1Ne 11: My Dad

Nephi shows so much faith and persistence. He had so much strength and did all in his power to build his testimony by living righteously & continually having faith.

Nephi believed the words of his father, Lehi; he trusted him and knew through the spirit that he wasn’t crazy like others may have believed.

“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 did cry 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.”(1Ne 2:16)

“Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father.“(1 Ne 11:5)

He loved his father and knew he was speaking the truth. As I thought about this, I reflected back on my life and how often my own dad gives me advice. He has helped me become part of who I am today. I find when I ignore his advice; I later regret it…

 My dad is the greatest. I have seen his testimony continue to grow throughout my own life and I am so grateful he holds the priesthood and is there for me whenever I am in need of a blessing. He has given me many blessings including, fathers blessing before every school year and just at times I need strength and courage. He has given me many blessings with anointment for the sick and afflicted. He gave me my very first blessing, my baby blessing, to give me a name & promised blessings. He was there to baptize me and helped me find the way along the straight and narrow. My dad has taught me a great deal through his example. He has helped me with homework and buying cars (though I should’ve listened to his advice with my first car, Bumble, because things have just gone downhill from there). He has taught me what I know about cars, plus more that I am sure I have forgotten :/ - I can put gas in my car and check & fill the air pressure in my tires as well as re-fill my washer fluidJ I know I have a turbo diesel fuel engine and that it is fast. He taught me how to drive stick shift, even after he came home with me in tears on more than one occasion. He has taught me how boys should respect me and how special I am, that I deserve only the best.  

He has warned me of the bad creeps that could be out there, like one I found online. Long story - short, after talking over the phone, we were going to go out, but I suggested we meet somewhere in a group setting (I was trying to be careful…you never know). My dad told me to be careful and to not do anything ‘stupid’; Duh Dad, I am not going to meet him in some dark alley… I just kinda ignored his comment and knew I was already being smart about it. When we decided to meet at a bowling alley with friends, he got really funny and persisted we meet somewhere beforehand to get to know each other. He wanted to know exactly what friends of mine were coming and other weird random info. Long story short, I finally told him I no longer wanted to meet and to leave me alone. That night, I told my dad what happened and he informed me that he hadn’t felt right about me going & was happy to know that I too listened to the promptings of the spirit. My dad was only trying to protect me by reminding me to be safe and not do anything ‘stupid’. Not sure what would’ve happened that night, but I feel that I did the right thing in backing off and de-friending him on Facebook.

Thanks to my dad I enjoy listening to Pink Floyd, Journey, America, The Eagles, & other oldies I can’t think of right now. He has shown me how to tie a tie, but don’t ask me to do it because it isn’t something I do every day. He has taught me how to be silly and make a hard situation more fun. He has taught me NEVER to park in HIS parking spot…lol…I had to throw that one in;) He has taught me how to camp and love the outdoors. He recently gave me pointers on skiing this last week and coached me down the mountain on the steep, scary spots after I tweaked my knee. He has taught me how to have courage and to stand up for what I believe. He has taught me the gospel and how to take a step closer every day to live a righteous & happy life. I love my dad and I trust his decisions. I am grateful I can turn to him when I need help, when I need answers. I love my dad, to the moon and back and a million more times…

Recently I watched a movie with my family called, Courageous. Despite the cheesiness of the movie,  it was really inspiring and had good meaning behind it. In the movie, a group of men (mostly cops with a few friends) write up a Declaration:

THE RESOLUTION

I DO solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children. 

I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home. 

I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honor her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me. 

I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength. 

I WILL train them to honor authority and live responsibly. 

I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy. 

I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion. 

I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family. 

I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged. 

I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God. 

I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will. 

I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory. 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. ---Joshua 24:15

I loved this! What a great thing to stand by. Fathers should be there to protect, to teach, to live worthily and be an example. This is something I would like my own future husband to abide by and follow.  According the movie, the whole thing was found within the scriptures. I like it. It is bold and has such great meaning.

Nephi had prayed from the beginning to know that his fathers’ words were true. Then, after that, he didn’t question! We should also try to be more diligent in listening & following the guidance of our own father. This is true to our Heavenly Father and his guidance as well. He knows all things and loves us so much. He has great power and is always there for us, guiding us along our journey.  We must build our trust with him so that we can be lead back into his arms to stay.

-Sarah M