I Will Go and I Will Do
By Jamie Ashby
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve….but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24: 15). Throughout the scriptures, countless examples are given of those who subject their will to the will of the Lord’s. One of the most commonly referred to stories is that of Lehi and his family’s departure from Jerusalem. Since the time we were born, we have been told the story of Nephi and how he was obedient to God’s commands. In primary, we sung "Nephi’s Courage" which states, "I will go, I will do, the things the Lord commands. I know the Lord provides a way, he wants me to obey" (Children’s Songbook, 120). Even though we have been taught our whole lives that we should strive to follow Nephi’s example, often times we overlook just how important Nephi’s decision to be obedient actually was. Can you imagine what would have happened if Lehi and Nephi hadn’t have followed God’s commands? When we choose to be obedient, and to "go and do," we are making decisions that will not only affect our lives, but the lives of our posterity as well.
In 1 Nephi 2:2, Lehi was given a commandment in a dream that he "should take his family and depart into the wilderness." How would you feel if God had told you to wake up, get your family, and leave your home right away? Regardless of how frightening that would seem, Lehi did as he was commanded. Now, if leaving their home, friends, and riches in order to flee into a wilderness wasn’t hard enough, God then commanded Nephi and his brothers to return to Jerusalem to obtain brass plates from a very rich, greedy, and wicked man. In this situation, it would have been very easy to complain and choose not to obey. But, Nephi had faith to accept the will of God and be obedient to his commandments. After failing to obtain the plates on multiple occasions, Nephi’s brothers were on the brink of giving up. Fortunately, Nephi knew what he had been commanded to do, and he was not going to give up until he was successful. Later on, after obtaining the plates and returning back to his family in the wilderness, Nephi and his brothers were once again commanded to return to Jerusalem. Even before their journey had really even begun, Lehi and his family’s patience and faith were tried on numerous different occasions. And yet, they were still courageous enough to say I will go, and I will do.
So much depended on the obedience of Lehi and his family. Often times throughout the scriptures, Nephi would say, "the Lord hath commanded me….for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not" (1 Nephi 9:5). What would have happened if Lehi and his family had not had the faith to go and do what the Lord had commanded them even though they didn’t know the reasons why? Well for one thing, they never would have left Jerusalem and eventually they would have been destroyed. Secondly, they never would have obtained the plates of brass. If this would have happened, not only would they not have had the truth in their lives, but also we never would have been able to receive the fullness either. Along with this, without the scriptures, Nephi never would have learned the importance of keeping a record. If Nephi hadn’t of learned this, Joseph Smith never would have brought the gold plates forth, and we wouldn’t have the Book of Mormon today or the fullness of the gospel in our lives. We should be so grateful for the courage that Lehi and his family had to demonstrate in order to be obedient to all of God’s commandments.
Any story told throughout the scriptures exemplifies how we are blessed when we are obedient. From our own lives and from the lives of those in the scriptures, it becomes evident that the commandments God gives us are not always easy. In fact, there is always going to be some sort of sacrifice required in order to keep the commandments of God. Within my own life, there have been countless times when not keeping the commandments seemed very tempting. In these times, however tempting it may be to be disobedient, I know that I will be blessed for keeping the commandments. In John 8:31-32 it says "if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In True to the Faith a Gospel Reference it explains how many people feel that the commandments are burdensome and that they limit their freedom and personal growth. Throughout all of high school, people would tell me that they could never be a Mormon because of how restricting and how hard it would be. Regardless of these comments, I know that keeping the commandments benefits my life significantly. Not only have I seen the benefits of being obedient, but I have read about them in the scriptures as well. King Benjamin explains that people who keep the commandments "are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness." I know that when we are obedient we will be blessed. Whether those blessings come in this life or in the next, God will bless us for our obedience.
Chances are, we are not going to be asked to leave our homes and everything that we own in order to depart into the wilderness. But, every day we are asked to make sacrifices that are not always going to be easy to do. Just as we were taught in primary many years ago, we need to have Nephi’s courage and be willing to say, "I will go, I will do." In the situation of Lehi and his family, if they had not been obedient to the Lord’s commandments, the church wouldn’t be on the earth today. Although our decision to keep the commandments of God might not render as important of outcomes as that, they still will affect the lives of more people than we know. "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). What a tremendous example of courage and faith Nephi has demonstrated for us. Let us do the same in our lives to always go and do.
Works Cited
Book of Mormon
The Bible
Children’s Song Book
True to the Faith A Gospel Reference
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6 comments:
I like the enthusiasm and sincerity of your writing. Your ideas flow together well, and the scriptures references support the points you make. Some of my high school friends also felt that joining the church would restrict me from the freedom we loved. But the gospel set me free. Blog on!
I thought this was a really good idea because when we get caught up in our daily lives, sometimes we forget to do the Lord's will and think we know what's best for us better than the Lord.
i could feel your voice clearly in this blog. i loved how you pointed out that there are many times when we feel tempted not to be obedient. it is something not talked about as much. good job. i really enjoyed it.
I loved how you emphasized the sacrifices that Lehi and his family made, they literally left all of their possession's behind. I sometimes wonder if I would have the faith to do something like that.
"Although our decision to keep the commandments of God might not render as important of outcomes as that, they still will affect the lives of more people than we know." I loved this part especially. I had a friend growing up that teased me about the church. Every time I mentioned Young women's she would laugh. Sometimes it hurt, but I pressed forward. At the end of high school, she told me that she really admired me for my strength in the church and that she looked to me as an example. Now I see that we must be careful in how we act and we must "go and do" and others will witness the results.
I have also thought about the principle that our obedience will affect our posterity. I really enjoyed reading about how important obedience is because sometimes we can become very passive with it.
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