Alma instructs Helaman concerning the Liahona, which had
been passed down with the plates.
“And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning,
and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the
ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and
the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness … And we did
follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of
the wilderness … And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him:
Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written. And it came to
pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he
did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael
and our wives. And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which
were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and
heed which we did give unto them. And there was also written upon them a new
writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning
the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time,
according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord
can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:10, 16, 26-29).
“And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch
that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did
cease to work … And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took
the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the
Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and
there was a great calm” (1 Nephi 18:12, 21).
“And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were
engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was
prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written”
(2 Nephi 5:12).
The compass was of an unusual design. It was given to Lehi’s
part to guide them during their journey in the Arabian wilderness. It worked
according to their faith. “And it came
to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they
did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto
them.” (1 Nephi 16:28).
Through their faith, God would use the spindles to point the
direction in which they should travel. “[I]t
isn't entirely clear that the Liahona was a compass at all, in the usual
understanding of the term. For it worked according to the faith, diligence, and
obedience of those to whom it was given (I Nephi 16:2S-9; Mosiah I: 16; Alma
37:40); it ceased to function when they were unrighteous (1 Nephi 18:12-3: Alma
37:41-2) and it resumed functioning when they repented (1 Nephi 18:21). I am
grateful that my Boy Scout compass didn't behave that way. (Otherwise. our
troop would certainly have perished miserably in the wilderness.)”[1]
Alma, like Nephi, refers to the miracles done for Lehi’s
party as a small means. “And there was
also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did
give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and
changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave
unto it. And thus we see that by small
means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Nephi 16:29).
When they turned away from the Lord, they ceased to progress
in their journey. When the Liahona ceased to work, they wandered in the
wilderness. They suffered extreme conditions that lead to hunger and thirst
because they had turned away from the Lord.
When they did not give head to the guidance of the compass, they did not
prosper.
To be pointed in the straight course to eternal life, we
only need to listen to the words of Christ.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my
feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105). Alma uses the Liahona as a “type.” It brought Lehi’s party to the promised land;
it we follow the words of Christ, we too will be brought to a promised land.
The way of the Lord is easy. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew
11:30) but, we must never become slothful in serving the Lord, because of the
easiness of the way. “And why call ye
me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and
heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is
like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a
rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and
could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and
doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the
earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell;
and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).
“And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted
with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants
which he had made; wherefore, he did bring them out of the land of Egypt. And
he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their
hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their
iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents
among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed;
and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness
of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished” (1 Nephi 17:40-41).
“O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy
One. Remember that his paths are
righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow,
but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the
Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other
way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his
name” (2 Nephi 9:41).
“And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the away; and there is none other
way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of
God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine
of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end” (2 Nephi 31:21).
“For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth
unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find
it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me … Broad is the
gate, and wide the way that leadeth to the deaths; and many there are that go
in thereat, because they receive me not, neither do they abide in my law” (D&C
132:22, 25).
When the Lord sent the serpents to the Israelites, He
offered a simple way to be cured. Moses
put a serpent on a pole and told the people to look at it and they would be
healed. It’s amazing to read there were
those who refused. Their arrogance led
to their death. They ignored the
promises made to them.
“Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of
Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and
thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon
the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come” (Alma 25:16).
“If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast
about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to
redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and
that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection,
that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day,
according to their works” (Alma 33:22).
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
“And as many as should look upon that serpent should live,
even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a
contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal”
(Helaman 8:15).
“Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye
shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life” (3
Nephi 15:9).
Alma closes, again telling Helaman to take care of the
sacred things he now holds. “And now, I
would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have
written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and
the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever:”
(Ether 12:41).
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