Eric Poulin

...I, Nephi, did make a bellows...

1 Nephi 17:11

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.”

What’s involved in making a bellows? First Nephi had to hunt an animal of appropriate size, skin it, cure and dry the skin. Then he had to figure out a way to attach the skin to the hard, flat sides, probably made of wood. It needed a nozzle and handles. Remember this was to be used to generate heat enough to smelt iron, so it had to be pretty good quality. Also, any Scout or camper who has ever tried to light a fire by “smiting two stones together” will know this, in itself, is a huge challenge.

Clearly, this task was not accomplished in a matter of hours. It probably took several days to make a bellows that would work, and then a makeshift kiln had to be built, not just an open fire. We must assume that Nephi already had some of these skills, but it takes time to accomplish them, even though he was following the Lord’s command.

In our finances, we may have big or lofty goals; things we want to accomplish, or perhaps goals imposed upon us. Rather than just tackling the big goal of building a ship, Nephi broke the end goal into intermediate steps and accomplished each step in sequence. He knew that the ship would require some woodworking. Hacking at trees with stones would take forever and would not yield quality results. So he determined first to make tools. In order to make tools he needed ore and a bellows and fire. In order to make a bellows he needed animal skin. In order to have animal skin he had to go hunting. So the first order of business in constructing a ship is… go hunting.

The intermediate steps don’t always appear to have anything to do with the end goal, but as we thoughtfully and thoroughly plan our goals, we’ll identifty each step along the way. Pehaps, as Nephi, we’ll need the Lord’s help with some of the intermediate steps (such as where to find the ore), but its help in one of the steps in a well thought out plan. Oftentimes we’ll find ourselves working on steps in our plan that, to an outside observer, have nothing to do with the larger goal. But let our plan be the guide, and let the critics and naysayers fall by the wayside. Just make sure your plan is conceived under the influence of the Spirit.

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