Nephi finds his brothers once again "hardened of heart" because "we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning ....(1 Nephi l5:7) to which Nephi responds, "...Have you inquired of the Lord?" vs. 8 - and their response, "...we have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

How simple! How many times when we don't understand something do we go everywhere else but to the Lord? The Lord is there waiting for us to ask, He wants to tell us, but we have to go to him and "inquire".

Nephi gives us direction on what we must do to prepare for the answers the Lord is waiting to give: We must be humble, listen to the warnings of God, not harden our hearts, ask in faith, believe, and diligently keep the commandments.

Do we understand and take advantage of this blessing? Do we also understand that we can rely upon the spirit of prophecy and revelation in our daily lives that comes through prayer and meditation? The Lord told Oliver Cowdery, "As often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit....I did enlighten thy mind;" (D&C 6:14-15)

Do we inquire of the Lord? Do we put forth the effort to receive personal revelation? The Lord told Oliver, "You have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me, But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn with you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right" (D&C 9:7-8)

Alma Chapter 25: 6 The Lamanites "began to be stirred up in remembrance of the words which Aaron and his brethren had preached to them in their land; therefore they began to disbelieve the traditions of their fathers, and to believe in the Lord, and that he gave great power unto the Nephites; and thus there were many of them converted in the wilderness."

There must have been soul searching, questions, and pondering for them to understand and be converted to the ways of the Lord....it didn't come easily. I sometimes find my greatest peace and answers come when I'm in the "wilderness", away from the demands of the world and I can "hear" and "feel" during moments of "stillness and silent searching". Elouise Bell wrote,

"Only after we have sought in silence and in trust can we press forward with hope and in confidence that our particular path, however different from another's, is the appropriate path for us, for now."