Lesson: 1 Nephi 17

1. Write on the board a few of the Lord’s commandments that some people might feel are
difficult to obey.

Describe why people might feel these commandments are difficult to obey.

Consider whether there is a specific commandment that you personally struggle to obey.

As you study 1 Nephi 17 today, look for truths that can help them keep God’s
commandments, regardless of how hard it may seem to do so.

2. Read 1 Nephi 17:1–2 (Slide 1)

 What were some of the difficulties Lehi’s family experienced?

 What blessings did they receive? (After students respond, explain that Lehi’s family
was also blessed in many other ways, including receiving guidance from the Lord [see
1 Nephi 17:12–13].)

Nephi taught a principle that explains why his family could be blessed during this
difficult time.

Read 1 Nephi 17:3 and identify the principle that begins with the word if.

Write on the board:

If we keep the commandments, then the Lord will strengthen us and provide means for
us to accomplish that which He has commanded.

Look for evidence of this principle as you study Nephi’s experiences recorded in
1 Nephi 17.

3. Slide 2. Summarize 1 Nephi 17:4–6 by explaining that after traveling in the wilderness
for eight years, Lehi’s family arrived at a place they called Bountiful, which was near the
sea.

Read 1 Nephi 17:7-8

 What did the Lord command Nephi to do?

 Why might building a ship have been difficult for Nephi?
 Slide 3. Read aloud the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar

“Nephi was not a sailor. He had been reared in Jerusalem, an inland city, rather than
along the borders of the Mediterranean Sea. It seems unlikely that he knew much about or
had experience with the tools and skills necessary to build a ship. He may not have ever
previously seen an oceangoing vessel. In essence, then, Nephi was commanded and
instructed to build something he had never built before” (David A. Bednar, “Learning to
Love Learning” Ensign, Feb. 2010, 28).

4. Divide students into pairs. Write the scripture reference on the board with comparison.
Pair 1 - 1 Nephi 17:9–11, 15–16
Pair 2 - 1 Nephi 17:17–21.

 What impresses you about Nephi’s response?

 How would you describe Laman and Lemuel’s attitude?

5. Summarize 1 Nephi 17:23–31 by explaining that Nephi responded to the complaints of

his brethren by reminding them that the Lord had helped Moses accomplish the difficult
task of freeing the children of Israel from bondage.

Point out that when the Lord gives us challenging tasks or commandments, we can
choose to respond as Nephi did, or we can respond as Laman and Lemuel did.

 When have you seen others respond as Nephi did to commandments that were
challenging for them to obey?

6. 1 Nephi 17:50.
1 Nephi 17:51 silently, adding their names after the word me and replacing the phrase
“build a ship” with the commandment they thought of at the beginning of class that may
be difficult for them to obey.

7. Refer to the principle on the board, and testify of its truthfulness.

Slide 4. Invite students to answer the following question in their class notebooks or study
journals:

 How can I respond like Nephi rather than like Laman and Lemuel to commandments
that may be difficult to obey?
 After sufficient time, consider inviting a few students to share with the class what they
wrote. Remind them not to share anything that is private or too personal.

8. 1 Nephi 17:20–22
Nephi’s brethren murmured because they had had to leave Jerusalem, claiming that the
Israelites who were living there were “a righteous people” (verse 22), even though they
had sought to kill Lehi (see 1 Nephi 1:19–20). Nephi responded by explaining why the
ancient Israelites were able to conquer the land of Canaan, where Jerusalem is located,
and why Jerusalem would be destroyed.

9. 1 Nephi 17:32–40. Popcorn reading.

 According to these verses, why were the Israelites able to conquer the land of Canaan?
(They were more righteous than the Canaanites, who “had rejected every word of God”
and “were ripe in iniquity” [verse 35].)
 According to verse 35, how does the Lord regard “all flesh,” or all people?

Explain that the phrase “the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one” (1 Nephi 17:35) means that
He loves, values, and desires to bless all people. The phrase “he that is righteous is
favored of God” (1 Nephi 17:35) does not mean that God treats His children unfairly.
Rather, it means that those who are righteous—meaning those who choose to obey God’s
commandments and make and keep covenants with Him—are able to receive certain
blessings that are withheld from those who do not enter covenants with God and obey His
commandments.

Write the following truth on the board: Those who are righteous receive the Lord’s
covenant blessings.

For example:

In order to always have God’s Spirit to be with us, we must take upon ourselves the name
of Jesus Christ, always remember Him, and keep His commandments (see D&C
20:77, 79).

 What are some other examples of blessings we can receive only if we keep the
covenants we have made with God? (Answers might include the blessing of being
married eternally [see D&C 132:19] and the blessing of receiving eternal life [see
Mosiah 18:8–10].)

10.Summarize 1 Nephi 17:41–44 by explaining that Nephi told his brethren that the ancient
Israelites had hardened their hearts against the Lord and His prophets “from time to time”
(1 Nephi 17:42). The people in Jerusalem eventually became so wicked that Lehi had
needed to flee with his family into the wilderness. Nephi told Laman and Lemuel that
they were like those in Jerusalem who had sought to kill Lehi.
11.1 Nephi 17:45
 What effect did Laman and Lemuel’s sins have on them? What could they not feel?

Mark the following phrase in verse 45: “he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice,
but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words.”

Slide 5. To help the class understand what it means to “feel [the Lord’s] words,” invite a
student to read aloud the following statement by President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994):

 According to President Benson, how do we often hear the words of the Lord?
 What principle can we learn from verse 45 about what can make it difficult to feel
and recognize the voice of the Lord?

Click for principle: When we choose to sin, it becomes more difficult to feel and
recognize the voice of the Lord.

12.Display a cell phone.

Slide 6. Read aloud the following statement by President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of
the First Presidency. Ask the class to listen for the analogy he drew between cell phone
communication and communication with the Lord:

 When we have sinned, what can we do to make it easier to once again feel and
recognize the voice of the Lord? (Repent of our sins.)

Invite students to consider whether they are participating in any sinful behavior that
might make it difficult for them to feel and recognize the voice of the Lord. Encourage
them to repent as necessary so they can feel and recognize the still, small voice of the
Lord speaking to them.

13. Slide 7. Nephi Subdues His Rebellious Brothers

Invite students to summarize what is happening in the picture. If students do not have an
answer, invite them to find the answer in 1 Nephi 17:48, 53–54.

 According to 1 Nephi 17:53, why did the Lord shock Nephi’s brethren? (You may
want to call students’ attention to verse 53, footnote a, to help them understand that
the word shock in this context means to “cause to shake or tremble.”)
Explain that after Nephi shocked his brethren by the power of God, they humbled
themselves and desired to worship Nephi. Nephi forbade them to worship him and
instructed them to instead worship the Lord. (See 1 Nephi 17:55.)

Conclude by testifying of the truths students learned from 1 Nephi 17 and inviting
students to act on these truths.