Reproving Betimes with an Increase of Love and Priesthood

1 Nephi 7:16 - 21, NC 1 Nephi 2 par. 4


And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceeding wroth; and they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts. But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren? Yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound? And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren and I spake unto them again. And it came to pass that they were angry with me again and sought to lay hands upon me. But behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did soften their hearts and they did cease striving to take away my life. And it came to pass that they were sorrowful because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me and did plead with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me. And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord, we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father.

If we take the final statement from Nephi from the last post ...

And now if ye have choice, go up to the land and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go, ye will also perish. For thus the spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak.

... and we put it with the context of this post can we see a revealed principle in practical application?

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood; only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul; without hypocrisy and without guile; reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the holy ghost, and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom you have reproved (lest he esteem you to be his enemy), that he may know that your faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death; (D&C 121:41 - 44, T&C 139 par 6)

Has Nephi at any time exerted any authority or power over Laman or Lemuel or anyone except for persuasion, long suffering, gentleness and meekness and love unfeigned?

When this event of rebellion arises when does Nephi speak?

Does he speak with sharpness?

Do his words still preserve the agency of those he is speaking to?

Could we reasonably state that Nephi is reproving with sharpness because he has been moved upon by the Holy Ghost?

We don't know everything that was involved in this rebellion but what makes this situation different from when Laman and Lemuel were beating Nephi and Sam while they were trying to retrieve the brass plates?

Did Nephi use sharpness then or did he use persuasion?

Why in this situation would it be the will of the Lord to constrain Nephi by His Spirit to reprove sharply when at the time of the beating the Lord sent an angel to stop Laman and Lemuel?

Does this show how important it is to speak by the influence of the Holy Ghost in order to speak in righteousness?

Do these recorded experiences show that Nephi was not on his own errand?

If Nephi had spoken sharply without being moved upon by the Holy Ghost would he have been taking the name of God in vain having spoken without authority?

How important is it that an individual speak in meekness; according to God's will?

Would it be very important for us to each individually consider very seriously our own motives before we give voice to something sharp?

Did Nephi have any personal motive for speaking sharply?

This would appear to be a very delicate matter, speaking sharply.

What about the increase of love that is to be shown afterwards?

As a group we believe that much of the time the cultural context of "love" that we impose on the word "love" in the revelations is misapplied.

For a much greater treatise of this matter we would recommend any searcher to review the transcript "Love Others as Yourself" at restorationarchives.com/library/snuffer.php.

In order to view Nephi's love in this matter we will quote from the above transcript.

 And then we move on to Nephi,and just as a side note, I'm pretty sure Nephi did not love his brothers,k?  
I just don't think he did.They were abusive; they were violent;and they were fratricidal, okay? But this is what he does
Nephi 2:4 ,And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me.
[Yes,so what's new?They were always angry with him.]        ...But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, according to my faith which is in  thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren?And it came to pass that when I said these words,behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands   and feet, and I stood before my brethren and I spake unto them again....And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the   Lord their God for forgiveness....And after they had done praying unto the Lord, we did again [a]   travel on our journey towards the tent of our father.(Nephi 2:4 RE, emphasis added) (Love Others as Yourself, Stephanie Snuffer, Restoration General Conference, Jul. 2019)

In the transcript Stephanie continues to talk about Joseph who was sold into Egypt and his brothers.

Then Stephanie makes the following statement.

The foregoing scriptures illustrate that forgiveness, intercession, and relationships do not have to be based on love, as we culturally define it here.(Love Others as Yourself, Stephanie Snuffer, Restoration General Conference, Jul. 2019)

In our cultural sense of the word love we agree that Nephi probably did not feel a strong attachment or feeling of joy with his brothers.

His love for his brothers was displayed in his frank forgiveness of them for what they had done in trying to kill him.

Would this be an increase of love towards them whom he had reproved?

Did this demonstrate that Nephi's love or forgiveness of and relationship with his brethren was stronger than the cords of death?

Can we learn from this experience what it means to properly reprove and then show forth afterwards an increase of love?

What does this event show us about our responsibility to forgive?

My disciples in days of old sought occasion against one another, and forgave not one another in their hearts, and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened. Wherefore, I say unto you that you ought to forgive one another, for he that forgives not his brother his trespasses stands condemned before the Lord, for there remains in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. And you ought to say in your hearts, Let God judge between me and you, and reward you according to your deeds. (D&C 64:8 - 11, T&C 51 par. 3)

Does the Lord often use extreme examples of principles to show that He intends that we apply those principles to the utmost?

Is Nephi forgiving his brothers for trying to murder him an extreme example of forgiveness?

Is this event meant to demonstrate to us just how serious the Lord is that we forgive each other our tresspasses?

Does Nephi derive any benefit from forgiving his brothers?


In one sense, it is not possible for us to satisfy justice by providing mercy for ourselves. But in another sense, we certainly can do so for others. We cannot atone for other's offenses. But, we can forgive other's trespasses against us. Christ provided the way for us all to be forgiven. But He also taught we should forgive others. He said, "...forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." (JST Matt. 6:13; taken from Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible, Original Manuscripts. Edited by Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson and Robert J. Matthews. Prove: Religious Studies Center Brigham Young University, 2004; p. 247.) 
Forgiving others is our duty. Our own forgiveness is dependent upon it. Within our limited capacities, we must also provide mercy to others just as Christ provided mercy to us all. We, in our sphere, must act just as Christ did in His much greater sphere.
Remember that we must become "types" of Him whom we follow. To do so we must mimic Him to acquire His attributes. When we have acquired His attributes, He has claim upon us as one of His own." (Second Comforter, Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil, Denver Snuffer, pgs. 272 - 273)

The Prophet Joseph taught,

I charged the Saints not to follow the example of the adversary in accusing the brethren,9 and
said, “If you do not accuse each other, God will not accuse you. If you have no accuser you will
enter heaven, and if you will follow the revelations and instructions which God gives you through
me, I will take you into heaven as my back load. If you will not accuse me, I will not accuse you.
If you will throw a cloak of charity over my sins, I will over yours—for charity covereth a multitude
of sins. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 193)

It is a true principle taught by Alma to Corianton that mercy begets mercy and if we send out mercy it will be returned to us because it will become our nature and we will be restored to it.

Another principle in action during this event is a sign from Heaven that shows that Nephi has Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek or sealing power.

Now Melchizedek was a man of faith who wrought righteousness. And when a child, he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire. And thus, having been approved of God, he was ordained a high priest after the Order of the covenant which God made with Enoch, it being after the Order of the Son of God, which Order came not by man, nor the will of man, neither by father nor mother, neither by beginning of days nor end of years, but of God. And it was delivered unto men by the calling of his own voice, according to his own will, unto as many as believed on his name.  For God, having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself that everyone being ordained after this Order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course, to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to his will, according to his command subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. And men having this faith, coming up unto this Order of God, were translated and taken up into Heaven. (JST Genesis 14:26 - 31, OC Genesis 1 pars. 17 - 18)

Does Nephi break his bands in this experience?

By who's will was he able to break the bands?

By this sign being given we can know of a certainty that Nephi does possess Priesthood that has been delivered unto him by the calling of God's own voice.

It was delivered to Nephi not by the will of man but by God's will.

It did not come to Nephi by father nor mother.

It is eternal. It is without beginning of days or end of years because God is without beginning of days or end of years.

It represents an oath or a covenant between Nephi and God; one that God cannot nor will not break.

Notice that all of the power given by faith is subject to the will of God.

When Nephi was later bound on the ship while traveling to the promised land was it the will of God that Nephi be able to break his bands?

Did Nephi understand that it was God's will that he remain bound by bands to the mast?

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 suffered it, that he might shew forth his power unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked. 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. Wherefore, they knew not whither they should steer the ship, insomuch that there arose a great storm — 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. And on the fourth day which we had been driven back, the tempest began to be exceeding sore. 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. Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long, and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions. (1 Nephi 18:11 - 16, NC 1 Nephi 5 par. 30)

Nephi understood that the Lord's wisdom was greater than his own.

Now my father Lehi had said many things unto them, and also unto the sons of Ishmael, but behold, they did breathe out much threatenings against anyone that should speak for me. And my parents, being stricken in years and having suffered much grief because of their children, they were brought down, yea, even upon their sickbeds. Because of their grief, and much sorrow, and the iniquity of my brethren, they were brought near even to be carried out of this time to meet their God. Yea, their grey hairs were about to be brought down to lie low in the dust, yea, even they were near to be cast with sorrow into a watery grave. And Jacob and Joseph also being young, having need of much nourishment, were grieved because of the afflictions of their mother. And also my wife with her tears and prayers, and also my children, did not soften the hearts of my brethren that they would loose me. And there was nothing, save it were the power of God which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts. Wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea, they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me. (1 Nephi 18:17 - 20, NC 1 Nephi 5 par 31)

The Lord, knowing the hearts of Laman and Lemuel, knew what it would take for them to repent.

Is it possible that in the first instance the Lord was giving Laman and Lemuel a sign of Nephi's priesthood in order to persuade them to listen to their younger brother?

Then when the Lord saw that Laman and Lemuel would disregard the words of Nephi even though the Lord had shown a sign through Nephi He decided, in His wisdom, to take the matter into His own hands?

Does this show us how absolutely important it is that a person with such priesthood can be trusted by the Lord to do only His will?

Can this priesthood be passed willy nilly from man to man?

How important is it to look at ourselves and repent of our desires to do our own will?

How important is it for us to exercise faith?

Did Melchizedek, Nephi or any other possessor of this priesthood exercise faith unto mighty works before they received any "priesthood"?

Are these things that we all ought to seriously consider?

Hardness of Heart and Blindness of Mind

1 Nephi 6:6 - 15, NC 1 Nephi 2 par. 3


And it came to pass that as we journeyed in the wilderness, behold, Laman, and Lemuel, and two of the daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael, and their families did rebel against us; yea, against I, Nephi, and Sam, and their father Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters. And it came to pass that in the which rebellion they were desirous to return unto the land of Jerusalem. And now I, Nephi, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, therefore I spake unto them, saying — yea, even unto Laman and unto Lemuel — Behold, ye are mine elder brethren, and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts and so blind in your minds that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you? Yea, and set an example for you? How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord? How is it that ye have forgotten that ye have seen an angel of the Lord? Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us in delivering us out of the hands of Laban? And also that we should obtain the record? Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him. And if it so be that we are faithful to him, we shall obtain the land of promise. And ye shall know at some future period that the word of the Lord shall be fulfilled concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, for all things which the Lord hath spoken concerning the destruction of Jerusalem must be fulfilled. For behold, the spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison, and they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land. Now behold, I say unto you that if ye will return unto Jerusalem, ye shall also perish with them. And now if ye have choice, go up to the land and remember the words which I speak unto you, that if ye go, ye will also perish. For thus the spirit of the Lord constraineth me that I should speak.

Given the seriousness of what is occurring here would it be a good thing to understand what it means to harden one's heart and to be blind in one's mind so that we can repent of such things as we find ourselves in this predicament?

Hardness of Heart

Nephi gives a clear description: For [Lehi] truly spake many great things unto them which were hard to be understood save a man should inquire of the Lord. And they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought. And now I, Nephi, was grieved because of the hardness of their hearts (1 Nephi 4:1). And I said unto them, Have ye inquired of the Lord? And they said unto me, We have not, for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. Behold, I said unto them, How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish because of the hardness of your hearts? Do ye not remember the thing which the Lord hath said, If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you? 
(1 Nephi 4:2). Hardness of heart is usually accompanied by a hardness of head; that is, people tend to not be willing to live in accordance with principles, even though they want to know about them. They are often more curious than they are obedient, becoming voyeurs rather than visionaries. Oddly enough, one’s curiosity gets satisfied as he obeys — but man is usually unwilling to make that exchange (cf. Alma 9:3,10; 1 Nephi 3:26).1 Man determines whether he has a hard heart or an open heart. Anciently, the “heart” was considered the seat of understanding rather than emotion; therefore, an “open heart” belonged to the seeker, the asker, the knocker on the door (TC Glossary of terms, "Harness of Heart")

If we look at what Nephi declared to his brothers as quoted in the section "Hardness of Heart" in the T&C glossary of terms we can see that a hardness of heart is connected to refusal to inquire of the Lord and be obedient to what He reveals.

If one does not seek or knock and give heed and diligence to what is revealed then they cannot understand what the Lord intends to do through His mighty works.

After expounding the doctrine of Christ Nephi declared,

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts? Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the holy ghost, ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the holy ghost? Angels speak by the power of the holy ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them, it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock. Wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way and receive the holy ghost, it will shew unto you all things what ye should do. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.

Is Nephi declaring that by our asking about Christ's doctrine and our heed and diligence in following it we would receive understanding?

If we do not do these things does it mean that we do not ask or knock?

Is knocking related to heed and diligence; is it the natural progression from asking?

If we do not ask and knock Nephi says that we must perish in the dark.

But behold, verily I say unto you, there are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called, but few of them are chosen. They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noonday.  (D&C 95:5 - 6, T&C 94 par. 2)

In the revelation when the Lord declared that there were those who were walking in darkness at noon day was He declaring that there were those with hard hearts who would not inquire of Him about and give heed and diligence to the great light He was then pouring forth?

Is that the key to being chosen?

If the heart is the seat of understanding then wouldn't it be critical for everyone to be "seekers"; to ask and inquire of the Lord so that they are open to receive?

Is it critical to give heed and diligence?

Are the heart and the mind connected?

Nephi mentions hard hearts and blind minds in the same thought although he separates them into two different things.

We agree with the following explanation of heart and mind as mentioned in the scriptures.

There’s one time when I was teaching Elders Quorum many years ago, and we were on the topic of the heart, and I was posing the question for discussion: What does “heart” mean? And someone said, “Oh, the heart—the heart is just part of your mind.” And so, in response to that answer, I said, “Okay, if the heart is part of your mind, what part of your mind is your heart?” Because the heart and the mind are discussed separately in scripture; they both have a function. Oliver’s being told that in his mind he’s going to be told something, and in his heart he is going to be told something by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you… which shall dwell in your heart. Well, what part of the human consciousness is the heart? 

Joseph defined pure revelation as intelligence, not emotions. We tend to view the heart as if it were entirely emotions: 

• “Oh, she touched my heart; therefore, I’m in love with her.” 
• “My heart reaches out to the puppy, to the kitten.” 

We tend to view “heart” as if it were merely sentiment, but if you accept Joseph’s definition of the Holy Ghost, then the heart is not necessarily a place where mere sentiment exists. 

Your mind (which might be knowledge) and your heart (which might be wisdom)—in other words, I will tell you in your mind (I’ll give you information) and in your heart (I’ll give you the wisdom by which you know how to apply the knowledge that you’re given), which comes to you by the mind of God, the Holy Ghost, which includes both the Father and His Companion and the Son. 

Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation…this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground (ibid). So, Moses (we tend to think) had a whole lot of heavenly guidance and advantages that are awesome to behold and greater than what we have. But this definition suggests that Moses was relying upon the thoughts that came to him and the wisdom to apply the understanding that he was given; and that it was through that mechanism that Moses proceeded in faith—and that delivered him, and that delivered the children of Israel who followed him, also. (Denver Snuffer podcast, #73 "Good Questions, transcript)

What Nephi was then expressing to his brothers is that they had refused to inquire of the Lord concerning His works and they refused to give heed and diligence consequently they could not have knowledge from Him by the mind of God nor any understanding or wisdom of how to use such a knowledge.

What was it that was causing their predicament?

Can tradition cause us to be closed to inquiring of God or giving heed and diligence to His words?

If we "know" that such and such is the case and it cannot be any different can that block our ability to inquire of God and give heed and diligence?

What about feeling too unworthy to approach God?

If I feel that I am so far beyond God's love and therefore there is no way that God would respond to me would that stop me from inquiring of God giving heed and diligence?

If I "know" that God only speaks to certain individuals who have "authority" would that stop me from inquiring of God and giving heed to Him instead of a person in authority?

In each of these scenarios is a hard heart manifested?

What was Nephi's experience?

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I cried unto the Lord.  And behold he did visit me and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father.  Wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers. (1 Nephi 2:14 - 16, NC 1 Nephi 1 par. 8 - 9)

Did Nephi ask and give heed and diligence?

Nephi continues to ask them concerning the things they have forgotten.

As I look through the Book of Mormon and through history in general it seems to me that forgetting is a major issue that leads to sin, rebellion, and dissention.

How is it that they had forgotten the appearing of an angel or everything the Lord had done to save them from Laban and retrieve the plates of brass?

Alma, teaching to those of the church in Zarahemla who had gone contrary to the commandments of God, declared,

And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awake unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word. Yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them. And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, nay, they were not. And again I ask, were the bands of death broken? And the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, yea, they were loosed. And their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved. And now I ask of you, on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell? Behold, I can tell you. Did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God? And my father Alma believed them. And according to his faith, there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold, I say unto you that this is all true. And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore, they were saved. (Alma 5:6 - 11, NC Alma 3 par. 2)

Is it possible that a hard heart and a blind mind puts us in a position that we are unable to keep in remembrance anything the Lord does for us?

The Lord declared that by small means He brings great things to pass.

Is it possible that hard hearts and blind minds cause us to be unimpressed by what the Lord does because the means He uses to bring about His works seem small and foolish to us?

Would it be good for us to look inwardly and review our efforts or lack of efforts to inquire of God and to be diligent in heeding Him to gauge our own individual hard heartedness and blindness of mind so that we can repent and avoid the state of rebellion that  Laman and Lemuel and the others found themselves in?

Is this in any way related to what Alma taught to the people of Ammonihah?

And now Alma began to expound these things unto him, saying, It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless, they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart — only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word. And he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God, until they know them in full. And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the Devil and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell. (Alma 12:9 - 11, NC Alma 9 par. 3)

Should we consider it a terrible fate to be trapped by the chains of hell?

If we do not individually inquire of the Lord and give heed and diligence to His words can we expect that we will know less and less concerning His works until we are trapped by these chains?

What was the result of Laman and Lemuel being trapped by these chains?

What about the people of Ammonihah?

In both situations was physical violence an eventual effect of being trapped by the chains of hell?

Would it be important for us to repent of our hardness of heart and blindness of mind in order to avoid these chains of hell?

What is the opposite of the chains of hell?

Nephi declared that he had a great desire to know the mysteries of God and Alma taught that those who would receive the word of God with heed and diligence would eventually know the mysteries of God in full.

Do we see that in the life of Nephi?

Did he eventually come to know the mysteries of God in full?

Can we expect that God loves us just as much as He loved Nephi?

If we follow the same path will we eventually leave behind all blindness of mind and hardness of heart and come to know the mysteries of God in full?