In our Come Follow Me study this year, we have the opportunity to dive into the teachings of the Book of Mormon. I’d like to take a moment to share the insights and knowledge I’ve gained during the past month of exploring this sacred text.

1. We can accomplish the impossible with help from God

Nephi is commanded to build a boat and that’s something he has never done before and he had no idea where to start.

In 1 Nephi 17 Nephi teaches us the importance of seeking spiritual guidence as he goes to pray and inquire of God on how to build a ship.

Vs 7: …And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.

Vs 8: And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.

Vs 9: And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?

Vs 10: And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools.

There will be times in our lives, we may encounter tasks that push us out of our comfort zones. The only way to successfully navigate these situations is by turning to the Lord in prayer and seeking His guidance.

2. God calms the storms in our lives

1st Nephi 18:9

And after we had been driven forth before the wind for the space of many days, behold, my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and also their wives began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much brudeness, yea, even that they did forget by what power they had been brought thither; yea, they were lifted up unto exceeding rudeness.

Nephi built a ship that sailed with the wind as guided by the Lord. But when his brothers disobeyed, the Lord stopped helping, and the ship went off course.

As their journey progressed, things became increasingly challenging, reaching a point where they recognized their weakness to handle it on their own. They acknowledged their wrongdoings and repented of them. Nephi prayed, seeking help from the Lord and He blessed them.

Vs 21 …And it came to pass that I aprayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm.

Vs 22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did guide the ship, that we sailed again towards the promised land.

There will be moments in our lives when things become challenging. While we might not be stranded on a boat at sea, whatever difficulties we encounter, when we feel powerless, the Lord will be there, ready to rescue us in any way He can.

3. God helps us learn and grow

Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother, endured significant affliction. Not only was he born in the wilderness, but he was also tormented by his brothers. In 2nd Nephi 2:2, Lehi is addressing Jacob and says:

Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

Because Jacob went through challenging times, he not only deepened his connection with God but also experienced personal growth.

Remember, during tough times, God isn’t putting you through pain; He is helping you to learn and grow.

What a blessing it is to live in a time where we have a prophet living on the earth — a prophet who is continuing to lead Christ’s church exactly how Christ would want him to. What a privilege it is to be able to listen to our Prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, and other church leaders twice a year during General Conference.

Over the last 10 years, I have encountered several inspiring talks, and I’d love to share two of them with you. They are my most favorite of them all.

The first talk is from 2015 titled “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” By Carole M. Stephens First  Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency. 

She starts out by sharing a story about her granddaughter. ”I buckled Chloe into her car seat, secured my own seat belt, and drove out of their driveway. However, before we reached the end of the street, Chloe had unbuckled her seat belt and was standing up, looking over my shoulder, and talking to me! I pulled the car over to the side of the road, got out, and buckled her back into her seat.”

Despite repeated efforts, Sister Stephens faces a challenge in getting her granddaughter to remain securely buckled. She offers her different bribes such as playing with playdough and making bread with grandma yet still has no sucsess in getting her to remain buckled.

“Sister Stephens offers a silent prayer, asking for help on how to get her granddaughter to keep her seatbelt on. She says, ‘I turned to face her and pulled my seatbelt away from my body so she could see it. I said, “Chloe, I am wearing this seat belt because it will protect me. But you aren’t wearing your seatbelt, and you won’t be safe. And I will be so sad if you get hurt.”'”

“She looked at me; I could almost see the wheels turning in her little mind as I waited anxiously for her response. Finally, her big blue eyes brightened, and she said, “Grandma, you want me to wear my seat belt because you love me!””

Like Chloe, we might not always understand why Christ has given us commandments to follow or how they can bless our lives. But something we do know is that Christ has given us commandments because He loves us and wants what’s best for us.

The next talk I want to share is titled  Eyes to See By Michelle D. Craig First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency given in October 2020.

Sister Craig talks about how “Through the power of the Holy Ghost, Christ will enable us to see ourselves and see others as He does.”

In sharing a personal experience, Sister Craig recounts a time when she said a prayer asking to see things as she doesn’t normally see them. She got the impression: avoid looking at her phone.

She shares the following story about what happened after that she got that impression.

“The next morning, I found myself waiting in a long line at the store. I pulled out my phone and then remembered the impression I had received. I put my phone away and looked around. I saw an elderly gentleman in line ahead of me. His cart was empty except for a few cans of cat food. I felt a little awkward but said something really clever like, “I can see you have a cat.” He said that a storm was coming, and he did not want to be caught without cat food. We visited briefly, and then he turned to me and said, “You know, I haven’t told anyone this, but today is my birthday.” My heart melted. I wished him a happy birthday and offered a silent prayer of thanks that I had not been on my phone and missed an opportunity to truly see and connect with another person who needed it.”

In this world filled with numerous distractions, taking the time to slow down and seek help from our Father in Heaven can, like Sister Craig, enable us to see things we might have missed on our own. We are able to observe those around us from a new perspective, recognizing aspects that might have gone unnoticed if we were relying solely on our own observations.