PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
****For anyone reading my blog online, I would like you to know that I am writing this for my Book of Mormon religious studies class at school. I will be going over each chapter in the Book of Mormon from Nephi Chapter 1- Alma Chapter 29. If you are interested in getting a free copy of the Book of Mormon please call 1-877-537-0003 and feel free to write me a note about your findings or questions. I am not a scripture scholar or paid religious leader. I do teach a weekly class to the 13 year old youth in my area and I do this weekly for free. All teaching positions and clergy in my church work for free. These are my notes and the best of my understanding of what I am learning. Please be forgiving of any mistakes I make in my writing or interpretation. These are not the views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or it's members, these views are not doctrine. Please do not judge harshly my church for my lack of understanding or the way I may phrase things. ***
1st Nephi, Chapter One: In verse one Nephi says, "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents." This sentence always confused me because it sounds so much like, "I have good parents." Further inspection of all the footnotes and cross-references in that sentence there were some added insights that I learned. The topical guide gives a reference to a birthright and in the second footnote there is a link to Proverbs, 22:1. In looking at Proverbs 22:1 it says, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." (italics added) So if I re-read this with the understanding from the footnotes it makes a bit more sense to me. If I were to re-write it in my own understanding it might read "I Nephi, having been born into a family where my father had the birthright of additional portion of wealth and where he gave us a prominent family name of high esteem in our community."
Also in chapter one in verse it talks about how Lehi was hearing other prophets talking about how soon Jerusalem would be destroyed. Lehi being concerned, prayed in behalf of his people, with all of his heart. He had a vision of the destruction of his people and also of the Christ who would ultimately through his power and mercy, would redeem the ones who would come unto him.
After Nephi tells about his father's vision he tells how his father goes into Jerusalem and also warns the city like the prophets he had heard himself. The people were angry with him, they didn't want to hear that they were wicked and that their great city could be conquered. Possibly they were more angry with him because he was seen as one of them. Lehi telling them to repent of their wickedness might have come with an additional sting because he wasn't a foreign prophet, he was one of their esteemed peers.
In Chapter 2 the Lord warns Lehi that his life is in danger and that he needs to take his family and leave. Lehi left behind his lands, and his possessions and wealth and only took his family and provisions. It amazes me that Lehi, who was a man who owned lands and who had wealth and was able to provide his children with an education was so willing to drop everything and go into the wilderness with nothing but food, tents and his family. When Nephi wrote the verse in 1st Nephi chapter 2 vs 15: "and my father dwelt in a tent" it probably was quite a shock to see a man of wealth and some prestige living like a pauper in a tent instead of on his estate in Jerusalem.
From the beginning it was clear that Laman and Lemuel struggled with their father's preaching and willingness to abandon their homestead. Laman had the most to lose in terms of riches, lands and his inheritance. Laman was to be the birthright son and receive the extra portion according to Jewish custom and law. Walking away from all of their gold and silver as well must have had an extra insult to him because usually a large part of that wealth would have been his. Nephi did not understand it either so he prayed to God to try to understand in verse 16. It was only after he prayed and the Lord "did soften my heart that I did believe." If Nephi didn't pray and receive his own knowledge he may have rebelled much like his older brothers did. He then spoke and testified to his brother Sam and then Sam believed Nephi's words. It seems that the whole family, not just Laman and Lemuel were struggling. The only difference is that Nephi was humble and asked of God when his brothers did not.
1st Nephi chapter 3. The Lord asks more of the family and requests that the brother's return to Jerusalem. Again, this has to be extremely hard for the oldest two to again see everything they left behind, all of their comforts of home, for indefinitely long camping trip. In verse 5 the brothers tell their father that "it is a hard thing which I have required of them" and Lehi tells them that it wasn't him but the Lord who needed them to go back to retrieve the plates. In the same situation I think it would be extremely hard not to complain and not to understand why you would need to be tortured with having to go again and see all that you would never enjoy again. Only with a confirmation of the Lord for better understanding was Nephi able to not complain about such an emotionally painful task.
Despite his shortcomings Laman needs some credit, him and Nephi do go and do as their father had asked and did not resolve to give up, give in, or stay behind in the city. Laman is the first to go and ask of the plates of brass from Laban and is threatened with death for asking and is chased from the house of Laban. Having Laban threaten his life Laman must have been very frightened and disheartened after all he was trying to obey and things were not going well. He wanted to leave, after all he had done what was asked of him.
Verse 15-22 Nephi tells them that until they have the plates, they will not be returning to their father and he comes up with a plan to use their left behind wealth to buy the plates from Laban. It's a logical next step, Laban is a man of wealth and prominence and many people would be willing to trade plates of brass for the more valuable gold and silver the brothers had to offer. Verse 25 states, "Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it" so what they were offering was substantial. Instead of doing a fair trade he sends his servants to take it and kill the brothers and he keeps the wealth without following through with the trade.
So if we add it up, Laban had attempted to murder Laman for just asking for the plates. Laban stole their substantial wealth and then again he tries to murder Nephi and his brothers after stealing from them. That is 3 times that Laban had done harm to the family of Lehi and committed crimes that during that time and under middle eastern law should be punishable by death. Even by today's standards in that region of the world you probably would be sentenced to death for the serious nature of these crimes.
After the brother's fled from Laban they hid outside the city and hid in the cavity of a rock. They were frightened and angry and decided to take out their frustrations on their younger brothers by hitting them with a rod. Verses 29 & 30 an angel has to intervene and stop the brothers for their assault on Nephi and Sam. The part that astounds me is that in the very next verse 31, Laman and Lemuel go right back into being more afraid of Laban and the challenge in front of them then trusting in God to save them. I can't judge them too harshly because in my own life, I know the right things to do quite often and yet I fear what others may think of me or my ability to do hard things.
Chapter 4 Nephi tries to give his brothers a pep talk but they still don't want to hear it, nevertheless they still go again to try and get the plates. Nephi leaves his brothers outside the wall that surrounds the city and he goes to the house of Laban. He sees a drunk, laying in the street and discovers that it is Laban himself laying there alone. He sees his sword and pulls it out to admire it. That also strikes me as funny. He is sent to do a task but is distracted by something shiny. It could have been anything but apparently swords are something in Nephi's personality or experience that appeal to him and maybe he has experience with because he in vs 9 stands there and admires the materials and the workmanship. For a lady into nice shoes, it could have been a beautiful high heel that she stops to admire and then we would have the first scripture related death by stiletto.
In verse 10 Nephi is told to kill Laban. Even though legally he has the right to after Laban has threatened his family twice and stolen great riches from them, Nephi does not want to enact justice on him. He has no desire to kill him and he "shrunk and would that I might not slay him." Verse 11 Nephi is reminded of the crimes against Laban. Verse 12-18 it is spelled out for Nephi that their posterity will not have the word of the Lord and be able to be saved without the plates. They have the laws and promises of God in them and all of his posterity will be in spiritual darkness if he shrinks from what has to be done in this moment.
In verse 15 it talks about how they were required to keep the law of Moses (eye for an eye stuff) and the laws and requirements of man and the church were written upon those brass plates. So Nephi does as he is commanded to and kills Laban. He then puts his clothing on and goes to Laban's treasury to obtain the plates. It's interesting to note that Nephi does not take back his father's possessions or any other treasures from Laban. He was there to get the history and the law and that is all he took. He asks the servant of the treasury to carry them outside the wall and the servant obeys.
Vs 28 Laban, Lemuel and Sam think Nephi is Laban and they run. Nephi calls after them and then he finds that the servant realizes it's not Laban so he gets ready to run. Vs 31 Nephi tackles the servant and makes it so he can't flee. He tells him what is going on and asks the man whom we learn is named Zoram to promise not to run. Zoram agrees and decides to go with Nephi and his family into the wilderness.
Chapter 5
Vs 1-9 Even Sariah looses faith in her husband Lehi. She is worried that his vision of the destruction of their home was false, she is worried that she has now lost her sons as well. When her sons return, her faith in her husband and in God is restored. Her trials in the wilderness and her worry for the well-being of her children weakened her resolve as trials often weaken our dedication in our worthy goals.
vs 10-Lehi and Nephi study the plates and they rejoice in the content of them. They see now why the plates were so important for them to take with them out of the city of Jerusalem. The brass plates also contains their family history.
*In doing a little research, I found that the family of Lehi left the city around 600 B.C. and the city was conquered by the Babylonians in approximately 587 B.C. so the destruction Lehi saw came about 13 years after they left the city.*
