This is the theme for our studies and readings this year as a family. As part of my education this year, I have decided to study the Book of Mormon with this theme in mind and share my insights each day. I invite you to join with me and share your insights and applications, too.

1 Nephi 1
In this chapter, Lehi shows how we can be a hero by following this pattern: ask, learn, do.

First, Lehi desired “with all his heart” to help his people so he prayed to God to ask what he needed to know and do to help them.

Second, Lehi read, studied, and “was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.” He gained knowledge and understanding of his people and their current situation and a vision of how he could help them.

Finally, Lehi did what he was inspired to do. He shared the things he had learned, including teaching and testifying “of the coming of a Messiah and the redemption of the world.”

Lehi continued to share the things he learned and invite others to learn more about Heavenly Father and His great and marvelous works even though the Jews were angry with him. Being a hero is not easy. Doing the things we are inspired to do will not always bring us lots of friends or accolades, but we will have peace knowing that we are learning and doing what God wants us to learn and do, and helping those He wants us to help, as we continue to follow this pattern and ask for additional knowledge and direction.

This pattern of ask, learn, do helps us keep our focus and priorities straight. In his talk,
“Focus and Priorities,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks reminded us that our focus is to gain knowledge so that we can do what God wants us to do. The things God wants us to do become our priorities and our greatest priorities are to build eternal relationships.

“Brigham Young…declared: ‘Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind, has been given by direct revelation from God. … We should take advantage of all these great discoveries … and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work’ (Deseret News, 22 Oct. 1862, 129).

“The ultimate Latter-day Saint priorities are twofold: First, we seek to understand our relationship to God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to secure that relationship by obtaining their saving ordinances and by keeping our personal covenants. Second, we seek to understand our relationship to our family members and to secure those relationships by the ordinances of the temple and by keeping the covenants we make in that holy place. These relationships, secured in the way I have explained, provide eternal blessings available in no other way. No combination of science, success, property, pride, prominence, or power can provide these eternal blessings!”

Lehi sought knowledge and a relationship with God. He sought to provide others with this knowledge and invite them to develop eternal relationships with God and their families. His focus and priorities were such that he willingly served and greatly sacrificed as we will see in Chapter 2. Lehi is one of my heroes.