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.