Book of Mormon, D & C, Pearl of Great Price

Lehi was a prophet in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. When the Lord commanded him to take his family and only those things necessary for survival, and to flee, he did so. His life was in danger from those who did not want to be told to repent. He and his family fled into the wilderness, toward a home God had promised to provide.

After they had been traveling for some time, God instructed Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain the scriptures and family genealogy from a distant kinsman, a man who was not virtuous. The two oldest sons, Laman and Lemuel complained, as they always did, but Lehi pointed out that he had not asked it of them; the Lord had. The two younger sons, Sam and Nephi were valiant and did not complain. The sons made the long journey back and drew lots to see who would attempt to convince Laban, the kinsman, to give them the records. Laman was chosen, but Laban not only refused the records, but threatened to kill him.

The older brothers felt that was that and wanted to return home. Nephi, the youngest, was determined to continue on. “As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.” –1 Nephi 3: 15. He reminded the brothers they had left all their wealth behind, and suggested they offer to buy the records in exchange for their gold and silver, which was still there in Jerusalem, and certainly wouldn’t be needed in the wilderness.

They did this, but again Laban refused. Instead, he tried to steal the gold and silver without giving the records. He sent his servants to kill the brothers so he could take the wealth. The boys escaped but were forced to abandon the material items, which Laban then took.

Angry, Laman and Lemuel began to beat Nephi. An angel appeared and stopped them from killing their brother. Even this did not discourage Nephi. He went alone, and following the promptings of the spirit, was able to obtain the records.

How was a teenager able to accomplish a seemingly impossible mission? Prior to leaving, he had told his father, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” --1 Nephi 3:7

At a very young age, Nephi, who would one day become a prophet himself, understood that God didn’t ask the impossible of people. The tasks might seem impossible, but He knows everything. If He says you can do something, you can. And he won’t send you off to do it alone. He will send you all the help and inspiration you need, as long as you ask for it, are worthy, and listen to the advice. Remember that when God sent an angel to tell Mary of her impending pregnancy with Jesus, the angel reassured her, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

God has a plan for each of us. He often gives us clues as to what He wants for us, and we can learn any part of it we need to know by turning to Him for advice and counsel. Then we can plan our path, and again turn to him for confirmation that we’ve chosen well.

Elder Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve, offered three steps to achieving the seemingly impossible commandment:

The first step is, of course, faith. The more we know of God and the closer our relationship with Him, the greater our faith will be. When we trust Him, nothing will seem impossible—challenging, perhaps, but not impossible.

The second step is focus. You must focus on the end result and on the purpose of the task. Elder Nelson explained,

“Imagine, if you will, a pair of powerful binoculars. Two separate optical systems are joined together with a gear to focus two independent images into one three-dimensional view. To apply this analogy, let the scene on the left side of your binoculars represent your perception of your task. Let the picture on the right side represent the Lord’s perspective of your task—the portion of His plan He has entrusted to you. Now, connect your system to His. By mental adjustment, fuse your focus. Something wonderful happens. Your vision and His are now the same. You have developed an “eye single to the glory of God” (D&C 4:5; see also Morm. 8:15). With that perspective, look upward—above and beyond mundane things about you. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought” (D&C 6:36). That special vision will also help clarify your wishes when they may be a bit fuzzy and out of focus with God’s hopes for your divine destiny. Indeed, the precise challenge you regard now as “impossible” may be the very refinement you need, in His eye.” (Russell M. Nelson, “‘With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible’,” Ensign, May 1988, 33)

The final step is to be strong and courageous. God has never promised the process of keeping His commandments would be easy. If God asks something of you, find deep in yourself the strength to face the challenges and the courage to keep going. Mary did this when she faced the embarrassment of a holy pregnancy few would believe in. Nephi did this when he insisted on going back for the records after Laban, and even two of his brothers had tried to kill him.

With God, nothing is impossible, because He prepares the way for you to do all He asks you to do.

Laman and Lemuel were the two oldest sons of the prophet Lehi. Lehi was the first prophet of the Book of Mormon, a man called to cry repentance to the Jews, and then instructed by God to take his family and only the most essential possessions and flee into the wilderness. Although Lehi’s two younger sons, and the two born in the wilderness stayed faithful to the gospel, the two oldest were rebellious. They did not want to leave their life of privilege behind and embark on one of hardship and sacrifice.

Not only did they complain constantly, but periodically they attacked their younger brother Nephi, whose faith was powerful and who would later take over his father’s role as the prophet and lead the righteous among the family. Sometimes they even tried to murder him.
Periodically, God sent angels to stop the persecution and to warn the brothers to behave and to accept Nephi as their leader. Often, when we read this, we’re astounded that despite having seen angels and having been told by these angels that all which had happened was God’s will, the brothers still refused to believe. They would stop only momentarily, but very soon, returned to their whining and persecuting.

1 Nephi 3: 29-31: 29 And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

30 And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.

31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?
Wouldn’t it seem that if an angel said you could do it, you’d believe it? Nephi, only a teenager at this time, was also puzzled. “…ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt?” (1 Nephi 4:3)

However, Nephi hadn’t waited for an angel to convert him. When they were in the wilderness and Laman and Lemuel started murmuring, Nephi chose a different path. “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. (1 Nephi 2: 16)

It is clear, as you read about Nephi, that he had begun to develop his faith long ago, long before it was put to the test. He had also begun to develop his obedient nature long before. When the trial of faith came, he was ready and he chose the appropriate path because he knew exactly what to do. Instead of whining, he turned to God to gain a testimony of the events that were taking place. However he might have initially felt about his father’s announcement, he sought spiritual guidance and then obeyed it.

It was because he initiated the search for answers , and because he had, as he said, great desires to understand God, that he could not be sidetracked from the correct path. He obeyed God and trusted Him and so he was able to be fully converted.

Angels don’t convert. The spirit of God does, but to feel it, you must be living a worthy life, one which invites the Spirit to be with you at all times. If you’ve hardened your heart to the presence of God, you won’t hear or believe the answers He gives you.

To be certain of staying on the correct path, don’t wait for angels. Find your own answers through prayer and don’t wait for the angel.

President George Q. Cannon, a member of the first presidency in the 1800s, said of conversion by miracle: “It has been a matter of remark among those who have had experience in this Church that where men have been brought into the Church by such manifestations, it has required a constant succession of them to keep them in the Church; their faith has had to be constantly strengthened by witnessing some such manifestations; but where they have been convinced by the outpouring of the spirit of God, … they have been more likely to stand, more likely to endure persecution and trial than those who have been convinced through some supernatural manifestation.” Dallin H. Oaks, “Miracles,” Ensign, Jun 2001, 6