Oh That I Were Like Nephi

While studying the Book of Mormon, I was struck with the example of Nephi. Yes, I've always admired him and his faith in doing whatever the Lord commanded him, but this time I was struck even more by his lack of complaining. See, I'm a complainer. I have to voice my opinions about everything (just ask my kids) and I usually have to understand something before I'm willing to do it. I need an explanation because it has to make sense to me.

Laman and Lemuel wanted to know why they needed to leave Jerusalem, they wanted a rational explanation, not just that their dad had a vision. They wanted to understand the why of it. They wanted to know why they had to return for the brass plates and how they would retrieve them from Laban who was so much more powerful. They didn't understand how they could possibly defeat him. They wanted an explanation. They wanted it to make sense. They voiced their opinions about it. Yep, just like me.

Nephi didn't need an explanation. It didn't need to make sense to his mortal, finite mind. It was enough that God commanded it. He was willing to do whatever the Lord commanded, no explanation necessary.

Oh that I were like Nephi.

While I can and do put my faith in God, I like it so much better when things make sense to me. Like, why did my sister-in-law have to pass away before she could raise all of her children? She had a righteous desire to raise her family in the gospel. Why couldn't she? Just doesn't make sense to me.

As I've been reading and thinking about Nephi and his reaction to commandments versus Laman's and Lemuel's reactions, I've decided that I need to stop complaining so much and stop demanding explanations. I need to go and do. I need to exercise more faith and trust that it will all make sense someday.

I need to be like Nephi. I need to follow his example. I need to shake off Laman and Lemuel. I need to view things with my spiritual mind instead of my mortal, finite mind so that someday I can go and do just like Nephi.