The Lord wants Zoram to stay too. His grace is given to Nephi to help hold him and then convince him to stay. Will not the Lord also give us His grace as we seek to help others to come to Christ and stay? Zoram will learn over time that although it costs him his allegiance to Laban’s cause and household, his choice to remain with Lehi’s family spares him the destruction of Jerusalem and purchases his freedom from servitude - to say nothing of the spiritual effects.
Not the conventional pattern of things — is there a relevant modern parallel? Maybe just in the fact that to help someone stay requires personal and perhaps dramatic attention - something that could grasp them. One significant truth is that God empowers our efforts in those moments because He wants them to stay too. This reminds me of a rock climbing story told by Elder Holland.
Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet
God strengthened those little arms that day to catch and hold what they shouldn’t have been able to. Most have felt the heartbreak of watching someone we love leave. What lessons about retention can we learn from Nephi, Zoram, and Elder Holland?
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