Today we’re going back to physics class! Remember Newton’s Three Laws of Motion? Lehi taught principles relating to each of these laws to his sons.
- Law of Inertia
- Law of Acceleration
- Law of Reciprocal Actions
Repent, Obey, and Put on the Armor of Righteousness
Lehi asks his sons to overcome Newton’s First Law of Motion: A body at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by another force. Unless they choose to get up, they’re just going to continue to sit there.
Read 1 Nephi 1:14, 21, 23.
Dust – I believe there are two different ways we can understand this.
Lehi encourages his sons to get up and quit wallowing on the ground. Don’t be lazy, and quit doing nothing but gathering dust. Be actively engaged in doing good!
Adam and Eve were created of the dust of the earth, and when we die, our bodies return to the dust. A second meaning in Lehi’s words may be a call to lift their thoughts and actions above the things just related to this world. “Stop being so concerned with worldly things, and start paying attention to your eternal welfare.”
Armor – How can righteousness be like armor and protect us?
Chains – What do chains do? We rejoice in the fact that through the priesthood we can be sealed in families forever, providing a “welding link” as Joseph Smith referred to it to bring the whole human family back to God. But how can wickedness “seal” us out?
Also in these verses, Lehi encourages his sons to be men. What did Lehi mean? His sons are all adults at this point, but only Nephi is a man.
V 24 – Keep the commandments
V 25 – Seek the glory of God and to bless His children
V 26-27 – Do what God requires, even when it’s not convenient or pleasant
How can we follow Nephi’s example and choose to be men too? How can we help others do the same?
Lehi teaches of the Atonement
Newton’s Law of Acceleration says that when force is exerted on a body, the resulting change in momentum is proportional to the amount of force exerted and in the same direction.
Lehi gives some bad news.
Read 1 Nephi 2:5 – We have the law, we know the law, and we break the law. By the law, no flesh is justified. We all become miserable forever.
Where is the “good news” in that? It’s in the next verses! Read 1 Nephi 2:6-7.
What are the “ends of the law”? This refers to the consequences of the Fall.
Good ends are exaltation, forgiveness, eternal life. These are only available to us because of the Atonement.
Bad ends are punishment, guilt, and eternal damnation. We are protected from these because of the Atonement.
Read Alma 34:13-16
What is redemption?
Salvation from sin – This comes through Jesus Christ
The recovery, for a fee, of a pawned article – I love this image. We pawn ourselves for far less than we are worth to satisfy short-term desires.
Rescue upon payment of a ransom – Ransom is only paid for those we love.
The “good news” is that we don’t have to do it alone! As Elder Holland said yesterday in the Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, we should not insist on doing everything on our own. Let God help us!
Read 2 Nephi 25:23 – Even after all we can do, it is only by grace that we are saved. Just as faith without works is dead, works without faith is dead too. It takes both principles in application in our lives to bring about salvation.
How does all this relate to Newton’s Second Law of Acceleration? Jesus has infinite power, and his force always lifts us toward God. If we will let him, he can accelerate our progress toward perfection.
Dealing with Opposition
This leads us right into the idea of “opposition in all things.” Read 2 Nephi 2:6-11. While reading this, pay attention to the central role that Jesus plays. His perfection, mercy and grace are in perfect opposition to our sinfulness.
How are we blessed in our lives by opposition?
On a physical sense, imagine if Newton’s Third Law of Motion did not exist. “For every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.” How could you walk if there were no friction? You couldn’t even sit on a chair, because there would be no reactive force pushing you up as you sat down!
Okay, I came up with the physical. You suggest the spiritual.
Consider the blessing Lehi gave Jacob in verses 1-2 of this chapter.
Read verses 12-13 and consider the logic Lehi uses
- No law: no sin – Satan and the wicked are great with that!
- No sin: no righteousness – Again, the wicked are comfortable with this.
- No righteousness: no happiness – Here the wicked insist that we stop. “Of course there is happiness!” they insist. “Look at me; I’m happy!” What does Lehi mean? He refers not to pleasure or momentary gratification. He means ongoing, lasting, eternal happiness. That can only be found by living righteously.
- No righteousness and happiness: no punishment or misery – If we accept the previous premise, then this naturally follows. The wicked like the idea of no punishment or misery!
- None of the above: there is no God – The wicked would be happy to have no God. Then they are not accountable.
- No God: no creation, no earth, no us – Well that’s just preposterous. Here we are, here the earth is. As for a creation, the wicked are content to insist that in the infinite immensity of space, it is not unreasonable to have random chance create one habitable world, and we are on it.
Lehi testifies there IS a God, and he created us and this world for his purposes. But, this cannot be convinced by logic. That testimony and conviction come only by the workings of the Holy Ghost.
Conclusion
Finish by reading 2 Nephi 2:24-28.
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