verse 21 has raised many questions over the years. Some scriptorians suggest the “skin of blackness” may refer less to physical appearance and more to spiritual darkness reflected in the countenance. I do not understand everything about these verses, but I do know this: righteousness brings light, and sin brings darkness.
What strikes me most in this chapter is the courage of Nephi’s people. Could I leave my home, neighbors, friends, and everything familiar because God said to go? I did once, but I was young. But wait!
In some ways, isn’t this what senior missionaries do? They willingly leave comfort and routine to serve wherever the Lord sends them. What makes people do that?
Love of God.
Trust in Him.
Faith that He knows the end from the beginning.
As I look back on my life, I cannot think of a single time I followed God’s direction and regretted it. Hard? Yes. Unexpected? Often. But never worse.
I will trust that He hasn't brought me this far to bring me this far.
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