1987
Scriptural Giants: Lehi—Man of Vision
November 1987


“Scriptural Giants: Lehi—Man of Vision,” Friend, Nov. 1987, 48

Scriptural Giants:
Lehi—Man of Vision
(Part 2 of 2)

(See 1 Ne. 16–18; 2 Ne. 1–4.)

The prophet Lehi had been taught much by the Lord. Through visions he had seen Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation, which he diligently tried to teach to his family. His younger sons, Sam and Nephi, had listened and learned; his older sons, Laman and Lemuel, had not. And when Lehi had been warned in a vision to flee Jerusalem with his family and others, Laman and Lemuel had openly rebelled and had constantly needed to be humbled—one time, by an angel. Now the Lord instructed Lehi to journey farther into the wilderness—farther from their comfortable home and friends. …

When Lehi arose one morning, he found a ball of curious workmanship at the tent door. The ball, called the Liahona, was made of fine brass, and within it were two spindles. One spindle pointed the way that they should travel in the wilderness, so everyone packed his belongings, and they journeyed for four days in that direction.

For eight years the families lived in the wilderness. They hunted for food and depended upon the Lord to make it sweet tasting, because He had commanded them not to make a fire to cook their meat. Ishmael died and was buried, and the families grew: Lehi and Sariah had two more sons, Jacob and Joseph, and their four older sons and Zoram (Laban’s servant who had joined with them) married and began to have children.

One day the Lord commanded Nephi to build a ship so that they could all cross the ocean to a land that the Lord had prepared for them. How Lehi’s heart must have ached as he saw the difference in his sons. Nephi, Sam, Jacob, and Joseph obeyed the Lord and listened to Lehi’s teachings; Laman and Lemuel, however, rebelled again and again, causing many problems.

When the ship was finished, Lehi followed the Lord’s counsel and had their provisions loaded onto it. Then they set sail for the promised land.

Laman and Lemuel continued to be quarrelsome. Lehi worried so much about Laman and Lemuel that it made him deathly ill. He loved all his family, but he could not make Laman and Lemuel love the Lord. How it hurt him that they didn’t!

Finally they arrived in the new land and began to settle it. Lehi realized that he would not live much longer. He called his children to him and spoke to them. Then to all who were there, Lehi gave his blessings and counsel. He bore testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, saying, “I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.”

When Lehi died, he was buried in the land that the Lord had promised him.

Lehi was indeed a man of God. He had seen many visions and had received many revelations and had written some of them down so that we may learn more about our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ and what we have to do to return to Them.