Why Did Sariah Complain?

 

Q: Why did Sariah Complain?

 

While Nephi and his brothers were struggling to get the Brass Plates, Lehi and Sariah stayed at their camp. Lehi had strong faith which allowed him to completely trust his sons to the Lord's care, but Sariah wasn't there yet. This considerable period of being separated from her children, not knowing what was happening to them, must have been a stressful trial for her, and this on top of the fact that she'd just left her comfortable home for the wilds and uncertainties of the desert. It appears from the record that fears of her sons' undoing swirled through her mind as Satan attempted to undermine any belief she might have in her husband's supposedly inspired words.

 

At some point, after contemplating what life would be like without her precious sons, she could stand it no longer. She accused Lehi of being a visionary--not a compliment in this case--of leading them into the desert to die, and lamenting the loss of her sons, whom she now believed to be dead. We can infer from her words that she had traveled little, if ever, through the desert with her husband, who was well-accustomed to its harsh environment and topography. Looking at this incident with total objectivity, we might see in her behavior one source of Laman and Lemuel's abundant complaining.

 

Acting in a way consistent with a true man of God and understanding husband, Lehi frankly admitted that he was a visionary man. But in a poetic way that smacks of Near Eastern culture, he goes on to say that if he hadn't seen the works and warnings of God in a vision, he and his family would have stayed in Jerusalem and died like everyone else there when doomsday came crashing down. But, he said, instead of letting him perish with Jerusalem's wicked people, the Lord had given him a land of promise. This is the first time in the record that Lehi mention's this. He also consoled his wife by telling her that he knew God would bring their sons safely back to camp.

 

Sure enough, all four of Sariah's sons made it back to the River Laman. What was even more astounding is that they had the Brass Plates and a new member of their party, the faithful Zoram. Sariah was deeply comforted, and this trying experience served as a strong witness to her that the Lord's promises, as expressed through her prophet husband, were sure and true. Like Nephi, she bore witness that she knew the Lord had protected them, and had given them power to accomplish what He'd commanded them to do. Unlike Laman and Lemuel, who had difficulty seeing the Lord's hand in their accomplishments, Sariah's spiritual vision increased because her faith had increased, and she could see His hand clearly now.

Consistent with the Law of Moses--and as people who truly kept it--after their sons arrived, they offered sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord as a way of thanking Him. Their thanks was sincere, and this was likely an occasion of great gratitude on the part of Sariah. Perhaps as never before, because the stakes had never been this high, did she feel devout love for her Heavenly Father and His Son. They had brought her sons safely home, and the fact that God had helped them overcome the powerful but wicked Laban to obtain the Plates must have been marvelous in her eyes.

 

 



Why did Nephi's Brothers Quit Running?

 

Why did Nephi's Brothers Quit Running?

 

Nephi and Laban's servant exited the city of Jerusalem, which had huge walls protecting it. That's where Nephi's brothers had been waiting for him, hoping he would be successful in getting the plates. They were also afraid he might be killed by the venomous and powerful Laban. Sure enough, when a large man appeared with a servant at his side, and that man had on Laban's armor and sword, they assumed the worst: Laban had killed Nephi, and now he was coming after them. They did what any rational person would do: they ran.

 

We can safely assume that Nephi had anticipated this. When his brothers took off, he called to them, not in the faked voice of Laban, but using his real voice. Hearing this, they stopped and came back. The three of them came close enough to where Laban's servant apparently could tell quite clearly they were not the elders of Jerusalem. They were total strangers. He became understandably alarmed, for in those days in Jerusalem, a lot of people had lost their lives to gangs of thieves for a lot less than what Nephi was holding. From what Nephi tells us, the servant's body language told him that the servant was about to flee for his life back into the city.

 

At that moment, with the Lord's strength attending him, Nephi threw his arms around the servant so he couldn't get away. He told him why they had taken the plates and who had commanded them to. He told him they were fleeing the city and heading to a promised land as commanded by God. Then he asked him a question: "Shouldn't we do what God tells us to?" He also promised him--with an oath--that if he came with them, he'd be a free man and take a vital role in their journey. The servant, whose name was Zoram, seemed to feel the Spirit confirming what Nephi was telling him. He was not spiritually blind like most of Jerusalem's people were.

After Zoram had considered Nephi's offer--still tightly in his grasp--he also made an oath, this one that he would stay with Nephi and his brothers and take part in their journey. Nephi then did something that astounds us--he let go. The record states that as soon as Zoram had made the oath, they no longer worried about him. How can that be? The people of that time, at least those who were upright, regarded oaths with great soberness. You didn't make an oath unless you intended to keep it. Unfortunately, this is not a characteristic of our modern culture, but it certainly was of theirs. Nephi had, as the Arabs still do to this day, offered Zoram an equal place in the family and their tent, and Zoram had readily accepted that refuge.

 

 

 

 

 

Did the Lord help Nephi get the Plates?

Did the Lord help Nephi get the Plates?

 

After Nephi put all of Laban's clothes, armor, and sword on himself, he headed for the treasury. As he did so, he saw Laban's servant. He had the keys. Nephi knew that Laban would keep the record in the treasury, especially with all the robberies going on in Jerusalem at the time. But he needed the keys to get in--and here was the servant that had them. Things were falling into place.

 

From the record, we know that Nephi was a big lad. Apparently when the servant saw Nephi, he readily assumed it was Laban, because he saw a big man with all of Laban's clothes on and the sword at his side. To keep up the charade, Nephi mimicked Laban's voice when he spoke, telling the servant he wanted into the treasury to get the plates. Nephi soon held them in his hands.

 

How gratifying and reassuring it must have been for Nephi to hold the sacred record! For when he held them, his faith in the Lord's promises and commands was powerfully confirmed. All of his faith up to that moment was rewarded--and he knew the Lord had helped him. It was no accident that the servant of Laban happened to be walking by just at the moment Nephi needed the keys. Using his "matchless and marvelous power," the Lord had arranged for that circumstance.

 

Nephi asked the servant to come with him as he carried the plates to his "elder brethren" who were outside the walls of the city. Laban had been out drinking with the "elders" that night, and the servant assumed that's who Nephi was talking about. And so, he followed. Why did Nephi ask the servant to follow him? Wouldn't this complicate matters, allowing a stranger to see who they were? If he told the Jews, surely they would come after them and kill them. 

This is an example of where it's important to slow down when we study the scriptures. In holy writ, every sentence, phrase, and word can be important. It's not the same as reading a novel. Had Nephi left the servant behind, the servant could've told others what he saw. Together Laban's servants could have pieced together who killed Laban and took the plates, and then gotten the word out. Soon the same murderous folks who had sought to kill Lehi when he prophesied in town would be hot on his trail.  

As it turns out, the Spirit was still guiding Nephi, and the servant coming with him would turn out to be a great blessing. The servant was now coming with him on the journey. He wasn't going back to Laban's house. By inspiring Nephi to bring the servant along, the Lord made the trail go completely cold. There were no witnesses left in the city to anything that had happened that night. Lehi could continue with his crucial preparations for the journey to the Promised Land without looking over his shoulder for vengeful pursuers. How merciful and protective the Lord was being with him and his entire family!



Who is the God of Lehi?

Who is the God of Lehi?

 

So far in our study of the Book of Mormon record, we have referred to God as "the Lord". We know from the Bible that the name the ancient Israelites gave to God was "Jehovah". Is this the same God that was leading Lehi and his family?

Later in the record, Mormon tells us a little about himself in the following way:

"Behold, I do make the record on plates which I have made with mine own hands. And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon...Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

Jehovah and Jesus Christ are the same person: the Son of God. This is the Being that warned Lehi to flee Jerusalem and head into the wilderness. Jesus is the one who delivered Laban into the hands of Lehi's sons. Like all the true prophets before him, Lehi prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus. About this, Nephi's younger brother, Jacob, would write the following:

"Not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name."

One of Lehi's descendants, a prophet named "Moroni," would write centuries later:

"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth."

 

We see that this ancient people believed in Christ, and worshipped the Father in His sacred name. He was the God who brought Lehi and his family from Jerusalem to the Promised Land. The Book of Mormon is a witness to His reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Why didin't Laban repent?

Why didn't Laban repent?

Let's review what happened leading up to Laban's death. What did he do to precipitate his own downfall?

First, when Laman asked him if he would give him the plates, he angrily refused, accusing Laman of being a robber and threatening to kill him. Laman had to run for his life. Next, after the brothers had assembled their family fortune and presented it to him as a trade for the plates, he became greedy, told them to get out, and sent his servants to kill them. He wanted the fortune without giving anything in return, even if it meant killing four innocent men to get it.

Now, anyone with a sense of decency would find his behavior utterly violent and repulsive. They might say he was dangerous. What is even more chilling about his behavior is that in Laban we are given a view of the morals--or lack thereof--of many of Jerusalem's inhabitants at the time. They were without principle, sought mainly for worldly wealth and pleasure, and were often murderous. Is it any wonder they tried to kill Lehi, and caused him to flee for his life into the wilderness with his wife and family?

From Nehpi's record, we can tell that Laban was no outlier in Jewish society, but was part and parcel of it, because his servant later told Nephi that Laban had been out with the elders of the Jews. Thus, from Laban's example we can see why the Lord had sent His prophets to warn Jerusalem's people of destruction if the didn't repent. Lehi's had been one of those warning voices, but they had angrily rejected the message.

Given his behavior, it appears that changing his ways was the furthest thing from Laban's mind. In the rough-and-tumble world of Jerusalem, it seems he could hold his own quite well. Why repent? When the Lord's servants came calling, his reaction was the same as that of most of his countrymen: anger. What we learn from Laban's demise is that it's unwise to be unrepentant when the Lords sends His servants to you. We also learn that His patience has its limits.

  

Why did the Spirit command Nephi to kill Laban?

 

Why did the Spirit command Nephi 

to kill Laban?

According to the account, one of the first things Nephi noticed after he found Laban passed out in the street was his sword. He pulled it out of its sheath, noticing as he did so that the hilt--the handle--was of pure gold, and that the blade was of precious and likely very durable steel. It was night time, but there must have been some light, because Nephi could see it was Laban, and also the details of his sword.

Then the voice of the Holy Ghost spoke to him with a startling command: kill Laban. Despite the fact that Laban had tried to kill him and his brothers and stolen his family's substantial wealth, he didn't want to kill Laban. Being the good young man that he was, he recoiled. He had never killed anyone. Then the Spirit spoke to him again: "Slay him, for the Lord has delivered him into your hands. The Lord slays the wicked to bring about His righteous purposes. It is better for one man to die than for an entire nation to dwindle and perish in unbelief."

Nephi thought about what the Holy Ghost had just said. His family needed the Brass Plates to have the Law--God's commandments--so they could know and obey the Law. If they didn't have them written down in a lasting record, they would forget them, and their descendents would eventually lose the true knowledge of God and the blessings that come from doing His will. 

After contemplating this, Nephi obeyed. He grabbed Laban by the hair and cut off his head. This must have been very hard for Nephi to do. But he also realized that if the Lord commanded it, it was necessary. Once Laban was dead, Nephi took Laban's clothes and put them on, including his beautiful sword. Still following the impressions of the Spirit, he headed for Laban's treasury to get the Brass Plates.

Why didn't Laman and Lemuel's faith increase after they saw an angel?

 Q: Why didn't Laman and Lemuel's faith increase after they saw an angel?


A: After loosing all their wealth to Laban, Laman and Lemuel became very angry with Nephi and Sam. And why shouldn't they be angry? After all, their entire fortune was gone, and with nothing to show for it. They were now poor. After hiding in a cave, they started hitting their younger brothers with a long stick, beating on them for having lost their all. At this critical moment, something amazing happened: the Lord intervened.

An angel appeared in front of them. He told them to stop hitting their younger sibling--meaning Nephi--because the Lord had chosen him over them because of his willingness to obey and do God's will. Then he said, "Go back to Jerusalem. The Lord is going to deliver Laban into your hands." The angel then disappeared.

Unbelievably, as soon as the angel left, Laman and Lemuel started saying things like, "How is God going to help us get the plates from Laban? He's a very powerful man, and can kill lots of people when he wants to. So why won't he just kill us?" We may think it astounding that, after seeing an angel with their own eyes and hearing him speak directly to them, they should doubt in the least the ability of the Lord to help them overcome Laban. But the experience they had just had didn't come because of their faith; they apparently had little, if any. For them, seeing an angel was just like seeing a man on the street; it had no impact on their faith, because there was none there.

With his two oldest brothers still voicing their doubts, Nephi crept back into the city. His brothers waited for him outside the walls. It was now dark, and he didn't know what he was going to do. He was relying on the Holy Ghost to guide him. Before long, he came upon a man lying in the street--drunk and out cold. It was Laban. Indeed, the Lord had delivered the mighty Laban into his hands by simply letting Laban indulge in one of his bad habits.