Thursday, August 04, 2005
1 Nephi 16 -- Liahona --With New Addition
I didn't used to think too much about 1 Nephi 16. I really liked the next chapter about building the boat, but 16 was really just about Nephi and his broken bow. Upon a recent rereading of chapter 16 I found the basis of a talk I was to give about following counsel. As it was, the other speakers went over time so I only said a few words on the first topic I was given and not the following counsel topic that had also been given. So I used 1 Nephi 16 for a home evening lesson and afterwards had the kids draw what they thought the Liahona might look like. If I were to judge by the drawings, apparently the Liahona, or marvelous director, looks like a time piece -- the kids drew the two "spindles" like the hands of a clock. However, one daughter's first rendition had both spindles on the outside of the device, like of couple of horns pointing the way or doubling as handles.
There were two spindles on the Liahona, and one of them pointed the way whither they should go in the wilderness -- leaving one asking What did the other spindle do? Did it point north? Was it a confirmation spindle that, when the people were righteous and the Liahona working as a guide, pointed the same direction as the other spindle, sort of a confirmation? Did it point to newest counsel written on the ball? Did it point to an area that indicated the righteous/wickedness status of the people as a whole?
ADDITION
Taking President Hinckley's challenge, I have moved well beyond 1 Nephi 16, but I felt the need to come back and at least put some hasty notes in to concludethis post (before posting another Moroni manuscript installment).
I was impressed with a few verses in particular:
Verse 3 where Nephi tells his brothers that "if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur...) I note that this is often the response to new counsel, or old counsel given again. And so we don't profit from the counsel.
Verse 28 also applies on this topic as the pointers, or counsel on the correct direction of our leaders, works according to the faith and diligence that we give to it (them). Likewise, verse 29, also shows that the writing changed from time to time according to the faith and diligence given to it. If we were following counsel with faith and diligence, it might change from time to time, instead of being the same thing we've heard before; we could move to the next level, but we're busy murmurring and not giving heed with faith and diligence.
There were two spindles on the Liahona, and one of them pointed the way whither they should go in the wilderness -- leaving one asking What did the other spindle do? Did it point north? Was it a confirmation spindle that, when the people were righteous and the Liahona working as a guide, pointed the same direction as the other spindle, sort of a confirmation? Did it point to newest counsel written on the ball? Did it point to an area that indicated the righteous/wickedness status of the people as a whole?
ADDITION
Taking President Hinckley's challenge, I have moved well beyond 1 Nephi 16, but I felt the need to come back and at least put some hasty notes in to concludethis post (before posting another Moroni manuscript installment).
I was impressed with a few verses in particular:
Verse 3 where Nephi tells his brothers that "if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur...) I note that this is often the response to new counsel, or old counsel given again. And so we don't profit from the counsel.
Verse 28 also applies on this topic as the pointers, or counsel on the correct direction of our leaders, works according to the faith and diligence that we give to it (them). Likewise, verse 29, also shows that the writing changed from time to time according to the faith and diligence given to it. If we were following counsel with faith and diligence, it might change from time to time, instead of being the same thing we've heard before; we could move to the next level, but we're busy murmurring and not giving heed with faith and diligence.
