1
Ne 2:16 I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did
visit me, and did soften my heart
The
great authors of the Book of Mormon were all called in their youth. In this
verse, Nephi intimates that he received a personal visitation from Jehovah.
This great blessing was also given to Jacob, Mormon, and presumably Moroni.
Lehi said of Jacob, ¡®thou hast behold in thy youth
his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he shall minister
in the flesh¡¯ (2 Ne 2:4). Mormon declared, ¡®being
fifteen years of age¡ŠI was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the
goodness of Jesus¡¯ (Mormon 1:15, see also Moroni 8:2). In this respect,
the authors of the Book of Mormon were like the translator, Joseph Smith who ¡®tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus¡¯ at the
age of 14.
M. Russell Ballard
¡°Vision makes all the
difference in the world. Why was Nephi's reaction to his father's willingness
to follow the Lord's direction and lead his family into the wilderness so
different from that of his elder brothers, Laman and Lemuel? Could it be
because Nephi went to the Lord privately and asked for his own witness or
vision of the Lord's directive to his father? ¡®And
it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being
large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of
God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did
soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my
father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers¡¯ ("1 Ne. 2:161 Nephi 2:16).
Nephi sought his own vision, and the result was that his heart was softened. He
had a clearer view of where his family was headed, and he was able to commit to
follow the Lord. As Solomon explained, ¡®Where there
is no vision, the people perish¡¯ ("Prov.
29:18Proverbs 29:18).¡± (Counseling
with Our Councils: Learning to Minister Together in the Church and in the
Family, p. 23.)