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.

Why do I believe the Book of Mormon is the Word of God?

Why do I Believe the Book of Mormon is the Word of God?

A: When I was first introduced to the Book of Mormon, I knew nothing about it. The missionaries who were teaching me about the Church and its beliefs claimed it was the word of God, just like the Bible is the word of God. They said that if I studied the book, I could know for myself that it was true through the power of the Holy Ghost. I knew about the Holy Ghost, since I'd been taught of his existence in my upbringing as a Catholic.

Trusting in God, I began reading the Book of Mormon, not just to test its authenticity, but also to see what it had to say. The Latter-day Saint family that had introduced me to the Church lent me some picture-book versions of the book, designed to help young readers understand what it was talking about. As I read the picture books, I could see that a prophet-father had left Jerusalem with his wife and children and was traveling through the desert toward America, a promised land. The Lord was openly leading, guiding, and helping them on their journey.

Then, I started reading the book itself instead of the big book with visual aides. As I read, I asked the Lord in prayer that He would tell me or show me if the book was true. This went on for a number of weeks as I studied the book. One night, after praying on my knees that the Lord would answer my prayer, I crawled into bed. Very shortly, I received a witness through the Holy Ghost that not only demonstrated to me that the Book of Mormon is true, but also that God indeed exists and loves me more than I can express. It was a gift of testimony directly from the Lord Himself.

Why is this important? Because you can receive the same witness I did through the power of the Holy Ghost. Just follow the same steps I did, and sincerely ask God to show you if the book is true. I bear testimony that He will.

Why did Lehi's sons fail at first to get the Brass Plates?

Q: Why did Lehi's sons fail at first to get the Brass Plates?

A: Although all four of Lehi's sons made the long trip back to Jerusalem, it appears they didn't enlist the Lord's help directly. They knew where Laban lived, and cast lots to see on whom would fall the burden of asking him for the plates. When this first attempt fell flat on its face, Laman and Lemuel wanted to give up, but Nephi talked them into a second, stronger approach: to trade the riches their father left behind at their house for the Brass Plates.

This time, all four brothers went into Laban's house and laid out their massive wealth in front of him. They offered it all to him for the plates, and they did so in good faith. However, this is where Laban's true character came to the forefront. He proved himself greedy and murderous, first by kicking them out of his house carrying all their heavy stuff, and second by ordering his servants to chase and kill them so he could get it. Luckily the brothers outran their attackers, but only by dropping all their valuables, sprinting away, and hiding in a cave.

Why hadn't their attempts to get the plates worked? After all, wasn't it the Lord that told them to get them, and wasn't He supposed to help them? Again, it appears that, although they had made a valiant effort on their second attempt, they still hadn't asked Him directly for help and inspiration on how to get the plates successfully. This was a crucial omission on their part. However, because He's a merciful Being, the Lord would soon come to their aid.

Why did the Lord command Lehi's sons to return to Jerusalem?

Q: Why did the Lord command Lehi's sons to return to Jerusalem?

When Nephi returned to his family's camp on the River Laman, his dad told him the Lord had a very important mission for him and his brothers: to return to Jerusalem to get the Plates of Brass. A powerful man named "Laban" had them, and Lehi had already told Laman and Lemuel about their mission. True to character, they had complained vociferously. After all, they had just traveled a long way to get to where they were, and now they had to go back? Their father truly was getting carried away. And besides, getting Laban to give up the plates would be tough indeed, perhaps impossible.

Lehi explained to Nephi that the Plates of Brass had the geneology of his fathers and more importantly, all of God's commandments engraved on them. Having the plates would also help them to keep their language intact, since they would have a large written record to work from when teaching their children to read and write.

Unlike his two oldest brothers, Nephi responded in a way that gave his dad great hope. Nephi said he would go and do what the Lord wanted because he knew the Lord wouldn't tell them to do it if He wasn't also going to help them get it done. This demonstrated to Lehi that his youngest son was beginning to understand the ways of the Lord, something he could only have gained through studying and thinking about the scriptures and sincere prayer.

Background Notes

At the time the Book of Mormon record was published, it was claimed to have been written originally on metal plates. This claim was almost universally ridiculed, since no other examples of such ancient records were known at the time. As of today, however, literally hundreds of such records on metal plates, including on gold, have since been discovered. Three notable examples are the record on gold plates of Darius I, King of Persia (518 BC), found in 1938 in Iran, the Etruscan Gold Book (600 BC), discovered in Bulgaria around 1945, and the famous Copper Scrolls found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran (50-100 AD).

Let's see what we've learned so far...

Let's see what we've learned so far...

We've covered only the first two chapters of the Book of Mormon, and already we've learned some fundamental spiritual truths, which include the following:

1. The Lord calls and works through prophets to bless and warn His people, that is, His children.

2. Anyone can pray directly to the Lord and have their prayers answered.

3. Depending on a person's faith, the Lord often works through spiritual manifestations, such as dreams and visions.

4. The Lord will test our faith and often requires what appear to be great sacrifices of us, but delivers from danger those who trust in him.

5. Prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah many centuries before His birth.

6. Even good parents with strong faith can have children with little or no faith in God.

Background Notes

1. Lehi was familiar with the desert wilderness south of Jerusalem, including where the water sources were located; he didn't hesitate to head into this largely uninhabited wasteland with his wife and children.

2. Lehi was familiar with Arab and Egyptian culture, and used names for his sons from these cultures.

3. Lehi employed a very ancient form of Arabic poetry in trying to inspire Laman and Lemuel to live a more upright life.

4. No one in the Western World was familiar with the accurate and ancient location names and cultural mannerisms used in the first two chapters of the Book of Mormon when it was published in 1830.