Jan. 8-14: I Nephi 1-5
I Will Go and Do
IMAGE TO COME
Deborah Ralph-Kafarela (Australian)
Street to Street: Phase One (2021)
Installation photograph
Used with permission of the artist
The grand story of the Book of Mormon begins with Lehi, Sariah, and their family during a mighty upheaval that changed their lives and our religious history. We read that they abandoned their home and began to wander in the desert toward an unknown destination. We are invited, as students of the scriptures, to join them. What will we discover together? As we reflect on these chapters, our understanding of their ancient challenges is informed by our 21st century experiences, shaded by contemporary events: the Israel-Hamas war, crises of refugees and immigrants, homelessness, food insecurity: all of those 2024 issues find companions in 1 Nephi.
The Australian artist Deborah Ralph-Kafarela developed an art installation in 2021 at Shelter WA (Freemantle, Western Australia) that brought people experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness together during a 16-week residency. 89 co-artists with Lived Experience of homelessness, including First Nation peoples, collaborated on the installation titled, Street to Street. For the first phase of the project, they worked on small, prefabricated wooden houses, which they embellished and decorated. Deborah states, “My aim with this work was to create permanent housing through the arts. Instead of being an artist that simply comments or creates, I want to be an artist that facilitates action and cultural change through the arts.” She added, “This is a big idea – but we’ve already had a lot of interest in the next phase of this project where we’ll hope to transform real homes. We want to create tangible social change, not just comment on social issues.”
Questions for Discussion:
Nephi speaks of "tender mercies" which the Lord provides to His faithful people to "make them mighty" (1 Nephi 1:20). When have you felt a tender mercy of the Lord that gave you power to conquer something that was hard in your life?
Nephi tells us many times that his father "dwelt in a tent" (1 Nephi 2:15; see also 1 Nephi 2:6; 1 Nephi 3:1; 1 Nephi 4:38 ). Why do you think Lehi's living situation was significant? What does this teach about Lehi?
When Lehi told his sons that they should return to Jerusalem to get the plates, Laman and Lemuel murmured (1 Nephi 3:5) while Nephi easily agreed to go (1 Nephi 3:7). How does a testimony or broader perspective impact your willingness to do "a hard thing” (1 Nephi 3:5)? When have you felt a testimony or "vision" change your ability to do something that otherwise seemed overwhelming?
We read of a conflict in the marriage of Lehi and Sariah in 1 Nephi 5:1-9. What can we learn from the actions of Lehi and Sariah about how to resolve conflict with someone else, especially someone we love?
Questions for Youth and Children:
Nephi introduces himself to us by saying he has "been born of goodly parents" and that he learned from his parents (1 Nephi 1:1). What life lessons have you learned from your parents or another adult mentor?
Nephi says that the book that he is writing will include "an account of mine own life" (1 Nephi 1:17). While you are reading the stories of the lives of the people in the Book of Mormon, begin to write the story of your life or draw pictures of important things that have happened to you. What experiences have you had that you want to remember? What things have you learned that you would like to share with other people, including someday with your children? There may be extra blank pages in the back of your copy of the Book of Mormon where you can write some of these experiences or draw the pictures.
Lehi, Nephi's father, took his family and they moved from a comfortable home into a place that was new and unknown - the wilderness (1 Nephi 2:4). Have you ever moved with your family from a place that you knew and loved to a new place? What gave you courage? What helped you to make the new place feel like home? How can you help someone else who moves into your neighborhood, school or ward based on what you learned from your experience?
Art project:
Get a new copy of the Book of Mormon to study this year. Decorate the cover of the book to make it your own. This cover will help you remember that THIS was the Book of Mormon that you studied, marked and learned from in 2024.