Nephi was not a natural man.  Neither was he an unnatural man.  He might more properly be called a supernatural man.  He was certainly a man worthy of emulation.

Nephi was commanded to build a ship.  He knew nothing about shipbuilding, but he did know how to communicate with the Lord.  When one has learned how to open the reference work that is revelation from on high, encyclopedias, universities, and the internet pale to insignificance in comparison.

Nephi “did not work the timbers (of the ship) after the manner which was learned by men, neither did (he) build the ship after the manner of men; but (he) did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto (him); wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.”  (1 Nephi 18:2).

We might profitably give some thought to our own manners.  Am I—are you—living after the manner of men?  We’ve been told that the natural man is an enemy to God (Mosiah 3:19), and He has specifically commanded us to not “live after the manner of the world.”  (D&C 95:13).

The same chapter in the Book of Mormon that describes the ship which was not built after the manner of men also gives us good descriptions of natural men, and supernatural men, if you will.

Nephi’s brothers lived after the manner of men.  They made themselves merry(1 Nephi 18:9), they were rude (v. 9), angry (v. 10), harsh (11), frightened (13), threatening (17), and hard-hearted (20).  Perhaps their biggest sin of all was that they were forgetful (9).  They forgot that they’d seen an angel.  They forgot that they’d heard the voice of the Lord.  They forgot that Nephi had saved their lives in the wilderness.  They forgot that the Lord had shocked them and had given them a jolt when they’d wanted to kill Nephi on a previous occasion.  They forgot that they were on a ship whose workmanship “was exceedingly fine” (1 Nephi 17:4), and which they and Nephi would have been unable to build without divine help.  They forgot that the ship was being guided by a compass which had been given under miraculous circumstances, which was activated by faith, and which was an instrument unlike anything the world has ever known.

I can’t think of a worse case of senility or forgetfulness anywhere in either the scriptural or nonscriptural record.   (Marjorie says:  “They didn’t forget:  they were just jealous”).

Nephi, on the other hand, did not live after the manner of men.  He was prayerful (1 Nephi 18:3), humble (v. 4), obedient (8), sober (10), grateful (16), patient (16), non-murmuring (16), concerned for his parents (18), exercised faith (21), and was a hard-worker (24).  In short he was not a natural man.  Neither was he an unnatural man, as in strange or weird.  We shouldn’t call him a supernatural man, either, because he wasn’t something that we’re incapable of becoming ourselves.  He was a man who we should try to be like.

Nephi was not unlike our Savior.  He lovingly worked for others even when those for whom he labored sought to kill him for his efforts.

I would like to know Nephi.  Someday I shall.  So will you.  He closed his books by saying that one day he and we “shall stand face to face before (the Lord’s) bar.”  (2 Nephi 33:11).

I’m sure that will be a happy meeting if we’ve been on our best manners.