Starting the Book of Mormon

1 Nephi 1
Nephi was raised by righteous parents who had sufficient means to provide him with an excellent education. Nephi lived in Jerusalem when Zedekiah was made king about 600 B.C. Many prophets, including Lehi and Jeremiah told the people to repent or the people and the city would be destroyed by the Babylonians. When Lehi prayed, he had a vision confirming the destruction would happen if the people didn’t repent. He saw Jesus Christ and his apostles in this vision. When he continued to testify to the people of their wickedness and the pending destruction of the city, they wanted to kill him. Yet, as Nephi’s record shows, many tender mercies of the Lord were extended to his family and are available to us as well if we exercise faith in Christ. Tender mercy of Christ and hope in Christ are central to Nephi’s message.
1 Nephi 2
Lehi took his family into the wilderness. We can relate to this experience. We traveled first to Las Vegas, then Tucson, Laramie, and then American Fork. Unlike Lehi’s children, we heard very little murmuring from Jon, Michelle, Nick, Eric, or Emily. We learned great lessons from each place we lived and loved the people in each place. They loved us too. We were able to take our stuff with us. Lehi left all of his riches behind. The thing that made Nephi not rebel like his brothers Laman and Lemuel was his testimony. The Lord truly softened his heart so he believed all of the things his father said. Here is a great key: to avoid the tendency we all have to rebel, cry unto the Lord in humble prayer and ask him to soften your heart.