Awake and shake off the chains

Father Lehi having brought his family by the hand of the Lord to America now lying on his death bed speaks to his sons. 

“O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound which are the chains which bind the children of men that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. Awake! And arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent. Whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave.” (2 Nephi 1:13 – 14)  

As a parent I so relate to his words. He goes on to express how his heart is heavy with sorrow for them that the Lord will come down on them in well-deserved wrath. “Awake my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust. Rebel no more against your brother, who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, (2 Nephi 1:23-24)

“Ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness: Ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him…”   (2 Nephi 1: 26)

Oh how we hate to be told that we are wrong and need to repent.