Finding Answers to Gospel Questions: A contrast

Laman and Lemuel actually had some good questions that were pretty deep.  The difference between them and Nephi is how they went about finding answers.  There is a difference between testimony and conversion.

1 Nephi 15:2, 6-9

2 And it came to pass that I beheld my brethren, and they were disputing one with another concerning the things which my father had spoken unto them.

6 And it came to pass that after I had received ^astrength I spake unto my brethren, desiring to know of them the cause of their disputations.

7 And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the ^aolive tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

8 And I said unto them: Have ye ^ainquired of the Lord?

9 And they said unto me: ^aWe have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

The thing that impressed me this time is that Laman and Lemuel had some deep questions.  I was also looking at the way they approached their questions.

1. disputing

2. They didn’t ask God because they didn’t think they’d get an answer

3.  They got their answer from Nephi without doing any work themselves.  

Contrast that with Nephi’s response when he had questions:

1 Nephi 2:16:

16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the ^amysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did ^bvisit me, and did ^csoften my heart that I did ^dbelieve all the words which had been spoken by my ^efather; wherefore, I did not ^frebel against him like unto my brothers.

1 Nephi 11:1

1 For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat ^apondering in mine heart I was ^bcaught away in the Spirit of the Lord

1. desire, faith

2.  ponder

3. pray

Both had gospel questions but they went about getting their questions answered in different ways.  Because Nephi did the spiritual work necessary to get answers, he gained a testimony, was converted, and stayed converted.  Because Laman and Lemuel did not do the spiritual work, they had testimonies from time to time but were never converted.