Patterns of the Lord

I really get excited when I start to recognize patterns that the Lord has for us. It helps strengthen my testimony to know that He has a plan, He uses it with His children and also lets us learn and see from those before us. The later part of 1 Nephi 17 Nephi is confounding his brothers for all their grossness...ok that was my own word, but it is how I describe people or myself when we are being ungrateful or complaining or whining. Nephi uses examples from the Bible to teach his brothers and to show them the patterns of the Lord. Beginning in verse 23 he starts to ask questions of Moses as a teaching tool. The hard part is when he compares Laman and Lemuel to the children of Israel when they hardened their hearts. He also says to them in verse 45, "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder." This scripture always kind of gets to the center of my soul when I read it. In some ways I feel nervous and start to think back in my life to what I know and what miracles I have seen or when the Spirit has spoken to me and then I think about where I am swift in iniquity and slow remembering the Lord. I have this problem where I am sometimes fast to really remember the Lord when I need a lot of help. For example, while we waited forever and forever for Elias' job to come I prayed for it...but I wasn't necessarily the best at making sure I read my scriptures daily or other things I needed to be doing in my life because my desire was in the right place. As the time got longer and longer I started praying harder and doing the right things more because of my need. I know that is not the right way to do things, but it is what it is. Those experiencing make me feel a little bad that my natural desire wasn't there first and I wasn't naturally motivated to the right things because I remembered the Lord and because I was humble enough.

After Nephi speaks he tells them not to touch him or they will whither like a dried up reed. He was so filled with the Spirit. In verse 53 the Lord tells him to stretch forth his hand and he will shock the brothers so ..."that they may know that I am the Lord their God." So Nephi does and they were shocked. I thought this was interesting because they already were not touching Nephi. I asked myself why the Lord thought to show them yet ANOTHER very obvious sign that he is the Lord. I wonder if it wasn't just for Laman and Lemuel. They have had so much proof already that to continue to give it to them seems worthless. I wonder if it was also for Nephi. Nephi wasn't asking for signs and his faith was unbelievable, but maybe the Lord was giving him this little bit of goodness to strengthen him even more and as a blessing for him not questioning. I think Heavenly Father does this sometimes, does things for another or to another, but really as a blessing for someone that isn't as obvious. Was that totally confusing? I can't think of any particular experiences of my own, but I bet if I think long enough about it I would begin to see some.

The last verse of the chapter is Laman and Lemuel having knowledge of the Lord. it is hard to read about these instances because I know they wont' keep their testimony. It is probably hard for the Lord to watch us flip flop back and forth as well. I am starting to realize that it must be so annoying for the Lord to watch me grow. I wonder how my parents could even handle it? I was a pretty cute kid though, so that has to make up for some of it:)