1 Nephi 3

The themes of 1 Nephi 3 seems to be obedience, faith and determination. Each are attributes we come to admire in other people and wish that we ourselves had at least the same measure.

Nephi's Courage

The Lord commanded Nephi to go and get the plates

From the wicked Laban inside the city gates.

Laman and Lemuel were both afraid to try.

Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:

Chorus:

"I will go; I will do

the thing the Lord commands.

I know the Lord provides a way;

he wants me to obey.

I will go; I will do

the thing the Lord commands.

I know the Lord provides a way;

he wants me to obey!"

The Lord commanded Nephi to go and build a boat.

Nephi's older brothers believed it would not float.

Laughing and mocking, they said he should not try.

Nephi was courageous. This was his reply:

Chorus

The Lord gives us commandments and asks us to obey.

Sometimes I am tempted to choose another way.

When I'm discouraged, and think I cannot try,

I will be courageous, and I will reply:

Chorus

When I was in primary at church, one of my absolute favorite songs was "Nephi's Courage". It was also my siblings favorite song. As a result, I believe we sang in for several months straight every Monday night for Family Home Evening. (My parents must have been really tired of it after the first month.) It's a song about Nephi and his determination to be obedient and faithful to God. We loved it so much because it was the classic Book of Mormon story. Much like the Bible stories of Noah or Moses, this was Nephi and we loved him. When the chorus came around, we'd practically shout it and give the words their extra emphasis, every phrase ending in an exclamation point. I believe we all still have it memorized. We were raised on this sort of thing. We knew that we would go and do the things the Lord commands. Just like Nephi (1 Nephi 3:7).

Even now, I really love this song and the lessons it still teaches me about obedience, fierce determination and faith.


While reading 1 Nephi 3:15-16, I asked myself if I personally have the faith and determination to face the obstacles in my life that sometimes might cause me to worry. I found comfort in President Henry B. Eyring words in which he said:

“Whoever we are, however difficult our circumstances, we can know that what our Father commands we do to qualify for the blessings of eternal life will not be beyond us. . . . 

“We may have to pray with faith to know what we are to do and we must pray with a determination to obey, but we can know what to do and be sure that the way has been prepared for us by the Lord” (“The Family” [CES fireside for young adults, Nov. 5, 1995], 1, www.ldsces.org).

Prayer. It truly is a miraculous thing. I just need to be able to have a small amount of faith to get on my knees and ask God to help. As I keep working at it, as I take a step with a little faith and determination, it will soon grow to greater faith and determination and help me accomplish that which needs to be done. I just have to act in obedience.