A pattern in Lehi’s life in Jerusalem. Prayer and revelation and discipleship in a dangerous world. 1st Nephi, chapter 1

 I am thinking about Lehi…growing up with a sense of having been blessed by the Lord, and a clear knowledge of “the goodness and mysteries of God“ and living his life in a city that shows ever increasing departure from God’s guidance, including the embracing of violence.  He lives there at a time when there are prophets actively pointing out the embracing of sin and calling for repentance and a return to God.  (verses 1-4)

So, what does Lehi do first?  He doesn’t condemn, despise, reject, denigrate, or verbally assault those who are actively involved in wicked, destructive behavior.  He doesn’t aid or abet division in his society, calling on others who see what he sees to overthrow the perpetrators of violence, etc.  Instead, he prays for those who are fostering violence and greed and other sins in his society. (verse 5)

And it is that actively praying for “those who despitefully use… and persecute..” (Matthew 5:44) that opens his mind and heart to receive life changing, amazing, personal revelation as to how to proceed: first to be able to see what was coming, and secondly, to be firmly and irrevocably reminded of the amazing power, mercy and love of God, and particularly His mercy towards those who come to Him. (verse 14)

So now his great dismay over the sins of his generation is no longer his primary emotion.  Instead his heart is turned into “rejoicing because of the things…which the Lord had shown unto him”. (verse15)

Lehi’s next actions, because of this encounter with that amazingly loving, merciful, powerful God, were not to spend time despising or actively working to discredit those who were fostering wickedness, but rather his resultant actions were to point out and call those sins (not those people) reprehensible, and to share what he had learned about a divine and loving God (his love, mercy, goodness) and what he had learned from God (what was ahead) as a result of that divine encounter; “to declare unto them concerning the the things that he had both seen and heard”.  (verse 18)

His words were not well received, to say the least. (verse 19)  In fact his life was threatened. (verse 20).

So what saved his life in a society where disagreeing with a powerful man could get you killed?  The same thing that had enlightened his understanding in verse 5…communication with God and following the divine instructions/inspiration he received, (2 Nephi:1-2) which is how the journey begins.