A Type of Christ

In Helaman 11:1-17, Nephi has already been given the sealing power by the Lord and been told that anything he asks of God will be granted because he will not ask anything that is not in line with the Lord's will. The Nephites and the Lamanites have become extremely wicked, are supporting secret combinations, and have forgotten the Lord. With the desire to help the people turn their minds and their hearts back to God, Nephi requests that the Lord smite the land with famine so that the people will remember the source of their prosperity and well-being. His prayer is answered and as the famine increases in severity the people finally recognize their dependence on God and repent. When Nephi sees that they have sufficiently humbled themselves, he pleads with the Lord on their behalf and requests that the affliction of the famine be removed. This desire is granted as well.

As I thought about this passage I realized that Nephi is a type of Christ in this story. Like Nephi, the Lord is so pure that His will and that of the Father are the same. Christ would never ask anything that would not be supported, approved and granted by His Father. There are times in our lives where we get caught up in the things of the world, get too busy, neglect the basic principles of the gospel that invite the Spirit into our lives, and we lose sight of the sustaining hand of God. Just as Nephi loved his people and pleaded with the Lord that they could be reminded of His grace, the Lord allows us to experience the difficulties that come when we are not holding as fast to the rod of iron as we should so that we too can be reminded that the way of the Lord brings safety, happiness, and prosperity. This story also illustrates how it was as soon as the people had sincerely humbled themselves and repented Nephi asked God to bless the people again. The Lord too will petition His Father on our behalf and ask that we be delivered when we have remembered Him and regained our fast hold on the rod. We are allowed to go through all we need in order to learn what is necessary for our progression, but when we have experienced what is needed we will be delivered! The Lord is completely just but exceedingly and perfectly merciful and wants the very best for us. He truly is the Mediator and He will plead before the throne of God so that we may be reminded, rescued, and redeemed.