“5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies” (1 Nephi 8:5-8).
Who is this man that leads Lehi into a dark and dreary waste and into darkness for the space of many hours? I had never even realized that following this man was a bad thing for Lehi. There was a point in my life where it dawned on me that the Lord is trying to teach us a very powerful principle that Nephi points out a lot in his writings. We should “not put our trust in the arm of the flesh.” Whenever we put our faith in man we will be deceived. Our faith has to be centered in Jesus Christ or we will be led astray. Again, the great warning from the scriptures, “37 And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived…” (JS-Matt. 1:37; JST Matt. 24:39; see also Doctrine and Covenants 35:23; Doctrine and Covenants 18:3-5; 3 Nephi 16:10, 28, 30; Doctrine and Covenants 42:12, 15, 56-59; JST Luke 11:53; Doctrine and Covenants 45:57).
We should never trust in any man. Rather, we need to come unto Jesus Christ and be perfected in Him and in no other. He is the Redeemer of all that receive Him. Jesus is the Christ, my Redeemer and King!
