Perseverance in Doing Good

Likening chapter 3 of the first book of Nephi

1 Nephi 3:1

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.

It’s not always easy to do the right thing. When faced with difficult situations, it can be tempting to give up on things that could be valuable to our success. Persevering in doing what’s right requires certain qualities and conditions that may seem unattainable, but with some assistance, there is hope.

One way to get help is to do like Nephi and connect with the Lord through prayer. He is loving and powerful and always ready to help. When my prayers are authentic and I connect to the Almighty, the comfort I receive is considerable. I have faced many challenges and complex situations in life that have left me feeling anxious and powerless. In those moments, I have placed my trust in the tender mercies of the Lord, knowing that He would always be there to support and guide me. Through prayer, I have been able to find the courage and motivation to continue doing what is right, even when I have felt discouraged. Speaking with the Lord in prayer, I am moved and inspired to stay on the path of righteousness.

1 Nephi 3:2

And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

As a prophet and spiritual leader, Lehi received commandments from the Lord for his family. Similarly, our mission president received and gave directives in the name of the Lord to us missionaries. He was inspired to send me to serve in Idaho and Montana.

Before I left for the Spokane Washington Mission, when he learned that North Idaho was part of the territory covered by this mission, my branch president in Montreal asked me to find the missionary who baptized him. He gave me his name, hoping that in the mercy of God, I would find him.

After a year and a half in my mission, I had completely forgotten about the request. However, in the last area I was sent to by my mission president, I presented myself in front of the Kamiah Ward in Idaho, and I mentioned that I was from Montreal. After the meeting, a brother approached me and asked if I knew a man he baptized long ago when he served his mission in Montreal. I told him that he was my branch president. The two friends were able to contact each other through me. Nobody but God could have arranged such an unlikely meeting.

1 Nephi 3:3

For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.

The history of the Jews was kept on metal plates to preserve it from year to year. Lehi was also commanded to keep his history and the language of his forefathers. Nephi and his descendants continued to keep these records, which ultimately led to the creation of the Book of Mormon. I also keep a diary in my journal, and I am writing this Book of My Testimony to help my children understand who I am and what God has done for me. This is extremely important to me, and I hope it will be for my descendants as well.

Upon joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was encouraged to bring my genealogy to the temple and perform baptisms for my ancestors. However, before doing so, I needed to gather the names, birth dates, and marriage dates of my ancestors. Thankfully, I was able to consult with my grandmothers and their sisters, and on my mother’s side, I was provided with a book containing all the necessary information. On my father’s side, I was given books written containing the genealogy of my forefathers. Armed with this information, I began preparing and researching my genealogy.

Today, with the advent of the internet, this process is even easier. People from all around the world contribute information to help us find our deceased ancestors.

1 Nephi 3:4

Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

Encouraged by my church Home Teacher to “seek the records” containing the names of my ancestors, as a new convert, I undertook once to go to my grandmother’s place to get the certificates of my grandfather’s birth, marriage, and death. She was living off the island of Montreal, and when you don’t have a car, leaving the island is a considerable trip. After walking and riding subways and buses for two hours, when I finally got off the bus in Blainville where she lived, even though I had time to rest during the last ride, since it is hard for me to walk, I was exhausted and still in pain. But I needed to walk again quite a distance to get to my grandmother’s house. It may have been in winter. The wind was blowing hard. I remember the cold wind blowing in my face, and each step was hard to take. I had to push hard against the wind. I was ready to get discouraged and I wondered if I could make it. I prayed to God for help to keep going, and I received confort and strength. The next thing I remember is walking near my grandmother’s place to knock at her door to get in safely. I don’t remember anything in between.

When I explained to my grandmother the reason I was asking for my deceased grandfather’s papers, that it was to give him the opportunity in the temple to receive the same blessings I received in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so that we could be together as a family forever if he accepts, we were both filled with great love from the Spirit of God, and she exclaimed: “For sure, he will accept it!” We were both very happy.

I often wondered if my grandfather was not there, also at that time, helping from the other side, both to give me strength during the walk and to reassure my grandmother that it was a good thing to let me borrow the original papers to make photocopies.

1 Nephi 3:5

And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

After this experience at my grandmother’s place, I began to do my genealogy, going to public libraries to research in books and records. A sister from the church helped me a lot. I was also given some other books from my family that helped me complete my first generations. With this, we were able to get to my ancestors who came from France to New France in America. But when it was time to prepare the names to bring them to the temple, I had to verify which ones had already been done in temples around the world using software called TempleReady. I had gathered some fifty or sixty names, and it took me some time to do it. I had their names, dates of birth, marriages, and children. Unfortunately, only a few of them had not already been done. I said “unfortunately” because I was not happy about that. I was frustrated and upset because if I had known that at first, I wouldn’t have spent so much time searching for people who were already saved. I am sorry to admit that I murmured a lot.

Now, with the tools we have, and people freely sharing their lineages through the internet, as soon as we identify a person, we can know if the work has been done for them in temples. We can navigate through our generations and learn who we are. All of this is possible because some of us have done the will of God in gathering information about our ancestors and have provided resources to develop the necessary technology.

1 Nephi 3:6

Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

This is what I felt my Father in heaven was telling me while I was serving in Libby, Montana, trying earnestly to spend more time teaching in the evening after the directive given to us by our mission president. I have truly been favored by the Lord because I have not murmured. This is the key to success: just do what is right with a joyful heart without murmuring. When we are humble, the Spirit of God can have full sway in our hearts and produce miracles.

Jesus Christ is asking His disciples in our days to go to the temple often to perform ordinances for their ancestors. We have been told by modern prophets that this work has tremendous importance for the salvation of the human race. The temple ordinances help us remember our covenants to do good in all aspects of our lives. Even if we can’t see the people on the other side of the veil, many members of The Church of Jesus Christ spend a lot of time in temples with faith that the work done in there will be beneficial for some. We are blessed in many ways in the temple, especially with joy and happiness, and with the strength to do right and be good to others.

1 Nephi 3:7

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

An old brother in Troy, Montana told me once that when his father would ask something of him, he would do it right away without questioning. This is true love. I truly desire to develop such a trait of character. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments”. (John 14:15)

On my mission, our leaders have asked us to do things which we didn’t think we could accomplish, perhaps due to a lack of faith. But the Lord has been there to bless us with success. When my mission president gave us the directive to eat dinner at members’ places from 5 pm to 6 pm, we thought it would be hard to organize with the ward members. However, everyone willingly did their part, and it went very well. It was wonderful. We were able to work harder and focus more on teaching the Gospel. Our president was definitely inspired of God.

I also know that the Lord will always prepare a way for us to accomplish His commandments. He provided a way for me to save enough money to go on a two-year mission. He gave me the health and the strength to work everyday regardless of my physical condition. I know He will do the same for everyone who desires to serve Him.

1 Nephi 3:8

And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.

My own father once told me after my baptism that he trusted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints more than any other church because he noticed the positive changes it brought in me. He saw my efforts to reconcile with him and to do good, and he recognized a significant change in my character. Even if he couldn’t tell right away that it was coming from God, he could see in me the blessings of the Almighty.

1 Nephi 3:9

And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.

When I was at the airport to depart for Salt Lake City, my father came to the airport to bid me farewell. He approached me and expressed how proud he was of me for taking the time to do good to others. He reiterated his sentiments over the phone a year later, while I was serving in Montana. As a son, it meant a great deal to me to hear my father express his satisfaction with me.

This was my second time traveling to the West Coast, but this time, it was not just to travel, it was for a greater purpose. I am grateful to God for enabling me to go.

1 Nephi 3:10

And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another.

It is crucial to engage in planning before attempting to undertake anything challenging, crucial, or complex. As missionaries, we frequently held planning sessions to ensure we were well-prepared and coordinated in our endeavors. I continue to do so in my work regularly.

1 Nephi 3:11

 And we cast lots—who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house.

Although it may seem unusual to resort to casting lots to determine the will of God, my companion and I often played Paper, Rock, Scissors to decide who would teach, offer a blessing, or go somewhere when we both wished to do the same thing.

1 Nephi 3:12-14

And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.

And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.

But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.

When Laman came back to his brothers and recounted Laban’s threat to him, and that he couldn’t get the brass plates, they were all sorrowful. All except Nephi were prepared to abandon their mission and return to the wilderness.

Once, in Post Falls, Idaho, my companion and I felt disheartened after spending time with a couple who began reading anti-Mormon literature. They became afraid of us and told us not to come back. Despite our discouragement, we persevered to do our work and went out to knock on doors. On that same day, we encountered a woman who accepted our teachings and was baptized a few months later. On another occasion, while teaching a young man in Libby, Montana whom I wasn’t sure was sincere, I felt discouraged. However, he later began studying with us more earnestly, and we became friends. Similarly, when a man’s friend spoke ill of us during a meeting, we continued testifying and reading from the Book of Mormon, and eventually, both individuals expressed a desire to attend church with us.

People can change, including their situations and circumstances. Therefore, we should never loose hope. As a young man, I once believed that I could never change. However, after a few weeks in the Church of Jesus Christ, I realized that all the flaws I believed would take years to overcome had disappeared. I felt like a new person. My perspective had shifted, and I began to trust that my future could be different.

Although life has been challenging at times, I now realize that I should have never lost hope; at last, things truly did get better with God’s help. Losing hope can be a deeply sorrowful experience and a lack of perspective can lead to feelings of despair. Unmet expectations can also be a source of pain. In fact, I believe that the discrepancy between what we expect and what actually occurs causes the most distress. A lack of faith can lead to losing perspective and experiencing unnecessary stress. To cure me from this illness, the Spirit of God often comforted me in my prayers, promising me that things would get better. With time, I learned to trust in God when He reassured me about the futur. He promised me that He would always take care of me and my family, so there is no need to fear anything.

1 Nephi 3:15

But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

Nephi has always been a great example of perseverance for me. He was determined to obey God’s commandments no matter what the circumstances were.

I have experienced failure in my life, and often felt that things could not go more wrong. In 2005, I had to temporarily abandon my master’s degree in computer science to undergo a hip replacement surgery. The surgery was supposed to alleviate my pain and help me walk, but months after the procedure, I found myself unable to walk without crutches, and the pain was so unbearable that I had to spend hours resting in bed during the day. I was unable to work on the computer for more than a couple of hours each day, and this was only on good days. After a year of physical therapy and rehabilitation, I was advised to consider using a wheelchair in order to go back to school. This was certainly not what I had expected when I left the university for the operation.

Additionally, I was barely making enough money to sustain myself. I was unable to work and ineligible for welfare due to my student status. Scholarships were no longer an option since I was not actively studying. However, my research director was understanding and paid me in advance for work I could complete later when I would be able. My sister also provided me with support, and friends even brought over a box of food. A local food bank was also available. But I struggled to afford medication since I was only covered by general health insurance. My condition was definitely the result of a car accident I experienced as a child, but the state car insurance of Quebec falsely claimed it was a personal condition.

The situation I was facing felt insurmountable, so I turned to my bishop for help. Unfortunately, the complexity of my circumstances made it difficult for me to explain and for him to fully understand the extent of my struggles. I asked if the church community could support me in obtaining legal assistance for my insurance dispute, but my request was denied. I was hurt. I was hill. I was angry and confused.

Despite the despair and confusion I experienced, I remained committed to attending church and teaching the kids at Sunday school. I kept my duties. I never lost sight of my faith and trust in the Savior, who never abandoned me.

1 Nephi 3:16

Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father’s inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord.

One day amid this turmoil, as I considered the aftermath of my accident and the physical and mental health issues it had caused, I read a study about craniocerebral traumas similar to the one I had experienced. Fearing the seriousness of my multiple problems, I felt very vulnerable and pleaded to God on my knees for help and understanding. I was afraid to interact with people because of my weaknesses.

Then I remembered a passage in the Book of Mormon by the prophet Moroni, who was also overwhelmed by fear of his weaknesses. The Lord comforted him by saying, “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27) And I heard a voice in my mind, the Comforter speaking to me in plain words, acknowledging my mental weaknesses and reassuring me that they would become strong, that people wouldn’t notice them, and that He would give me enough wisdom and intelligence to compensate for them. Furthermore, He gave me the promise of eternal life, saying He knew that I will always obey His commandments. This was of great comfort to me, and it encouraged me to remain faithful.

Because of my Savior, I believe that I can make it to eternal life and exaltation if I stay faithful to the end.

1 Nephi 3:17-18

For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.

For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been commanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

At one point during my mission, I considered leaving it and returning home. I was unhappy and felt like I didn’t fit in with the other missionaries in my zone. My companion complained that I was too zealous and serious about the work, and even thought I was crazy. I started to feel like my time there was being wasted, so I decided to talk to my mission president about it.

He warned me of the consequences of leaving the mission after being called by a prophet of God. He explained that it could lead to a loss of status in the church or even the priesthood. The thought of that devastated me, and I realized that I needed to stay and see it through.

Looking back, I’m glad that I didn’t give up. Sticking it out was tough, but it was definitely worth it.

After talking to my mission president, he assigned me a new companion and things improved. We worked together for almost eight months in Libby, Montana. When my companion left, I was appointed as the zone leader and he was promoted to district leader.

1 Nephi 3:19-20

And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

At the beginning of the Church, Joseph Smith kept a book of remembrance called the Book of Commandments, now known as the Doctrine and Covenants. It contained the revelations and doctrine he received “by the Spirit and power of God.” Since the world began, God has spoken to us through prophets. At least twice a year since the restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ, the oracles of God address the whole world at General Conference.

The prophets provide essential guidance for our spiritual health and progression, which is crucial in raising our children. I find comfort in knowing that God will always reach out to my children and their children through the prophets, as I won’t always be there for them.

Without the prophets in our days, we would be lost in a dark and dreary world. The directives from inspired leaders are crucial to continue doing good. I testify that God truly speaks to us through them. How wonderful is the light of God! How great are His words and His wisdom! Nephi also knew this truth. He knew that without the wisdom of the All-Knowing, they would perish in the wilderness. That’s probably why he was so insistent with his brothers.

1 Nephi 3:21

And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I persuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God.

Nephi’s way of speaking and reacting to difficulties instilled hope in his brothers’ minds. He was not only bold and optimistic, but he also responded with love and forgiveness to his brothers’ attacks. He remained patient. He was a gentle man and serves as a positive example for me to follow.

During my missionary work, my companions encouraged me to obey the rules and stay faithful, providing me with the strength I needed. I found their words to be inspiring, sometimes even more so than the General Conference speakers. Whether in conversations, training sessions, or mission conferences, I felt the strong presence of the Holy Spirit while they spoke. It reminded me that we were in God’s hands.

The Holy Spirit continually prompts me to do good. I write these words to persuade my children and others to keep God’s commandments, trusting that they lead us to what is good for us.

1 Nephi 3:22-27

… we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our gold, and our silver, and our precious things…

… we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records… for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things.

… when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.

… we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban.

… we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, and we hid ourselves in the cavity of a rock.

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Nephi and his brothers failed again, but this time they lost everything and almost got killed. As much as we try to stay positive, plan ahead and expect success, failure might come instead. We cannot control everything that might happen in life, but God can. However, He chooses not to always intervene with men, letting his children experience their free will and do as they please. Working with people can bring discouragement and even become dangerous, as most of the time, people do and get what they want.

I had always wanted to live a successful life, walk without pain, and be active. I wanted to work hard and raise my family with honor. I thought I needed to do all this on my two feet. But after my marriage, more than two years of rehabilitation after surgery, I was still having a lot of pain and was forced to admit that I might stay invalid for the rest of my life due to my handicap. I tried to do as much as I could to make things work, taking care of the house, studying part-time at university, and serving in the Church. But I was afraid I could never come back on the labor market full-time, which made me anxious. I wanted to make enough money later to take care of my future family, which we didn’t have yet, but we were expecting to have. I desired to be a provider for them and to be a good example for them. I wanted to be a dad they could be proud of. But by force of circumstances, I needed to consider invalidity instead. I was discouraged, angry at times, and tempted to just lay down in bed and stop doing anything that could bring so much pain.

Since my condition was due to a car accident and I had been finally declared invalid by the insurance company, I was receiving a small amount of money regularly. It was enough to sustain myself, but not enough to raise a family. We would have to rely on my wife’s salary for the rest of our lives. Since we wanted to have kids and I wasn’t in shape to take care of everything, my wife would have to take a double charge. This was not what I was hoping for. I wished for better for everyone. I was expecting to become more and more embittered with the situation and afraid of becoming a burden to my family and difficult to live with.

Even though my pride was hurt and I considered invalidity a failure, I thought about accepting the whole thing and just quitting the fight. I wanted to stop suffering and hoping and trying to do things that were definitely out of reach for me. I wanted to stop the failure cycle I was stuck in, but I didn’t know what was better to do, so I prayed to God for knowledge and wisdom.

1 Nephi 3:28

And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod.

During my mission, I began to have a bad temper. It was really surprising to me since I normally was calm, patient, and meek with others. I always tried to be as kind as I could. But during stressful situations, especially when I was undergoing extreme fatigue and pain, I had a tendency to be hard on my companions. Towards the end of my two-year mission, I discovered that I was doing better when I fasted. So I began to pray and fast for several days in a row, eating only once a day for supper. I hated to be harsh. That was not how I wanted to be.

Later in my life, when I lived with my sister and her kids, struggling to recuperate after surgery, again in much pain, I had similar problems being long-suffering and patient with the kids. Insomuch that I started to be afraid to live a married life. It wasn’t too often that I lost my temper, but only one time is too much.

I discovered that I had deep anger in me due to problems with my handicap. During therapy, my psychologist and I found out that I was stuck in a pain cycle, often pushing myself to the limits, living my life trying to overcome my weaknesses all the time, not caring enough about my conditions, and forgetting to slow down when I was becoming exhausted. Living in pain all the time brings out the worst in us. I began to learn how to be careful not to do too much, taking time to recuperate after big efforts on my part.

I married a wonderful and bright woman who helped me notice what I was doing that brought pain and fatigue. Together it was easier to understand what I was or was not doing right. And I started to be more conscious of my health condition. It helped a lot. That’s why I considered a life of invalidity for a while, to make sure I stay mentally healthy.

1 Nephi 3:29

And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

One evening at a priesthood conference, while my stake president was speaking, the Spirit of the Lord came over me and struck me hard with an impression that took several days to fully comprehend. I was praying to know what to do with my life, feeling discouraged and afraid to fail again. The Spirit made it clear to me that God wanted me to keep working hard and finish my master’s degree, and eventually go to work full-time.

I felt overwhelmed because I was struggling with so much pain and fatigue that it was paralyzing. I remember promising God that I would go back to work, even if it meant using a wheelchair. I was crying like a baby in the middle of the assembly because I thought it would be so hard.

It took me some time to let it sink in and become convinced that these impressions were sent from God. I became convinced that it was a clear answer to my prayers, and from that moment on, I decided and knew that I would go back to work full-time. My message didn’t come from an angel directly, but it impacted me as if it had.

1 Nephi 3:30-31

And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.

And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

Doubts and fears paralyse us, whether it’s the fear of failure, the fear of suffering, or the fear of fear itself. But that message from God encouraged me to keep working hard and to do my very best, one hour at a time.

I knew that if I did the will of God, He would be there to help me succeed. I trusted in the blessings and impressions I received from Him. I was blessed during my mission when I did the Lord’s will, and I knew that I would likewise be blessed in my life if I was patient enough. I wasn’t expecting too much; I just wanted to be able to provide for my family and have a career that I and my children could be proud of.

And the Lord has blessed me tremendously. I was able to graduate, get back to work full time, and develop a well-recognized expertise. I have been able to support my wife and kids, manage my pain and fatigue, and walk with greater ease. I have learned to be wise, accepting my condition with calmness and grace, and have had good doctors and specialists to help me along the way.

Truly, I can testify that perseverance in doing good is the way to salvation, trusting, no matter what, in the mercy of the Almighty God.