12. Compass

CHAPTER 12

COMPASS

The object was a round ball, and it was made of fine brass.  Nephi knew immediately what it was.  To see it so plainly with his natural eyes was amazing!  There, in clear sight, was physical evidence that the first Fathers Lehi and Nephi really did travel through the desert after departing from Jerusalem on their way to the promised land.

It was the Liahona!

The sun was directly overhead.  Yet for Nephi, this felt like a dream even though he knew that he was not dreaming.  The Liahona was a real object; as real as anything visible in broad daylight. 

Nephi’s father stepped out through the opening of his hut.  He saw his son kneeling, staring in awe and wonder at the ball before him on the ground.  Carefully looking in every direction to make sure the two of them were alone, he knelt beside his son.  When Nephi looked to his father with an expectant expression, his father instructed him in detail.

“Son, I wish to rehearse unto you the exact same words which your great great-grandfather, Alma, told your great-grandfather, Helaman, and so on, even down until your grandfather told me.  These are the words my father told me I should always remember.

“And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director—or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it.  And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship.  And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness.   And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.  

“Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works.  They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey; Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions.  

“And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.  For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

“And now I say, is there not a type in this thing?  For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

“O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us.  The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

“Nephi, this director will help open the way.  I now put the Liahona in your hands.  The sacred records are to be in your charge as well.  It has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another.”

Nephi saw that within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way they were to go.  He could see that there was also written upon them a writing which was plain to be read.  And when he read what was written there he received an understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and he accordingly desired to apply all his faith and diligence to bring about the great things of the Lord.

Nephi’s ponderings about the miracle of the Liahona were abruptly interrupted when his father suddenly called out, “Ready to go now, Neffy?  Why don’t you give me one of the water flasks to carry, and you can carry the other one and the ball.”

Nephi’s father was eager to get going.  He took one of the water flasks and slung it over his shoulder while walking away briskly.

“Of course, sure.  Let’s go,” Nephi answered hesitantly.  “Should I just pick it up?”

“How else do you expect to carry it?” his father shouted back to him because he had already walked some distance away.

Nephi picked up the ball and held it gently in his hands.  He found that he could easily hold it in the palm of one hand.  It was heavier than Nephi expected; compared to a melon of similar size, it was firm and solid to the touch.  He hardly dared touch it though.  What if he dropped it?  Or what if he were to hold it wrong, turn it over, breathe too much on it; would it malfunction?

Looking back and seeing the way his son pampered the ball, Nephi’s father offered additional instruction.  “It’s not an egg, Neffy.  You can’t break it except by not giving heed to the directions on the spindles.  Put it in your bag for now.  We won’t need it until later anyway.  You’re already familiar with where we’re going.  We should be able to get there before sundown if we make good time from here on.”

          Nephi very carefully placed the sacred ball into the bag he always wore tied around his waist.  He wrapped a string of leather around the bag to keep it tightly shut.  Then, still trembling from shock and surprise at having the Liahona in his possession, he tucked the bag --- already tied to his waist --- into an inner fold of his robe where it could not possibly fall out.  Even so, Nephi felt through his clothing with his hand every now and then to double check.

Nephi’s father was quite a distance ahead of him by this time.  He hurried in an effort to catch up, but his father stayed a ways in front, walking at a rapid pace.  The older Nephi clearly had a destination in mind and was not going to be delayed.

          Nephi liked to hike with his father, but at the rate they were going, he couldn’t ask his father the questions that were troubling him.  He decided it was better that way anyhow.  After all, he wondered, just how do you ask a prophet about a sacred object in your bag?  Where did you get this?  How long have you had it?  Where did you keep it?  How does it work?  What am I supposed to do with it now?

          Once again, Nephi reached with his hand to feel the bag.  It was still there.  The older Nephi kept well out in front of his son and led the way.

          By mid-afternoon, father and son were some distance away from Zarahemla.  They went eastward and began to climb the foothills surrounding the valley of the city.  Nephi’s father never slowed, even when the ascending trail became steeper.  The trail led them up through a narrow canyon.

Nephi had been in this canyon many times before with his father.  This was where his father had taught him to hunt and to fish.  This was their favorite place to go to be alone by themselves.  His father had said he would be familiar with where they were going.  What could this place have to do with the Liahona and the sacred records?

Nephi hoped they would not need to hike much longer.  He was starting to feel tired and yet his father hadn’t stopped or taken a break since starting out.  How much farther did they have to go? 

Nephi was twenty and two years old, and considered himself to be in decent physical shape and health.  He marveled that his father, despite being older, was still remarkably fit and in good physical health.  How ironic, he thought, that his father had taken him that morning to the vault for records of inheritance.  Hah!  Father doesn’t look like he is going to die any time soon.  But I might!

Nephi’s father finally came to a stop and called for a rest half-way up the canyon.  The shadows of the trees from the falling sun stretched out in front of them.  Zarahemla and the temple pyramids were hidden from view behind them by the hills below.  The air was cool and the smell of the forest was clean and fresh.  A reverent silence filled the canyon.  In this environment, Nephi felt a sense of peace and joy, in dramatic contrast to how he had felt earlier that morning at the judgment-seat palaces.

Nephi’s father allowed him to catch all the way up to him.  “Let’s stop here and rest for a few minutes before we go the rest of the way.”

“Great idea!” agreed Nephi.  “I am more than ready for a break.  How much farther do we need to go anyway?”

“I thought you would have guessed by now.  Still don’t know where we’re going?”

“Well, we might be headed to the spring at the top of the canyon, but the Eagles’ Nest is just up ahead on our left.  That has been a favorite spot of mine for about as long as I can remember.”

“Eagles’ Nest it is!  And I imagine it will remain a favorite spot of yours for some time to come.”

          Eagles’ Nest was the family name given to a rocky outcrop near the top of the canyon wall.  Nephi’s parents often brought him and Timothy to that spot for a family outing.  When he was no more than a couple of years old, Nephi’s father needed to carry him on his shoulders to get there.  At least that was no longer necessary.

          The trail they were on would begin to zigzag back and forth through the forest before it eventually led to the adjoining canyon at the summit.  In another hour, however, they would leave this trail and climb up a steep, natural stairway of rocks to their right.

         

          The view from the top of those rocks was always the most spectacular.  The top of the temple-palace at the judgment-seat was nothing compared to the Eagles’ Nest.  The entire canyon could be seen below.  Looking down the canyon, one could see the opening to the valley beyond.  Looking up the canyon, one could see the tops of many mountains ranging for as far as sight could go.  Across the floor of the canyon to the opposite side, one could see the beauty of the forest.  A carpet of green in the lower gorges contrasted with the majesty of the barren rock at the higher elevations.  At the height of the Eagles’ Nest, birds appeared as small specks as they flew through the air far below one’s feet.

It was now late afternoon.  Nephi and his father refreshed themselves by drinking some water from their flasks.  They sat and rested several minutes in the shade of the trees before starting out again.  Shortly, Nephi’s father stood and asked, “Ready to go again?”

“I am with you the rest of the way,” Nephi responded.  He hoped that a second wind would help him keep up with his father.  Both of them selected a long walking stick that was straight and strong enough to assist them climb the steeper parts of the trail ahead.

They made their way without difficulty up the side of the mountain following the switchbacks.  The trail occasionally crossed a small, shallow stream which they easily traversed by stepping on the stones which littered the way above the water.

When they finally reached the rocky outcropping, they left the trail and began to ascend the canyon wall.  These last few steps to the top were the most difficult.  The rock wall now immediately in front of them rose to a height above the tree tops, and going up required selecting good handholds as well as footholds.

  Young Nephi was the first to begin the final climb.  Several cracks in the rocks provided convenient places to pull up with his hands and step up with his feet.  He was quickly above the head of his father who would follow directly below him.

Nephi froze in place when he heard the distinctive warning rattle at his feet.  The sound meant he had inadvertently stepped into a foothold which was being used as a resting place of a poisonous snake.

Before Nephi could react or move his offending foot, something hit his heel.  Had the snake bitten him?

He looked down and saw his father swing his walking stick several times at some evil creature on the ground at his feet that was now obscured by the thick clouds of dust raised by each sharp swift smack of the stick.  After the last strike, Nephi saw that his father had overcome the enemy.  The snake slithered speedily away on its belly upon the dusty ground --- its head bruised and beaten by battering blows from a branch.

“Are you all right?” the father called up to his son.

“Yes, I think so,” replied Nephi.  “But I felt something hit my heel.  Did the snake bite me?”

“No, thank goodness,” answered the father.  “I struck the snake before it struck you, but I think part of my stick also hit your heel.  Your heel may be bruised is all.”

“That’s all right.  Thank you for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.    That was close.  Let’s hope we don’t meet any more friends of that serpent up here.”

The son and then the father made the final climb to the top of the rocky cliff without any additional difficulty.

The view that began to open up to them was more splendid than Nephi ever remembered seeing in previous climbs.    

The sun was setting behind the distant hills in the west.  A few light clouds reflected every color imaginable across the entire horizon.  From the deepest of reds to all the shades of blue, the sky’s panorama was ablaze with glory.  Fine shades of green, yellow, and brown from the hill tops accented the colors in the sky.  Every passing moment painted a slightly different perspective on God’s magnificent creation.

Father and son Nephi stood together at the top of the mountain and tried to comprehend the heavenly scene before them.  They watched the sun slip below the horizon in meditative silence.

Earlier that day, the sun had been in Nephi’s eyes and he had had trouble seeing clearly.  He could certainly see better now; more than he ever thought possible.  He marveled at how much his vision had changed in a single day.

“What do you think your mother would say about this sunset?” asked Nephi’s father.

“She would definitely exclaim ‘Oh, WOW!!  Rapture!  Splendid!  Glorious!’  She would rave on and on about this one, for sure!  It’s certainly appropriate to remember mother while we watch this glorious sunset.  It’s a shame she’s not here to enjoy it too.”

“Maybe she is, maybe she is,” pondered Nephi’s father.  “I sense her presence with us.  So let’s celebrate this the way she would.”

No other instruction was needed.  Simultaneously, father and son without another word raised both their hands as high as they could over their heads and held them there.  They arched their backs slightly and held that pose for an extended period of time to do justice to it.  This gesture linked them in a special way to an unseen loved one who matched all that was beautiful in that splendid panorama before them.

A growing darkness, however, gradually changed the scene.  “Now what?” questioned the younger Nephi.

“Time to read what is written on the spindles of the compass,” said his father reverently.  “Will you first kneel with me for a word of prayer?”

The ball!  How could I so soon forget?  Nephi briefly panicked.  But after his hand felt the rounded and solid object still in his bag, he was habitually reassured.  He joined his already kneeling father and knelt by his side.  His father offered a prayer.

“Dear Father in Heaven, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard my cries for these many days to know and to do Thy will.  I thank Thee that Thou hast provided the means whereby the sacred records of our forefathers have been kept.  I thank Thee that Thou wilt yet provide the way that the truth shall never be lost and that the prophecies of all the holy prophets shall indeed come to pass.  I thank Thee for Thy Holy Son, who shall soon come into this world in the land of our forefathers, and who shall take upon Himself our suffering and afflictions, and also die for us, and who shall be the Christ to save us from this fallen world of death, of sin, and of pain.

“I thank Thee to have received Thy word of approval as I strive to accomplish the mission for which preparations are being made.  I thank Thee for my obedient son, Nephi.  I thank Thee that he was protected from harm this day.  I thank Thee for blessing him with Thy Spirit and with the gifts that he must exercise in preserving the sacred records of our people in this land.  Wilt Thou continue to bless my son in all ways to bring about increased righteousness among our people, I pray.  In the name of Thy Holy Son, Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

“Amen.”

“Let’s take another look at the compass and follow its direction,” said father Nephi.

Nephi carefully reached into his robe, took his bag from its secure location and opened it up.  He removed the ball and gently placed it on the ground.  He and his father looked upon the ball and beheld the things which were written thereon.  And Nephi did fear and tremble exceedingly to see the things which were written upon the ball.

Nephi saw that the pointers which were in the ball worked according to the faith and diligence and heed which he gave to them.  He saw that there was written a new writing, which was plain to be read, which gave him an understanding concerning the ways of the Lord.  He saw that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.

“Read aloud for us the new writing that you see written on the ball,” instructed Nephi’s father.

Nephi read aloud the directions which were given upon the ball.

“Behold!” proclaimed Nephi’s father.  He turned and faced the side of the mountain where a vertical crack existed between two large rocks.  “My son, witness the greatness of God’s work!”

The rocks moved apart!  Where nothing but a small crack had been a moment before, a gap the size of a doorway opened up.  The doorway led to a hidden room inside the mountain.