eight years

This week in class, we discussed the journey that Lehi's family took into the wilderness -- specifically how long it lasted. In 1 Nephi 17:4, Nephi states that "we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness." The family was traveling from Jerusalem to the seashore, which they called Bountiful. They were lead using the Liahona, a compass that the Lord had provided for them to show them the way. It worked according to their faith and the heed that they gave it, and they used it throughout their eight year journey to Bountiful. However, their journey in the wilderness shouldn't have taken eight years. It should've been much shorter. The prophet Alma explains that the journey took longer because "they were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence...and they did not progress in their journey; therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted" (Alma 37:41-42).
Lehi's family went through various hardships and difficulties during those eight years because they didn't exercise their faith and diligence, and many times the same thing happens to us today. While the Lord does give us hardships so that we can learn and grow, many of our challenges come because we choose not to follow what the Lord wants us to do. I've experienced this in my own life. There have been times when I chose not to follow the Lord's path for me because I was afraid or didn't trust that His path would get me where I wanted to be. Looking back, I realize that I tarried in my own wilderness for longer than necessary because I didn't "exercise [my] faith and diligence" in the Lord. Challenges will happen in life, and sometimes there's nothing we can do to avoid them. No one is exempt from the trials of mortality. But I know that as we strive to have faith in the Lord and diligently heed His promptings, we will spend less time in the wilderness and be able to more fully trust in His divine hand.