Look to the Lord

"And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought."

 (1 Nephi 15:2-3)

I wonder if Nephi ever stopped being surprised at his brothers' behavior.

Anyway, Nephi heard about his father's dream, and he wanted to understand it better and gain his own testimony of it, so he prayed.  It turns out, he was visited by an angel, who explained many things about Lehi's dream.  Nephi just finishes up having these things explained to him, when he hears his brothers whining about how difficult it is to understand the words of Lehi about the dream.

Such different approaches with such differing results! Laman and Lemuel just chose to complain and ultimately just ignore advice from their father.  They explain to Nephi that they hadn't asked God, and it was probably just as well because according to them, He probably wouldn't tell them anyway. Nephi on the other hand, was missing some knowledge, so he asked the Lord, and he gave Nephi a great vision, not only explaining what the dream meant, but also a great many other things regarding Nephi's descendents.  Nephi's eyes were opened because his heart was opened.

I like this concept because I wonder how much we do this.  I wonder how often we have questions, and yet we don't take the opportunity to ask God, or (as it says in the quote) we harden our hearts and don't look to the Lord as we ought. How often do I sit and spin my wheels, not sure of a decision to make, or because I'm being stubborn and won't get help? 

I know that God is there for me and will answer my prayers.  And I hope it can be said of me one day, that I "Looked to the Lord as I ought."