Learning Lessons From the Sons of Lehi

There is a series of live-action musical adaptations of the scriptures that are designed to help us liken the scriptures unto ourselves. It's called Liken. (As Matt would say, "Do you get it?") Anyway, Mom and Dad just added to their DVD collection by purchasing a few of these videos. We've had Nephi & Laban for a couple years now. I love it. The best thing about it is that it's not just a serious scripture story. They use humor and catchy tunes to tell the story. This one is the story from the Book of Mormon about Nephi and his brothers and their attempts to collect the Brass Plates from Laban.

This clip is from the brothers (Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi) trying to decide who will approach Laban to ask him for the Plates. It's my favorite song from the movie.

I LOVE the boy band approach to this song (the group name is Sons of Lehi). It's no secret that I've loved boy bands since New Kids on the Block. (Yes, I was a Blockhead and I proudly wore their buttons to school--never said I wasn't a nerd!) And, I love to think that Nephi and his brothers may have worn Hammer Pants. Hilarious!

Anyway, my point (you knew I had to have one, right?). There's one song that has really sprung to mind quite a bit lately. Things have been really tough with Josh gone and our family being uprooted. I just have to remember t0 have a sunnier outlook like Nephi did. In the song Life Could Not Be Better he talks about how great things are since his family left the city of Jerusalem since it was about to be destroyed. They wandered in the wilderness for several years, but Nephi's faith never wavered.

Life Could Not Be Better

Hello my name is Nephi
I was born of goodly parents
Who taught me just to do what’s right.
See, my father has these visions
Where he knows just what to do
And I hear he had another one last night,
Ain’t that right?
My brothers Laman and Lemuel and Sam
Well, they’re the best
They always try so hard to make things fun.
(Laman) I hate you.
(Nephi) I love that one!
The older ones play games that I don’t always like to play.
(Lemuel) Let’s beat Nephi with a rod!
(Nephi) But I know that I’m the lucky one.
‘Cause life could not be better
I choose the right down to the letter
I guess this wilderness could be much wetter
But life could not be better.
Now since we left Jerusalem our lives have just improved
We got rid of all those non-necessities.
(Sister) Where’s the soap?
(Other sister) We don’t have any!
(Nephi) And of course some people mind
The kind of life we left behind.
(Laman) That’s me!
(All) This desert sun’s the only life for me.
Yes, life could not be better
Cause I choose the right down to the letter.
(Nephi) Hey, look, my mom made me a sweater!
(All) Oh, life could not be better.
(Laman) Hey, Lemuel, it’s sad to say that Dad just isn’t well
I think it’s safe to say he’s gone insane.
(Lemuel) I wish we were at home
We could die out here alone.
(Sisters) At least the world is gonna know your names!
(All) Oh, life could not be better
Cause I choose the right down to the letter.
(Nephi) At least, we’re all in this together.
(All) Oh, life could not be better.
Oh, life could not be better
Cause I choose the right down to the letter.
(Nephi) I like this wilderness. Let’s stay forever!
(Silence)
(All) Oh, life could not be better!

So, I'm likening the scriptures to my life. And totally rocking out to Nephi's boy band.