Lehi’s call to take his family and leave Jerusalem, departing into the wilderness (v. 2), is an example of faith unto life and salvation. He was not told his destination or the extent of his journey. He received this call because of his previous faith unto action. His call was based upon the principle of sacrifice. He left his house, the land of his inheritance, his gold, his silver, and his precious things. He took nothing with him, save it were his family, provisions, and tents (v. 4). We are not told the method of travel they used, but we assume it was the traditional camels and perhaps donkeys.
When we depart this earthly life, we will not take our earthly possessions. We will only be able to take our family, and unless we inherit the celestial kingdom we will not even be able to take our family. Accordingly, President David O. McKay has said: “No other success can compensate for failure in the home,” and President Harold B. Lee has said: “the greatest of the Lord’s work you brethren will ever do as fathers will be within the walls of your own home” (CR, April 1973, 130).
Dreams have been used frequently by the Lord to give instruction and warning. The Book of Mormon uses dreams and visions interchangeably. Lehi later says “I have dreamed a dream; or in other words, I have seen a vision” (1 Nephi 8:2). Joseph Smith changed the word “dream” to “vision” in several places in his translation of the Bible (i.e. Matthew 2:19, 22). “The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph [the husband of Mary] saying. Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt.” “An angel of the Lord appeared in a vision to Joseph in Egypt” and told him to return to the land of Israel after “Herod was dead” (JST, Matthew 3:13, 19). Lehi’s dream is only one of several dreams mentioned in 1 Nephi (see 1:16; 3:1; 8:2). Apparently dreams were a frequent source of revelation.
The Lord commanding Lehi to take his family and depart (v. 2) seems to refer to the same dream cited in verse one. As mentioned in chapter one, Lehi’s residence appears to have been outside the city of Jerusalem but still encompassed in the larger area called Jerusalem. The wilderness that Lehi departed into was waste or desert land, not jungle or forest. Lehi was not told the extent of his journey, or the trials he would encounter. He was simply sent. How similar this is to each individual’s sojourn through the “wilderness” of this earth. Upon arrival, none of us know the length of time of our sojourn nor do we know the trials that we will encounter. We must all proceed with faith.
Every person, every generation, must pass the test of obedience before eternal rewards are given. Lehi was commanded to leave his wealth and earthly possessions and flee. The Mormon pioneers were commanded to leave their homes and all but the provisions they could carry and cross the plains. There was no promised land (the Americas) for Lehi until he passed the test of obedience. There was no promised land for the pioneers until they passed the test of obedience. Zion (Independence, Missouri) will not be redeemed until enough Saints have “learned to be obedient to the things which [the Lord] required at their hands” (D&C 105:3).