1 Nephi 18:11-15

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Reference Search: 1 Nephi 18:11-15

11 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.

12 And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.

13 Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storn, yea, a great and terrible tempest, and we were driven back upon the waters for the space of three days; and they began to be frightened exceedingly lest they should be drowned in the sea; nevertheless they did not loose me.

14 And on the fourth day, which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceedingly sore.

15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.

Quotes for Discussion

Let us here observe that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation….It is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God….

…and in the last days, before the Lord comes, he is to gather together his saints who have made a covenant with him by sacrifice.

Joseph Smith

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God….

But all these personal things amount to but very little. It is the crowns, principalities, the powers, the thrones, the dominions, and the associations with the Gods that we are after, and we are here to prepare ourselves for those things. We are after eternal exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of God.

Joseph Smith<o:p></o:p>

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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Short though Bitter Was Their Pain, Everlasting Is Their Joy<o:p></o:p>

The Latter-day Saints have experienced few periods of adversity to surpass the torment and cruelty heaped upon their heads at the hands of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Missouri</st1:State></st1:place> mobs during the formative years of the restored Church. The challenge for the faithful and devout in such circumstances has ever been to place adversity in an eternal context and remember the Lord’s promise: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of the heaven” (Matt. 5:10). As part of his journal entry for Monday, 22 April 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith composes his moving and majestic account summarizing and memorializing the Saints’ cruel persecution at the hands of the Missouri mobs, giving thanks for the Lord’s steadying hand, and calling for civil redress: “The conduct of the Saints, under their accumulated wrongs and sufferings, has been praiseworthy; their courage in defending their brethren from the ravages of the mobs; their attachment to the cause of truth, under circumstances the most trying and distressing which humanity can possibly endure; their love to each other; their readiness to afford assistance to me and my brethren who were confined to a dungeon; their sacrifice in leaving Missouri, and assisting the poor widows and orphans, and securing them houses in a more hospitable land; all conspire to raise them in the estimation of all good and virtuous men, and has secured them the favor and approbation of Jehovah, and a name as imperishable as eternity…Marvel not, then, if you are persecuted….Afflictions, persecutions, imprisonments, and death, we must expect, according to the scriptures….” (HC, 3:329-331). As if to add a capstone to the monument of the Saints’ endurance, the Prophet also quotes this verse as part of his narrative: “Short though bitter was their pain, everlasting is their joy” (33).

Ed J. Pinegar and Richard J. Allen, Teachings & Commentaries of BOM, p. 69-70<o:p></o:p>

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