In the Book of Mormon, Nephi is an archtypical example of what faith really is. Nephi goes through episode after episode relating to us how God's protection, guidance and deliverance is with anyone who does what Nephi did. Nephi was probably eighteen years old for crying out loud. He wasn't a great prophet. He just did followed a pattern that brought results. As the result came his faith became stronger and stronger. So, what is the pattern? If we follow the pattern will the same result occur? Of course, they will. Does it take a superman or superwoman to follow the pattern? No. But old habits need to be broken. Belief that there really is a God out there that cares has to be developed.
Here's what I mean by old habits. You get into a difficult situation in life. You either get depressed or angry or some other unbelief emotion. Nephi somehow chooses not to entertain these emotions and their related behavior. Laman and Lemuel fall apart like most of us when the going gets rough. Until we have developed whatever it is that needs to be developed there isn't any way to have that steadiness that Nephi had. So, follow Nephi's pattern. Since we have revitted our bad habits into our beings more work might need be done than we think. But, that's what this life is for. Weakness (bad habits, etc.) need to made into strengths by the grace of God. If we are exhibiting weakness when the going gets rough we God's help in flipping it into a strength. I am not talking about the things that we quickly repent of and never do again. I talking about the faithless behavior that we want to so badly to get rid of but we do the same thing over and over again. That a bad habit.
Nephi doesn't tell us what he does with his weakness until he is old. See 2 Nephi 4. We will get to that in another blog. What is amazing is the patterns in the stories that Nephi tells.
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