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.