And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. -1 Nephi 4:6.
Many of us are familiar with the story of Nephi going forth to obtain the brass plates and are reminded of his great faith in slaying Laban. But how often do we remember that he was just like us — full of good intentions, but also afraid. Nephi was human. He “shrunk” many times before courageously following the Spirit and slaying Laban in order to obtain the plates.
When I was a freshman at BYU, I started learning for myself how the Lord prompts us to do things that are outside of our comfort zones in order for us to receive certain blessings He has prepared for us. At the beginning of fall semester, I began receiving strong impressions that I needed to serve a mission as soon as possible. This terrified me. I had had a near panic attack during my very first mission preparation class, so leaving on a mission as soon as possible didn’t seem like a great idea.
Then a friend of mind shared this quote on Facebook:
God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us—everything will fall into its place.
-F. Enzio Busche, “Unleashing the Dormant Spirit,” 14 May 1996 BYU Devotional
And my life was changed forever. I knew that I could no longer ignore the “uncomfortable suggestions” being made to me by the Spirit, and I soon submitted my mission papers and left to serve a mission in Hawaii that next January. As scared as I was, everything worked out perfectly because I trusted the Lord enough to obey.
It was the same for Nephi. The Spirit told him many times what he needed to do, and, after initially hesitating, he courageously obeyed the Spirit and was able to obtain the brass plates, which were a great blessing to him and his family.
I think I will forever be working on choosing faith over fear, especially when the Lord asks me to do things that are uncomfortable for me. Yet I know that whenever I do choose to do as He asks of me, everything will fall into place. It always does. I am so grateful to have a Heavenly Father who knows exactly what I need and who loves me enough to push me to do things that are initially uncomfortable but that ultimately bring inconceivable blessings and miracles.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.
-Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-18
Photo from LDS Media Library
I recently returned from serving a mission in Hawaii and am now at BYU studying Technology and Engineering Education with an emphasis in multimedia. I enjoy coloring and Japanese cabbage pancake-making and if you need me you’ll find me staring up at the stars, clouds, or trees, sometimes all at once.
I LOVE that quote! I feel like there are so many amazing gems in older talks – it’s nice when people unearth them again!