Natural and Godly Parenting: A Brief Study of 1 Nephi 5

In the first verses of this chapter, we see excellent examples of both natural and godly parenting.  Sariah, discouraged by her sons' absence and lacking a testimony of her husband's calling, complained to Lehi in a way that sounds very similar to how Laman and Lemuel had complained to Nephi:

• You're a visionary man, Lehi (read this as: I didn't see the vision, you did).  
• We don't have our inheritance anymore.
• My sons are no more.
• We will die here.

This are all completely natural worries and concerns.  Stuck in the middle of the wilderness, having forsaken their fortune for mere supplies, and with their strong and able sons gone, anyone can be excused for being fatalistic.  It wouldn't be very smart to be optimistic at this point.

In other words, Sariah is acting like the wonderful wife and mother she is.  She is concerned about her family's safety and security, she worries about her family's place in the world, and she is engaged with each member of her family and hasn't written anyone off.  She has also stayed with Lehi even when he (seemingly) comes up with a harebrained scheme to leave comfort for the wilderness.  

All this is very natural, and without a full and complete testimony (which she doesn't gain until verse 8) it's remarkable that she's apparently been (mostly) patient until now.  Only after the sons leave for the brass plates do the scriptures record that she begins to complain, and those complaints arise from a natural, motherly concern for her sons and her family.

However, even though those complaints are natural and motherly, they are still complaints, and relatively faithless complaints at that.  She doesn't trust that the Lord has guided their steps, and doesn't believe that He will save them and deliver them to the promised land.  

Lehi's response is meek, but effective.  He reminds Sariah of the context she has overlooked: that his visions allowed them to escape a Jerusalem that was bent on killing them, that God has promised them a land of promise greater than any inheritance they had, and that since their family was on the errand of the Lord, He would not permit them to die.  Sariah was comforted.

The sons return and here we see the truly godly parenting come into play.  First and foremost, Lehi makes sacrifice unto the Lord, Even before he read the scriptures he had just received, even with finite herds and supplies, Lehi sacrifices.  Then he reads the plates of brass from the beginning, discovering many things of "great worth" on them.

Lehi's example is clear.  He is heaven-bent on acquiring what is of most worth for his family.  Are the treasures they abandoned in Jerusalem good?  Sure, they could have provided the family with some measure of comfort and security, but only temporarily.  The greatest inheritance was found in looking beyond the temporary, remembering the eternal context of their lives, and acting in accordance to the commandments of a loving God, no matter how hard.

That is what our true Parents do, and how we should emulate them.  By doing the hard, necessary things we build for our families a far greater life than mere comfort ever could.