1 Nephi 2

Notice how Lehi and Nephi receive and are promised similar blessings because of their faith and obedience. And because of their faith, the Lord tells them that they will be persecuted. Wherever the gospel is, and wherever righteous people are, there will be those who will persecute them, or in the least denigrate them for their beliefs. We should never be surprised that some people will criticize us for because of our beliefs. Like Laman and Lemuel, they do not understand because "they [know] not the dealings of that God who created them." They did not believe because they didn't seek spiritual knowledge. If they criticized, persecuted and even put to death the Savior, we should not be surprised that at times we are treated the same way. But we should also remember that there is a difference between those who degrade the gospel and those who disagree. Those who disagree have the right to their own beliefs, and hopefully there will always be an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect.

And we should never be upset with those who would criticize our beliefs. We should continue to move forward in our faith knowing the Lord will always lead us to promised blessings while those who would persecute are left in their own unhappy situations. In the case of Lehi and his family, those who remained faithful were led out of the city of Jerusalem which was destroyed with thousands killed and the rest taken as slaves and captives into Babylon.

When Lehi takes his family into the wilderness, he leaves his land, gold, silver, and everything that is valuable by the world's standards. He only takes his family, provisions and supplies, and the gospel. When the tsunamis of life hit, we will find that the only things that matter are those same things. People who have survived disasters, or catastrophic illnesses like cancer, or had near-death experiences, without exception speak of the importance of our relationships, maintaining our health and appreciating life, and the need for a strong religious faith.