HOW THE LORD GUIDED LEHI AND HIS FAMILY.
This evening I am going to tell you how Lehi and his family were guided on their journey.
They were now a long way from their old home. They had not been in that part of the land before, and the place was new and strange to them. They could not ask anyone to tell them the way they should travel, for, as I told you, there was no one living in that part.
How were they to know which way they should go?
"I can see what is going to happen to us," said Laman one evening as they all sat outside their tents.
Nephi was reading the good book at the time, but on hearing what his brother said he stopped. Looking straight into the face of Laman, he asked, "What do you think is going to happen to us?"
"We are going to get lost; that is what is going to happen," said Laman, sharply.
"I don't think so," said Nephi, calmly, and a bright smile lit up his sweet face. "I am sure we will get to the wonderful country all right."
"O, yes," said Laman, as he cast a wicked glance at Nephi, "you are sure of everything. You know all and we know nothing. Isn't that so, boys?" he asked, turning to his other brothers and to the sons of Ishmael.
They all, with the exception of Sam, nodded their heads, which meant that they agreed with what Laman had said.
Then Sam spoke up in behalf of his brother: "I think," said he, "that you are all too hard on Nephi. It is a shame the way you have treated him. He is one of the best boys that ever lived, and I am proud to have him for my brother."
"Well, you won't feel so proud of him after a while," said Lemuel, "when he leads you away over those mountains and you get lost."
"Do not be afraid, Sam," said Nephi. "We will find the way all right."
"I know we will," said Sam, "and I will follow you, Nephi, wherever you go."
"And how do you know you will find the way?" Laman asked, turning to his brother Sam.
"I believe the Lord will show us the way," said Sam. "Indeed, I know He will, if we will have faith in Him and do what He tells us from time to time."
"That is true," said Nephi. "And now I want to tell you what I have just read in the good book. After Moses had led the children of Israel out of Egypt they came to the waters of the Red Sea. On looking back they saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them.
"'Oh, dear, what shall we do?' they cried. 'We cannot cross these waters. In a little while we will all be killed.'
"Then Moses stood up before them and said, 'Do not be afraid. The Lord will save yon from Pharaoh's army.' Then he stretched his rod across the waters, the sea divided, and all the children of Israel crossed over on dry ground. When they had reached the other side, Moses stretched forth his rod again, the waters came back and drowned Pharaoh and all his soldiers.
"Now, the lesson we can learn from this," Nephi added, "is that as the Lord led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, so He can lead us to the beautiful country He has told us about."
"That is a very good lesson, Nephi," said his father. "I am sure the Lord will guide us right. Let us now go into our tents and offer up our prayers before we retire to rest."
Nephi was the first to awake in the morning. He arose quietly and dressed himself. He decided to go out for a walk in the fresh air, and listen to the birds sing their sweet songs in the trees.
As he stepped outside the tent, to his great surprise he saw a large ball lying on the ground. He ran and picked it up. It was not like any other ball he had ever seen. It was made of fine brass, and it had two hands, like the hands of a watch.
He went quickly into the tent and awoke his father. "Look, father dear," he said, "at the beautiful brass ball I found lying outside our tent this morning."
Lehi took the ball and examined it carefully. As he looked at it one of the hands began to point in a certain direction.
"See, Nephi!" he exclaimed, "the hands are moving."
"So they are," said Nephi. "What a wonderful ball this is!"
Then all the rest of the company were awakened and shown the wonderful ball. As they looked on it with wondering eyes, Lehi said, "We need fear no longer, for if we are faithful the hands on the ball will point out to us the way we should go."
And so they did.
Where do you think the wonderful ball came from?