Prayer, Temple

How to learn great things from the Lord

While reading my scriptures tonight, I was reading about Nephi and his brothers building their ship to sail to the Americas. For example, see 1 Ne. 18:2

Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

But it was the next verse that stuck out to me. Not only for the insight it gives us into how Nephi was able to build the ship, but how we might apply it in our own lives.

I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.

What’s interesting here is that Nephi showed us to learn great things from the Lord, he went often into the mountain and prayed often. Perhaps if we want to learn great things, we too should pray often and go to the mountain ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù in other words attend the temple ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äù often.

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Kim Siever

Queer Mormon poet with radical political views. I have been married 27 years, and we have 6 children. Sunday school president. Served in the Utah Provo Mission.

9 thoughts on “How to learn great things from the Lord”

  1. It sounds like he was able to go at his leasure and meditate and reflect as his hearts desired.

    Too bad we can’t do that today without taking up a few hours of proxy work first.

  2. if we want to learn great things, we too should pray often and go to the mountain

    Can you honestly say you wouldn’t have more luck at a University?

  3. I can’t say I’ve learned many great things in the time I’ve been here, but perhaps it would depend on the major. I guess it depends on what we deem as “great”, too. Or what Nephi meant by “”great”.

  4. I wonder if there are examples of great things that have come from Temple attendance.

    I would like to say that’s where Philo Taylor Farnsworth got his idea for the television, but at only 14 years, maybe that’s unlikely. (Also I’m just assuming he was Mormon because of where he grew up).

    Any other examples besides Nephi’s ship?

  6. I would consider the use of bellows for metal working and advanced ship-making with no prior experience to be “great”.

    But nevertheless, I admit, it’s only implied and doesn’t actually say, “the ship was one of the great things”.

    But if that’s the case, then Nephi doesn’t actually tell us what was so great about the things he learned. We are stuck just taking his word for it.

  8. Do you have an opinion on what these great things were?

    (This is a setup to ask you if Nephi’s method is the best way to go about it).

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