What happened when Laman and Lemuel came for a visit

This morning before leaving for church, we had family Book of Mormon time.  We read from 1 Nephi 4.

I think everytime I read this chapter, I am struck with how dense Laman and Lemuel think, behave, ARE.

After an angel comes and declares :

"Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands."

Laman and Lemuel show their absolute lack of faith in the Lord by responding:

"How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?"

And Nephi, being Nephi, says:

"Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands? Therefore let us go up..."

All the while going back to Jerusalem, these two older brothers murmur.

After reading this, I thought, "You've got to be kidding me! These two JUST SAW  and HEARD AN ANGEL!!! Can people really be this faithless?!"

So...skipping to Relief Society and today's lesson and MY LESSON about being faithless...and being faithful.

Our lesson was from the talk by Sis. Julie B Beck, "And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit".

She described sisters all over the world, facing similar and difficult challenges. She says about she has met in these visits:

"...I have felt that there has never been a greater need for increased faith and personal righteousness. There has never been a greater need for strong families and homes. There has never been more that could be done to help others who are in need."
   
Sister Beck points out that PERSONAL REVELATION is the answer to increasing faith, strengthening families, and providing relief. It is the answer to finding answers to our own questions and stand strong and immovable against incredible opposition and difficulty .

"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life."

 

And this is how we get it:

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  Qualifying for the Lord’s Spirit begins with a desire for that Spirit and implies a certain degree of worthiness.
• 
  
  Keeping the commandments, repenting, and renewing covenants made at baptism lead to the blessing of always having the Lord’s Spirit with us.
• 
  
  Making and keeping temple covenants also adds spiritual strength and power to a woman’s life.
• 
  
  Many answers to difficult questions are found by reading the scriptures because the scriptures are an aid to revelation.
• 
  
  Insight found in scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day.
• 
  
  Daily prayer is also essential to having the Lord’s Spirit with us.
• 
  
  Those who earnestly seek help through prayer and scripture study often have a paper and pencil nearby to write questions and record impressions and ideas.

So, as I sat there in Relief Society, reading and listening to the teacher, I started pondering over what I need to do to receive personal revelation.

In my mind, Laman and Lemuel popped in for a visit. True story!

And this is what they had to offer for advise.

"But my mind is too cluttered and unfocused to really study. I can't do it. Not planned study anyway. I'd never finish or follow through. I'd quit before I started. 

I can't write what I think!  That's  too hard for me because I am too disorganized to write and understand my own thoughts.

This is too hard. I am too short focused to sit and follow this counsel."

I started to write these thoughts on this notepad I carried with me, for I was hoping for somekind of helpful inspiration today.

After thinking these words, I felt pretty much defeated.  The thoughts were self-defeating...and useless.

And then....

The thought came back to Nephi.

REMEMBER NEPHI'S WORDS TO HIS BROTHERS!
"let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth."

Thank you, Nephi for being FAITHFUL!!!

I felt a growing determination to be steadfast and immovable.

The Spirit taught me:

Pray with faith and then just DO IT!

Remember Nephi and his faithless brothers. BE LIKE NEPHI!

Do the things Sister Beck counseled to SEEK AND UNDERSTAND MY WILL...not to show others that you are doing the right things.

I pondered on the thought that I don't have to be deceived.

I NEED TO SEEK THE LORD so I don't believe the "murmuring voices of doubt and hardship to follow the Lord".
 
And then the Spirit gave me direction...specific direction I was hoping for and seeking.

The Spirit witnessed to me, that HE WILL HELP ME (and anyone for that matter) to DO what the Lord asks.
 
And I CAN DO WHAT THE LORD ASKS.  Because, His promises are sure!
 
Just like Nephi and his brothers who saw and heard an angel...
I can be like Nephi and reply:
 
"...let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth..."
 
My lesson on personal revelation, was personal revelation!