“They Fell Down Before Me and Were About to Worship Me”

"Here Laman and Lemuel received a powerful, tangible witness that the power of the Lord was with Nephi. Their immediate reaction was to fall down and worship Nephi (vs. 55). In doing so they demonstrated a common mistake of men, namely, they wanted to worship the man with the power rather than God, the source of the power. Sometimes Saints become deeply attached to missionaries or Church leaders who are instruments in bringing spiritual power into their lives, without realizing that it is not the man but the source of the power he demonstrates—namely God—that should be worshiped. Like other prophets faced with this tendency to personal adoration, Nephi teaches where the true worship should be centered." (Book of Mormon Student Manual, 1981, p. 45-6) See also Acts 10:25-6.