More to God's Plan

I wrote this a long while ago. On my mission, I'm pretty sure. Don't know why I never published it. Perhaps I was going to add more to it. Regardless, here it is now:

So I've been pondering about God's will/God's plan for us. It's a topic I have a lot of thoughts on, especially since it's a testimony that has grown largely on my mission. That our Father in Heaven does have a plan for each one of us and is in the details. This is something I've seen so clearly on my mission.

I wanted to write about an insight I had in 1st Nephi that I've never thought/heard of before.

So. Story goes down as thus:

Lehi dreams a dream, or in other words, he has a vision. His family needs to leave Jerusalem.

Laman and Lemuel are confused and frustrated as I'm sure many of us would be. They are definitely not excited to leave behind everything based off a dream their father had.

Then, if you recall, they leave behind all their treasures. Something I'm sure Laman and Lemuel were, once again very confused and frustrated about. The Book of Mormon Video on this shows it quite well, I think. "But Father, we may need them for trade! Or for... drinking."

They travel out into the wilderness. Lehi is told they need the Brass Plates (I'm sure Laman/Lemuel were frustrated and confused yet again. Why didn't the Lord just remind us when we were back in Jerusalem? But that question breaks off into a larger topic that I don't want to focus on here.), so the sons travel back.

They try to get the brass plates once. But fail.

But Nephi then has a fantastic idea! Trade all their treasures they left behind for the brass plates.

This is the part that I want to focus on and received an insight for that I had never thought of/heard of before.

In my imagined version of the events that took place, in those moments things started to click in Laman/Lemuel's head.

"Ahhh, this makes so much sense now! No wonder the Lord commanded us not to bring all of our treasures to the wilderness. He saw the beginning from the end and realized we would need them to get the brass plates!" (For purposes of this scenario, we're ignoring the question of why weren't they just reminded in the first place to get the plates.)

"Man, Heavenly Father does have a plan for us. This small detail comes back around and is now pivotal to the progression of our journey. Tender Mercy indeed :)"

Okay, okay. Here's the thing. As you may know (I'm assuming a vast vast majority of the people who will read this post know the basic events of this story in the Book of Mormon, but I suppose there may be someone who doesn't), it didn't exactly pan out that way.

"Laban, here are all these treasures. Our Father and Heaven commanded us to leave them here because he knew we would need to offer them to you. All we request is the Brass Plates."

"Behold, thou art a robber! I will slay thee!" (I think he actually says that during the first attempt to get the plates, but it works well here too and I like the line.)

"?¿?¿?¿? What about the plan that we thought God had for us???"

There are many times in our lives, I think, where we feel like we know God's plan for us. With our mortal brains, we connect of few of the lines that we see and we feel we understand the whole picture.

But then there come many times in our lives, I think, where we realize those plans that we thought were God's never really were, or, rather, are part of an even bigger plan God has that we don't fully know yet. Does understanding of why always come with that realization? Not as often as we may like.

And so frustration and confusion can so easily come.

It's important that we take a deep breath and be still.

That is easier said then done, but I testify that God is our Loving Heavenly Father and that he does have a plan for us.

Whether clear or not, the plan exists and I know that to be true.

I'll end with these simple scriptures that help me.

"Be still and know that I am God".

Psalm 46:10, Doctrine and Covenants 101:16