By Sam, Son of Lehi, Witness of Wilderness and Faith
I am the third son of Lehi.
Older than Nephi. But never greater.
I’ve often pondered the quiet irony of that—how the Lord chose my younger brother to be our leader, our prophet, and our guide. And I have never resented it. Not for a moment. Because I saw what the Lord saw in him.
Nephi was a leader from the beginning—not because he desired power, but because he desired truth. He listened to our father’s dreams, not with defiant folded arms like Laman and Lemuel, but with a heart open to understanding. He didn’t wait for answers to come—he asked the Lord. And what he received shaped our family forever.
I remember when Father told us we had to leave Jerusalem. It was a hard thing. We left behind our home, our wealth, everything we knew. I was afraid. We all were. But Nephi prayed—and what he heard gave me courage too.
He didn’t just believe our father’s visions. He sought his own. And when he bore testimony that he knew the Lord had commanded us to flee, I felt something stir within me—a fire, faint but growing. I knew I could follow that voice.
Nephi wasn’t perfect—he had frustrations like any man—but he was faithful. When Laman and Lemuel mocked, Nephi pressed forward. When they complained, he built. When they bound him, God loosed him. Time and again, I watched my little brother stand before Laban, brothers, angels, and storms—and never lose faith.
It wasn’t always easy for me. I was older than Nephi, yet I had to choose to follow him while our older brothers raged. I had to decide—do I stand with Laman, my elder by birth? Or Nephi, my leader by the Lord’s design?
It wasn’t just a family decision. It was a spiritual one. And I chose Nephi.
I chose righteousness. I chose the hard road. I chose the Lord.
And it gave me peace.
Because I saw in Nephi what I could never deny: the mantle of a prophet. The soul of a servant. And the heart of a king, though he wore no crown.
Later, when Nephi was commanded to separate from our rebellious brothers, I went with him. I left behind comfort, stability, even inheritance—but I followed the Spirit. And I have never regretted it.
I have sons now. And I teach them of their uncle Nephi—not just as a man of might and vision, but as one who knelt, who obeyed, who led because he loved. I want them to know that true leadership is found in service and sacrifice. That it’s not about being first in line—but being first to listen.
And I pray that they, like me, will always choose the voice of the Lord—even if it comes through someone younger, humbler, or unexpected like my even younger brother Jacob.
Nephi was my little brother.
But in many ways, he led me like a father.
And I thank God every day that I followed him.
1 Nephi 2:17; 2 Nephi 5:6; 2 Nephi 4:11
