Nov 17, 2024

The Jaredites Leaving Babel by Albin Veselka

I often compare the journey of the Jaredites to the promised land to that of Lehi’s family hundreds of years later. The journey for the Jaredites seems so much smoother in comparison. They relied on the Lord, built barges to carry them across the seas, and then departed, seemingly without many issues. The scriptures call attention to at least one thing that made the journey easier for the Jaredites—humility. 

Moroni described the Jaredites’ initial reaction to arriving in the promised land: “And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them” (Ether 6:12).

These humble Jaredites recognized that it was not their own strength that got them there, but that of the Lord. In contrast, Laman and Lemuel and others rejoiced in their own strength and ability to get to the promised land, which only caused problems on their journey.

As the years went by, some of the Jaredites forgot to be humble, but those who showed humility saw no end to the blessings of the Lord in their lives, such as the blessings promised of the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 112:10: “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.”

Wilford Woodruff counseled, “It is our duty to humble ourselves before the Lord and call upon his name until we are filled with the Holy Ghost and the spirit of inspiration.” When we humble ourselves, we can truly be led by the Lord and receive the strength and guidance we need. 

Lyndie is working toward a degree in Public Relations at Brigham Young University. Originally from Idaho Falls, Idaho, she enjoys running, spending time with her husband and family, and reading. Lyndie served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hermosillo, Mexico, where she developed a love for the Spanish language and the people there. She was drawn to the Wilford Woodruff Papers out of a desire to learn more about Church history and enjoys being part of the organization’s efforts to touch lives with Wilford Woodruff’s words.

The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation’s mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and make his records universally accessible in order to inspire all people, especially the rising generation, to study and to increase their faith in Jesus Christ. For more information, please explore wilfordwoodruffpapers.org.