The next stopping place for this little colony or company of people was near the shore of the Arabian Sea or Indian Ocean, a long, long way from Jerusalem. Here was a beautiful country in which there was to be found plenty of food of different kinds. They named this place Bountiful, because so much fruit and honey was found there. They had spent eight years in the wilderness traveling between Jerusalem and this place near the great ocean.
From this story we can learn some good lessons. It shows us that the Lord is ever watching over His children. When Lehi and his company were in want of food He knew of their suffering, but He wanted to try them. When they had been tried enough He showed them how to obtain the food they needed. On this journey the company learned that it was necessary to trust in the Lord and have faith in Him, for they saw that the brass ball which was given them by the Lord to direct them would work only according to their faith.
Points to be remembered in this story: Lehi instructed by the Lord to continue on his journey—He finds a brass ball by his tent door—It points out the direction in which the company should travel—The colony start again on their journey—They stop at times to catch wild animals to eat—Use bows and arrows to shoot with—Nephi breaks his bow, and the company are without food—Nephi makes a wooden bow and goes to the tops of the mountain, where he finds plenty of animals—At another stopping place Ishmael dies, Laman and Lemuel want to kill Lehi and Nephi—Nephi by the power of the Lord gets them to obey their father—The company continue their travels and come to the great sea, now called the Arabian Sea, or Indian Ocean—Here they find plenty of food—The Lord always watches over His children—He lets them suffer in order to try them—It is necessary to trust in the Lord always.
LEHI AND HIS SONS
NEPHI BUILDS A SHIP.
After arriving at the place which they called Bountiful, near the great ocean, Lehi and his company pitched their tents and rested for many days. Here the Lord spoke to Nephi and told him to go to a mountain. Nephi obeyed the voice of the Lord. When he was upon the mountain he prayed, and the Lord told him he was to build a ship that the people might be carried in it across the ocean, to the land of promise.
The Lord promised Nephi that He would show him how to build this ship. Nephi had no tools with which to make a ship, and he did not know how he should get along with the work. But the Lord showed him where he might find iron ore out of which to make tools.
Nephi then made out of the skins of animals a bellows, such as blacksmiths use to blow the fire. He then made a fire by striking two stones together. He did not have matches, such as we use to make a light.
While the company were traveling in the wilderness they did not make much fire. The Lord did not desire them to make much fire or light. He caused their food to taste sweet without cooking.
NEPHI AND HIS BRETHREN BUILDING A SHIP.