But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
Having described the mortal danger into which Lehi had placed himself by preaching the message of warning to his people, Nephi transitions into the next phase of his narrative with this verse. What a beautiful assurance and what a call to reality!
Nephi explains that the Lord's mercies are over all He has chosen. And they are not just mercies -- they are tender mercies. It is a sweet thing for the Lord to wipe the tears from our eyes -- it is a much sweeter thing for Him to do so with gentle kindness.
These mercies are over "all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith. . ." We can understand this sentence in two ways. One is that those with great faith are chosen, and to all of them the Lord gives His tender mercies. The other view is that among the chosen, all those with great faith experience His tender mercies. In either case, it is faith that calls forth the Lord's tender mercies. The Book of Mormon prophets speak at length about how to develop such faith. It is essential if we are to enjoy the peace and comfort of the Lord in this life and the eternal blessings of the Lord in the life to come.
Nephi also calls us to be realistic and pragmatic in recognizing the fruits of faith. He does not say that the Lord simply delivers the faithful. He says the Lord makes them mighty so that they have the power to find deliverance. The Lord delivered Lehi and his family from the dangers (both physical and spiritual) they found in Jerusalem. He did not simply "beam" them over to the land of promise. He led them into the desert. He showed them the way to travel through barren wastes and directed them where to find the provisions they needed. Eventually, He brought them to the land Bountiful. They found no ship waiting there. But the Lord led them to a place with forests to be felled and ore to be mined so that they could make a ship. All that was within their human capacity they were required to do. And His tender mercies supplied the rest.
We must not be surprised when it is so with us. The Lord expects us to do all we can to accomplish what is asked of us. Whatever is needed in addition, He supplies. The faith that He will do so is the faith that calls forth His tender mercies.
Years ago, I lay in bed at home, recovering from surgery. We had a young family and a new house and work demanded so much. The last thing I needed to be doing was staying in bed and recuperating. In great frustration, I thought, "Lord I do not have time for this!" Almost instantly, the thought came into my mind, "Whatever the Lord wants you to do now, His grace will give you the strength to do." And if He does not want you to do a certain thing now, the means will not be provided. How often that lesson has been repeated in my life! We must search and learn and do all we can to accomplish what we have been asked. And then we must stand still with faith that the Lord will mercifully bring forth the results He wants in His time.
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