Obedience and Sacrifice, the Path to Ascend

Whenever I read of Nephi's vision where he saw the things that his father saw, I desire the same. I also want to see for myself.  What was it that brought about this abundant revelation for Nephi? I Ne. 11:1 outlines Nephi's state of mind and heart. First he desired to know and he believed that the Lord was able to make them known unto him.  He sat pondering in his heart.  He was in a condition to receive revelation.

But that is not all.  Nephi had previously proven himself to the Lord.  He was first obedient, both to his father and to the Lord.  He had prayed for a confirmation of his father's teachings and directions to leave Jerusalem.  The Lord softened his heart and he responded by following his father into the wilderness.

Nephi had also sacrificed!  He left behind Babylon in the fullest sense.  He departed from his comforts, his home, his friends and acquaintances and the future he had most assuredly planned for. Obediently he returned (at the request of the Lord and his father Lehi) to Jerusalem and obtained the plates.  Again and again he petitioned the Lord to give him the faith to do all that was required of him.  He continued to sacrifice.

Obedience and sacrifice - therein lies the beginning of the path to further light and knowledge.

Obedience to the Lord.  Obedience to the promptings of the spirit.  Obedience to those who are in a position of stewardship over us even when they exhibit weakness as Lehi did on occasion.

The law of sacrifice comes into play when we lay our own wills and agendas on the alter.  Sacrifice is a principle of redemption.  Through our own small sacrifice we ascend in the pattern of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten Son.

Most often obedience and sacrifice are reflected in our laboring in the vineyard for our Master among his children.  Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Mosiah, King Benjamin, Abinidi, Alma, the brother of Jared, Mormon and Moroni all had the greater things revealed to them in the process of serving diligently in the fold of God through rain or shine, through faithfulness or waywardness.  It wasn't about them.  It was about the Lord and his work.  We lose ourselves to find ourselves.

The Lord's Law of Witnesses

18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.

(Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 1:18)

Truth is found in layers.  It seems that God repeats patterns on many levels and that is one way we recognize truth.  In Matthew 18 the Lord declares "....that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."  This pattern is evident in the Lord's work.  The Book of Mormon is a second witness to the Bible.  The Doctrine and Covenants acts as a third witness. There are authorized witnesses to ordinances.  Counselors in a presidency or bishopric are witnesses to the actions and decisions of the president or bishop.   

Individually, the Lord provides for more than one witness to our souls by how revelation is given us. We have eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to perceive, hearts to understand.  Like Lehi in the above verse, prophets both see and hear the truths of God.  They then become a witness and declare with their mouths what they have seen and heard. 

We can call upon God to confirm truth to our souls through the law of witnesses and ask to see and hear and feel and understand.

His Whole Heart Was Filled....

15 And after this manner was the language of my father in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him.

(Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 1:15)

As I read this verse this morning my attention was arrested by the last part of that sentence.  "...and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen....."  If our hearts can be filled with the things that we see, should we not take care to see things that contain truth and will fill our hearts with light?  Conversely, what happens to our hearts when we see violent and graphic material? What happens to our hearts when we read that which is lacking in truth?  How can we have pure hearts if our eyes are perusing  uncleanliness?  As we live in a society brimming over with deceptions and worldliness it becomes vital that we actively choose to place our sight upon the word of the Lord.

Another related scripture:

5 I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief,

(Book of Mormon | Mosiah 1:5)