Where to Turn for Direction

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?" (1 Nephi 16:23)

I've always been fascinated by this account of Nephi's. To set up the story, Lehi and his family were commanded to continue further into the wilderness, and they had just received the Liahona, which worked according to their faith, pointing the direction that they should go. Along the way, they hunted for food. At some point, their bows were all broken or worn out, so they were useless, and according to the account, everyone except for Nephi was murmuring, Lehi included! Nephi could very easily have just turned to the Lord, and I'm sure He would have received an answer. But he didn't do this.  He went to his father. He went to one who was murmuring about their lack of food.

And yet if you think about it the right way, it makes sense. Nephi had grown to respect and value his father's teachings and advice. So turning to him seems only natural.  Also, Nephi knew he needed the Lord's help to know where to go hunting, and Lehi wasn't just their father, he was their spiritual leader. Another way Nephi's actions make sense is that he knew his father to be a righteous man, and without rebuking him or calling him to repentance, Nephi still helped him choose a better way and trust the Lord instead of murmur against Him.

As it turns out, Lehi repents and finds out where Nephi should go, and Nephi ends up finding them lots of food.

This one act alone shows me how humble Nephi is.  In other accounts, we see how courageous or how faithful he is, but here we learn about his humility. How he was willing to go to someone else to get help and direction from the Lord, even though he clearly was as capable and experienced with getting help directly from the Lord.

I love Nephi.  He was a great man, and is a great example to me.