Liahona
The Liahona is a separate term from Mormon gospel teaching . He is referred to in the Book of Mormon as a guide that is used like a compass. The term is a Mormon word creation that is largely unknown outside of Mormonism.
Lehi, one of the few men who is said to have listened to Nehemiah's prophecies - he had warned the people of Jerusalem against the Babylonian exile - is said to have fled into the wilderness with his family and a second family at God's behest. God promised them to lead them to a chosen land and gave them the Liahona: “And it came to pass that when my father rose in the morning and went to the door of the tent, to his great amazement he saw one on earth Ball of solid design; and it was made of fine brass. And in the ball were two spindles; and one of them indicated the way we should go into the wilderness ”(1 Nephi 16:10).
The Liahona is also said to have been of help with intermittent difficulties on the way to the promised land: Once, when they complained that they no longer had weapons to kill animals for food, they changed the inscription on the Liahona found.
26 “And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said to him: Look at the globe, and see what is written there. 27 And it came to pass that when my father beheld what was written on the globe, he was fearful and trembled excessively, and so did my brothers and the sons of Ishmael and our wives. 28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, saw the pointers that were in the globe, that they were working according to the faith and the zeal and the observance which we put upon them. 29 And there was also a new inscription written on them, clearly readable, that made us understand the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time according to the faith and zeal we put into it. And so we see that the Lord can achieve great things by small means. 30 And it came to pass; I, Nephi, went up to the top of the mountain according to the directions given on the globe. 31 And it came to pass; I killed wild animals so that I could provide food for our families ”(1 Ne. 16: 26–31)
It is after this Liahona that the church magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been named.