1 Nephi 16–17

Acting in Faith in Difficult Situations

Think about the challenges Lehi and his family faced after leaving Jerusalem and while dwelling in the wilderness. The way Nephi reacted to his challenges gives us an example of how to respond to our own tests in life. This lesson can help you learn how to liken the scriptures to yourself and face challenges with faith.

Finding meaning in the scriptures

Imagine someone shares with you that they don’t think reading the scriptures is worth their time. They feel that the scriptures aren’t very useful for the challenges and issues of our day.

• How might you respond to their concern?

Reflect on your own scripture study and the value and use of the scriptures in your life. Consider things that have made it difficult to make the scriptures meaningful and anything that has helped you overcome these obstacles.

To help his brothers learn from and use the scriptures in their day, the prophet Nephi taught a valuable lesson that can also help us in our scripture study.

Read 1 Nephi 19:23, looking for what Nephi taught.

• How would you describe in your own words the truth Nephi is teaching?

Likening the scriptures to ourselves

One truth you may have identified from this verse is that as we liken the scriptures to ourselves, we will learn and profit from them.

• What do you know about likening the scriptures?

• What experiences have you had with likening the scriptures?

• According to verse 23, what was Nephi’s purpose in reading and likening the words of Isaiah?

• How might likening the scriptures help you come to know and believe in Jesus Christ more fully?

To liken the scriptures means to relate what is recorded in them to our own lives.

The following process can help you in your efforts to liken the scriptures to your life. Record these steps in your study journal.

1. Find important details.

2. Make comparisons to your life.

3. Discover valuable lessons.

4. Determine personal application.

In this lesson, you will have opportunities to practice likening the scriptures to your life as you study some events that took place with Lehi’s family in the wilderness.

Nephi breaks his bow

Step 1: Find important details

Practice this step by studying 1 Nephi 16:17–25, 30–32 and looking for important details. These details could include people, places, objects, actions, or events. You may also want to watch “The Lord Guides Lehi’s Journey,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 5:33 to 16:18 as part of your study.

• What important details did you find?

Details you may have noticed include Nephi breaking his bow; the murmuring of Lehi, Laman, Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael; Nephi making a new bow; and Nephi returning to his father for direction about obtaining food.

Step 2: Make comparisons to your life

Think of aspects of your life that relate to the details you identified in the previous step. The following question can help you do this:

• What situations in my life are like the situations in these verses?

You might have compared Nephi breaking his bow to unexpected difficulties in your life. You might also have compared the words and actions of Nephi and his family members to people’s reactions when faced with difficult situations.

Step 3: Discover valuable lessons

Think about what you learn from the scriptures that could apply to you. You might also think about what you learn about the Savior.

• What are some lessons you learn from the account of Nephi breaking and repairing his bow that could apply to your life?

• What does this account teach you about Jesus Christ?

One truth you may have identified from this account is if we put forth our own effort and seek the Lord’s direction, then He will help us through our difficulties.

Step 4: Determine personal application

• Determine personal application by reflecting on your own life.

• What are some ways you can apply this truth to your life?

Among many ways to apply this truth, you might consider how you can follow Nephi’s example when you experience unexpected challenges or feel stuck in life. Rather than murmur or do nothing, you can take initiative and move forward with faith and confidence that Jesus Christ will help you.

• How did following this study pattern help you find meaning in this scripture account?

Nephi is commanded to build a ship

After journeying in the wilderness for eight years, Lehi and his family came to a land on the seashore, which they named Bountiful because of the abundance of fruit and honey there (see 1 Nephi 17:4–6).

Read 1 Nephi 17:5–20, 48–55; 1 Nephi 18:1–4, and use the four steps from earlier to help you liken this account to your life. You can also watch the video “The Lord Commands Nephi to Build a Ship” from time code 0:00 to 12:07, available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Allow the Spirit to guide your thoughts and study. Pause frequently to think about how what you are learning could be likened to specific situations in your life. Record impressions you receive.

1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:

   • What important details did you identify from this account?

   • What are some comparisons you made between those details and aspects of your life?

   • What are some lessons you learned from this account that could apply to your life? What did you learn about Jesus Christ?

   • How can you apply this truth to your life?

Optional: Want to Learn More?

Why would building a ship have been difficult for Nephi?

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Nephi was not a sailor. He had been reared in Jerusalem, an inland city, rather than along the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. It seems unlikely that he knew much about or had experience with the tools and skills necessary to build a ship. He may not have ever previously seen an oceangoing vessel. In essence, then, Nephi was commanded and instructed to build something he had never built before. (David A. Bednar, “Learning to Love Learning,” Ensign, Feb. 2010, 28)

1 Nephi 17:45. What does it mean to be “past feeling”?

President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency taught:

Occasionally … we find dead spots where the signal coming to a cell phone fails. This can happen when the cell phone user is in a tunnel or a canyon or when there is other interference.

So it is with divine communication. … Perhaps something in our lives prevents us from hearing the message because we are “past feeling” [1 Nephi 17:45]. We often put ourselves in spiritual dead spots—places and situations that block out divine messages. Some of these dead spots include anger, pornography, transgression, selfishness, and other situations that offend the Spirit. (James E. Faust, “Did You Get the Right Message?,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 67)