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.