I thought I would just share some feeling that I had over the last week at church. I teach a Primary class and in the process they like us teachers to be knowledgable about the subject; and by "they" I am referring to the original "THEY" the Ultimate "THEY" the Omnipresent and Omnipotent "THEY." The pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire "THEY". Like a good servant I broke out the scriptures on Saturday night and started to read in I Nephi Chapter 17. Nephi is commanded by the Lord to build a ship and his brothers are mocking him. Calling him all sorts of crazy and wishing he would take a long walk off a short pier. Nephi scolds them for being "Them" and then continues to tell them about the Children of Israel being led out of bondage by Moses and relates all the miracles that Moses performed through the power of God.
Nephi then tells them in 1 Nephi 17 verse 50 "And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done." Then in verse 51 he drives it home for his brothers. And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?
This scripture answered my question of why didn't God just provide the ship for them like he did the Liahona for he surely could have. TOO EASY.... And in my infant mind I started to think... If I had enough faith why couldn't I command that basket of fruit on the table to be thou a basket of cash to pay off my debt, you know that stuff that the prophets have warned us not to fall prey to, well for one reason God didn't command me to and there are about a hundred other reasons but I will not discuss those at this time. Nevertheless the light went on in my head. God is not going to give us the easy way out, but if we go to him, as a faithful servant, he will instruct us on how we can build our own ship. I'd like to end in the words of the strong and faithful servant Nephi..
"And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done."
Amen
