The Presence of the Lord

1 Nephi 2:21

And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Nephi struggled most of his life with his wayward and rebellious older brothers. They rebelled constantly against the commandments of God, which put them at odds with faithful Nephi. The Lord warned Nephi to warn his brothers that their continued disobedience would have dire consequences. In particular, God is warning the brothers about rebelling against His acknowledged prophet. Through Nephi's tireless obedience, God appointed him as the successor to his prophet-father Lehi. The Lord had already begun to speak through Nephi to call Laman and Lemuel to repentance. Therefore, their antipathy towards Nephi was tantamount to rebelling against God.

When I ignore and defy God's anointed prophet, I put myself at odds with God Himself. The living prophet is ordained to reveal the will of the Lord to the world. My choosing to disregard the prophet's instructions offends the Lord and puts me at risk of apostasy. I risk driving God from my life.

The presence of the Lord is God's influence in my life. When I cut myself off from His presence, He ceases to work with me and nurture me. He leaves me to my own bad judgment. 

People who are cut off from God no longer feel His nearness. This does not mean, however, that God abandons them. He never abandons His children as long as He has hope for them. While He may seem out of touch, He's not so far away that genuine repentance and humility cannot immediately bring them back into His presence.

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