The Miraculous Directors

Book of Mormon Notes - Monday, October 9, 2023, Alma 37 (continued)

On my mission in Italy I remember a beautiful family, the Giannini family, and their son Raffaele, nicknamed Lello if I remember correctly. Raffaele had difficulty sleeping at night and my companion and I thought that it would be helpful for Lello to have something to calm him at night and to reassure him that the Lord was with him and watching over him. Therefore we wrote this verse on a piece of paper to place near his bed:

^aCounsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for ^bgood; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the ^cmorning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. (Alma 37:37)

I hope that it helped him in some way.

The final portion of Alma the Younger’s teachings to his son Helaman includes specific counsel about the Liahona.

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 ^aLiahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. (Alma 37:38)

We learned about the Liahona very early on in the Book of Mormon, after the Brass Plates had been obtained, but while Lehi and his family were still in the wilderness. This miraculous, mysterious, and sacred object was handed down along with the Plates, the Interpreters, the Sword of Laban, and probably many other sacred items that were central to Nephite history and historical memory. But we haven’t really heard too much about the Liahona since the days of Nephi. The obvious question, therefore, is whether or not Nephi and succeeding prophets continued to use the Liahona as an instrument for directing travel and for receiving revelation. I don’t know, but I find it hard to believe that they let the Liahona gather dust on a shelf while they tried to figure out how to navigate through different areas of wilderness or as they received various revelations from the Lord.

Remember the circumstances when Lehi discovered the Liahona? Nephi and his brothers had recently married the daughters of Ishmael. Lehi was dwelling in a tent in the Valley of Lemuel. Then the voice of the Lord came to Lehi to command him to continue his journey into the wilderness the following day. But the Lord had also prepared a way for Lehi and his family to accomplish the thing which He commanded them, a way that no one could have imagined, and a way that surprised even the visionary Lehi:

And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness. (1 Nephi 16:10)

First Plates of Brass, and now a Ball of Brass.

I’ve always found it interesting that Nephi records how astonished his father was to find this Brass Ball near his tent door, but Nephi himself doesn’t mention his own reaction. For a time I considered that the Lord had commanded Nephi and directed him to create the Liahona and place it by his father’s tent, in part because Nephi writes so matter-of-factly about it. But we learn from Alma’s teachings to his son Helaman that the Lord prepared the Liahona, and that it was of an other-worldly design and manufacture:

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. (Alma 37:39)

Thus we see that the Lord prepared the Liahona for the specific purpose of guiding Lehi and his family through the wilderness, and eventually across the ocean. So it is possible that the Liahona had fully served its purpose once Lehi and his family were safely in the Promised Land. But the symbolic purpose of the Liahona contained further lessons for Helaman, and for us.

I’ve also always found it interesting that Nephi describes two spindles within the Brass Ball, the Liahona, but he only tells us the purpose of one of the spindles:

And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ^aball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one ^bpointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness. (1 Nephi 16:10)

One pointed the way whither they should go into the wilderness, but what did the other spindle do? Was it like a compass with a spindle that points toward the North and the other end of the spindle points toward the South? Did the other spindle accomplish the writing upon the Brass Ball that we learn about later? I don’t know.

One thing is certain: there is an obvious type or parallel between the Liahona and the methods that the Lord used to guide Moses and the children of Israel through the wilderness:

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: (Exodus 13:21)

Thus the Liahona was a symbol of the Lord Himself, or as Alma the Younger teaches his son Helaman, it was a symbol of the word of the Lord.

As Lehi and his family traveled through the wilderness, the Lord, through this miraculous instrument, guided them:

And we did follow the ^adirections of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness. (1 Nephi 16:16)

Later we learn that the directions of the ball weren’t only given by the spindle that pointed toward the best course of travel, but that the directions also miraculously included written directions. When Nephi broke his bow and Lehi’s entire family suffered for lack of food and direction, Lehi humbled himself to inquire of the Lord concerning what they should do. When Lehi humbled himself and inquired of the Lord, they learned new things about the miraculous workings of the Liahona:

And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written.

And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were ^awritten upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the ^afaith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.

And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us ^aunderstanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by ^bsmall means the Lord can bring about great things.

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the ^adirections which were given upon the ball.

And it came to pass that I did slay wild ^abeasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families. (1 Nephi 16:26-31)

This time Nephi calls the spindles “the pointers which were in the ball”. These spindles or pointers worked according to the faith and diligence and heed which they gave unto them, or in other words, as they paid attention and followed the pointers, they directed them where to go in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, and also, in this case, into the top of the mountain where Nephi was able to obtain food.

It appears that the writing of the Lord, the new writing, which was plain to be read, which gave the Lehites understanding concerning the ways of the Lord, was written upon the outside of the ball. But it also appears that the new writing of the Lord was written upon the pointers. Actually, it appears that there were things written upon the outside of the ball and also upon the pointers of the ball. Whatever the case, there were things written upon the ball that caused Lehi and his family to fear and to tremble, and there was a new writing, plain to be read, that gave understanding concerning the ways of the Lord that was written upon the pointers, or the spindles, if I understand correctly.

As miraculous as the Brass Ball itself was and is, and as miraculous as the spindles or the pointers were and are, the most miraculous seems to be the new writing that was written and changed from time to time - and this also seems to be that to which Nephi refers to as the “small means” by which “the Lord can bring about great things”. The small means, therefore, by which the Lord brings about great things, is His word, or in other words, revelation. The small means are also the spindles. But the small means are also the faith and the diligence that Lehi and his family gave unto the directions of the ball. Alma explains to his son Helaman exactly what those small means were and are, and how they applied to them:

And it did work for them according to their ^afaith 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 ^asmall means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were ^bslothful, 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 ^anot travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions. (Alma 37:40-42)

Thus I consider that the small means of which Alma and Nephi wrote are the same small means of which our Savior spoke:

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your ^aunbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have ^bfaith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this ^cmountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be ^dimpossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20)

¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a ^agrain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the ^abirds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Matthew 13:31-32)

¶ And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. (Mark 4:30-32)

¶ Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I ^aresemble it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and ^awaxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. (Luke 13:18-19)

And the Lord said, If ye had ^afaith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6)

The Liahona and the spindles and the new writing were small and simple things, like a grain of mustard seed, and so to was the faith of Nephi to follow the directions of the Liahona. Anyone who tried to work against those small and simple things, or against the faith of Nephi, met with disaster time and time again:

And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and ^abind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had ^bspoken concerning the wicked.

And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the ^acompass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work. (1 Nephi 18:11-12)

Nephi seems to be the only one who could effectively use the Liahona as it was meant to be used:

And it came to pass after they had loosed me, behold, I took the compass, and it did work whither I desired it. And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord; and after I had prayed the winds did cease, and the storm did cease, and there was a great calm. (1 Nephi 18:21)

Nevertheless, the Lord had prepared the Liahona specifically for Lehi, and Nephi brought the Liahona with him after Lehi’s death:

And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written. (2 Nephi 5:12)

As Alma taught his son Helaman, he reflected on the use and the symbol of the Liahona among Lehi’s family. The word Liahona is another one of those great, untranslated Book of Mormon words (like irreantum, rameupmtom, sheum, neas, cureloms, cumoms, etc.) that Alma interprets for us:

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 ^aLiahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. (Alma 37:38)

Thus it seems to me that the word “Liahona” was a reformed Egyptian word that meant “compass”.

All of this reminds me that the Book of Mormon is a Temple text or a text that contains an endowment within it.

In any case, what was the lesson that Alma the Younger wished to teach his son Helaman as he presented the Liahona to him?

And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a ^ashadow; 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 ^aword 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 ^atype 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 ^aslothful because of the ^beasiness of the ^cway; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would ^dlook they might ^elive; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever. (Alma 37:43-46)

And even more miraculous than all of this is the fact that the Liahona has been preserved even in the latter-days, and it is by the small and simple means of faith in Christ that these things are manifest:

Behold, I say unto you, that you must rely upon my word, which if you do with full purpose of heart, you shall have a view of the plates, and also of the breastplate, the sword of Laban, the Urim and Thummim, which were given to the brother of Jared upon the mount, when he talked with the Lord face to face, and the miraculous directors which were given to Lehi while in the wilderness, on the borders of the Red Sea. (D&C 17:1)