7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: 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.
Any good employer will provide resources enough to accomplish an assigned task. The Lord is no different. When He gives us a commandment, He also provides a way for us to accomplish the task or keep the commandment. We still have to actually follow through, however, not only for the sake of accomplishing the task, but also for our own growth and progress. It takes faith in the Lord and in this principle to attempt something the Lord wants us to do that is difficult or even seems to be impossible. Nephi had no idea how to get these plates. He just had faith in the Lord and in his prophet. The Lord could have spirited those plates away to Lehi, but Nephi and his brothers needed to have the opportunity to grow through obedience. The Lord was preparing a prophet as much as He was retrieving brass plates. Nephi was up to the challenge, as will be seen in later verses.
One thing to remember is that we need to do our part in order for the Lord to bless us in this manner. Matthew 19:26 says that “with God all things are Possible.” The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) clarifies that and puts some conditions on it. The JST says, “if they will forsake all things for my sake, with God whatsoever things I speak are possible.” There aren’t any free rides. The Lord gives us what we need, but He doesn’t step in and take over. If we aren’t giving our all, why should He? Indeed, how can he?
- Matthew 5:48; 19:26 (JST)
- 1 Nephi 9:6
- D&C 3:1, 3
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