"Driven Before the Wind"

The voyage to the Promised Land is interesting and enlightening for both the Nephite and Jaredite parties in the Book of Mormon. Navigation was certainly not advanced in ancient days so a Liahona, or compass would surely come in handy on such a journey. We know the entire process can be viewed as an allegory, and references to the Liahona shed light on the symbolic parallels of the journey to the Promised Land.

Alma explains to his son Helaman, "And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director (the Liahona) did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise" (Alma 37: 45).

"A far better land of promise" is a gross understatement. We're talking about exaltation here--our journey to celestial glory, or heaven. The Liahona was the guide, or compass, to show direction in this wilderness experience, representing mortal life. A compass is great, but you need something to propel the ship through turbulent, chaotic waters.

For both journeys (Nephites and Jaredites) the source of power was the wind. After everyone has boarded, Nephi proclaims, "We did put forth into the sea and were driven forth before the wind towards the promised land" (1 Nephi 18: 8). The Jaredites "commend[ed] themselves unto the Lord their God," and then were driven by a "furious wind" toward the Promised Land (Ether 6: 4-5). This requires a heap of faith. We know the wind has a mind of its own. Jesus attested to this fact when He said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3: 8). Click here for a link to the Greek word translated as "listeth." You can see the wind really just blows where it wants.

But there is another interesting Greek word in this verse. The word "wind" at the beginning of the verse and the word "Spirit" at the end of the verse are the same word in the original Greek. The Greek word is pneuma, a root of the English word "pneumonia," meaning "lack of wind or breath." Pneuma means wind, breath, or spirit. You can click here for more information on this Greek word.

A quick analysis of the symbols for wind and Promised Land will lead to the following conclusion:  The Spirit will guide us back to our heavenly home. The wind (or Spirit) will propel our ship toward the Promised Land of celestial glory.

Nephi's choice of wording further enlightens with the phrase, "driven forth before the wind towards the promised land." In Hebrew the word before denotes face or presence. The presence of the Holy Ghost will be our source of power if we gain eternal life. The Lord warns against deception and the snares of the world with a sure promise in latter-day scripture as forewarned in the Doctrine and Covenants:

"For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day" (D&C 45: 57).