For a wise purpose...which purpose I know not.

1 Nephi Chapter 9

Nephi made two sets of plates. One for the spiritual ministry of his people, and one for the historical record. He also included many of the things that were already in his Father's plates (the plates of Lehi). To Nephi, this seemed redundant, and he was not given an explanation as to why. But he obeyed the promptings he received and followed them.

Nephi had complete trust in his Heavenly Father. It is a blessing that our Heavenly Father is consistent and reliable and will never ask us to do something that is not good for us. Nephi fulfilled the commandments he had been given even when he didn't understand why he was doing it. This is a perfect example of trust.

I would love to have the same relationship with my children that Nephi has with God. And I think my kids do trust me quite a bit, but they often do not want to do something unless they know the reason behind it. Sometimes this leads to a lot of perusading them to just do what I ask already. But I find instructions are most effective when I also explain why I need them fulfilled. Maybe this is why Nephi trusted both Lehi and God so much. He had done this so many times before and they had always done what is best for him. More explaining to my kids why I ask them to do certain things will do 3 things: expose my true motives to myself, allow them to understand why they are doing what they are doing, and gain trust that whatever I ask them to do it will be in their interest to be happy and safe.