Mothering and the Book of Mormon: Lessons from Lehi Part I

As I began reading the Book of Mormon near the end of my pregnancy, I found myself more caught up in the story of Lehi, Nephi, and their family than I've ever been. I've always known there is a lot to learn from their family, but in reading their story this time, I found myself more emotionally connected to their experiences. I even shed a few tears, something I'm usually far too hard-hearted to do. Because of some personal trials I've faced this year, I feel like I can sympathize (and maybe even empathize) a lot more with the emotions and struggles of Lehi's family (though, thankfully, I haven't been asked by God to leave my home and roam in the wilderness).

One thing that surprised me is how much there is to learn about mothering from Lehi. Sure, he never was a mother, but he worried over his children, he dealt with defiance and discontent, and he even spent a few moments murmuring (not that I would ever do that. Wink, wink!)

I noticed throughout Lehi's story that he always shared his personal, spiritual experiences with his children. As he prophesied, received revelation, and had dreams, he would gather his family together to talk to them about the things that he learned. 1 Nephi 1:16 mentions that Lehi "hath written many things which he saw in visions and in dreams; and he also hath written many things which he prophesied and spake unto his children..."

Because of this, Lehi's son, Nephi, desired to know for himself that the things his father taught were true. Through prayer and revelation, Nephi gained his own, personal witness of God the Father (1 Nephi 2:16).

Later in the Book of Mormon, Enos, like Nephi, gained a testimony of God through prayer. Enos was taught the nature of God and eternal life by his father, and those things "sunk deep into [his] heart" (Enos 1:4). When Enos poured his soul unto God, his faith "began to be unshaken in the Lord" (Enos 1:11).

This is a pattern that we can follow in our own families - a joint effort by fathers and mothers. In our most recent general conference, L. Tom Perry said:

I believe it is by divine design that the role of motherhood emphasizes the nurturing and teaching of the next generation. But it is wonderful to see husbands and wives who have worked out real partnerships where they blend together their influence and communicate effectively both about their children and to their children.

As women and mothers, we have the opportunity to experience many sacred things. While some of these experiences should be held private, it is often appropriate to share them with our spouses and children. Even though the scriptures don't mention it specifically, I am sure that Sariah, like Lehi, spoke to her children of sacred things. I think of when Sariah declared that she knew "of a surety" that the Lord had commanded her husband to take her and her children out of Jerusalem and into the wilderness and that He had protected her sons and provided a way for them to follow the commandments (1 Nephi 5:8). Certainly there were many other things Sariah knew of a surety and taught her children.

Right now my kids are quite young, but there are some small, tender experiences that I can share with them to help them see God's hand in our lives. I can tell them about answers I receive to prayers or about the times I am comforted by the Holy Ghost. As I point out these occurrences in my life, it will help my children to identify similar experiences of their own. Hopefully they, like Nephi or Enos, will eventually have the desire to seek after their own witness.

...Parents can share their testimonies often with their children, commit them to keep the commandments of God, and promise the blessings that our Heavenly Father promises to His faithful children.

-L. Tom Perry

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This post is part of my series, "Mothering and the Book of Mormon." To learn more about why I am writing this series, please read this. To learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, check out Mormon.org or LDS.org.

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I'll even send you one if you want. Marginalia included.

You can e-mail me: 

{fluentbrittish [at] gmail [dot] com}

I won't even try to baptize you!