The Second Book of Nephi (2 Nephi 1)

The Second Book of Nephi carries us fully into the new and promised land we now know to be the Americas. This book, like 1st Nephi, holds many prophecies about the Western hemisphere. In chapter 1, we also learn more about Israel being scattered and a last effort by Lehi to invite Laman and Lemuel to repent.

Lehi was the patriarch or oldest living male of the group. The word "patriarch" is of Greek derivation and means father-ruler; the Hebrew word it translates is simply father. Lehi held the priesthood "after the holy order of the Son of God", or, for short, the Melchizedek priesthood. It was the same priesthood authority held by Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and Moses. As such, it held the keys (or permission) to give father's blessings such as what Issac gave to Jacob and Esau and what Jacob (Israel) gave to his twelve sons.

In 2 Nephi chapters 1 through 4, Lehi gives a father's blessing to the following (in order of mention by chapter):

1. Laman - chapter 1
   
2. Lemuel - chapter 1
   
3. Sam - chapter 1
   
4. Sons of Ishmael - chapter 1
   
5. Zoram - chapter 1
   
6. Jacob - chapter 2
   
7. Joseph - chapter 3
   
8. Children of Laman - chapter 4
9. Children of Lemuel - chapter 4
10. Children of Sons of Ishmael - chapter 4
    
11. Children of Sam - chapter 4
    

It is notable that:

• The order of blessings follows that of Hebrew tradition--that is from oldest to youngest--with the exception of the Children of the Sons of Ishmael and the Children of Sam switching places in the age hierarchy. That Joseph Smith, if he had made it all up out of his head, didn't simply go the easier route and just list these descendants in the same order as their fathers is striking. One wonders if perhaps Ishmael's sons' descendants were somehow, on average, older than the children of Sam.
  
• Zoram and the sons of Ishmael were not Lehi's blood descendants. They receive the father's blessing from Lehi because Ishmael had passed away at Nahom, back on the Arabian peninsula, and Zoram had joined the group as part of an oath to Nephi without his own father accompanying him.
• Lehi doesn't specifically address Nephi. He really only makes reference to Nephi when comparing to and contrasting with Nephi's blessings the blessings that others will receive. There isn't much in the text to suggest why this is the case. One might suppose that Nephi was simply too modest to include his own blessing in these chapters, or that he felt it was sufficiently covered in his own written prophecies.

As expected at this point, Laman and Lemuel's patriarchal blessings were full of dire warnings that terrible things would happen to their posterity if they didn't repent and obey the commandments from the Lord through Nephi. They had "pushed their luck" far too much and were being told in no uncertain terms that they were at a tipping point. Either they would be obedient and be blessed, or they would rebel and the family would split up, Nephi's descendants would be blessed materially and spiritually, and Laman and Lemuel's would be cursed materially and spiritually.

In chapter 1, Lehi also rejoices in his own blessings:

• "the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea"
• "how ^amerciful the Lord had been in ^bwarning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem"
• "had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have ^eperished"
• "we have obtained a ^aland of promise, a land which is ^bchoice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath ^ccovenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed"

Additionally, Lehi sets forth the conditions under which the Lord allows any people to inhabit the Americas:

• "they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given"
• "if iniquity shall abound ^ccursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever"
• "this land should be ^akept as yet from the knowledge of other ^bnations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance"
• ^"binasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall ^cprosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves"
• "when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in ^aunbelief...if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true ^bMessiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is ^cjust shall rest upon them"

Lehi is speaking out of the dust to all Americans--from the northernmost reaches of Canada down to Tierra del Fuego. 2 Nephi 1:10 is therefore one of the most important verses any of us here in the Western hemisphere can read if we value "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness".

Nephi explains Isaiah to his family (1 Nephi 22)

Nephi was orally teaching his family about Isaiah as well as writing it down. Chapter 22 is devoted to the reaction of Laman and Lemuel to Nephi's interpretation of Isaiah. As we will see in the next book of the Book of Mormon, Second Nephi, this appears to have been a turning point such that the family would soon divide into two opposing tribes.

Their main question, in 1 Nephi 22:1, was whether what Isaiah was describing was "spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh". In other words, in today's terms, their question was somewhat loaded. They wanted to know whether it was meant to be figurative or real.

Nephi gently corrects them by saying that because the words of Isaiah were received through the Spirit, that in that sense they were spiritual. They were also temporal (literal) in that they would someday come to pass.

He describes what today we call "the diaspora", or the great scattering of the twelve tribes of Israel such that ten of those tribes were completely lost in the great populations of the earth.

Nephi goes on to explain that it is through the Gentiles that Israel will be gathered back to their ancestral homeland.

Verses 7-9 describe how the Gentiles would found a great nation which would be instrumental in scattering Laman and Lemuel's posterity. Then, the Lord would restore the Gospel through the Gentiles and gather together the remnant of the people left over. In the LDS Church, we understand the fulfillment of this prophecy to be the founding of the United States of America and the various Latin American countries by European nations (what the Jews would consider "Gentiles").

The Lord would use these events as a catalyst for gathering from all parts of the world every living descendant (and deceased, through restored temple ordinances) of the house of Israel, most particularly those of the lost ten tribes.

At the end of the gathering, the Lord will destroy any worldly organizations that rise up to fight against His Gospel and who try to persecute His servants. He will miraculously preserve the righteous during that terrible time. "Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet [Isaiah], they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire."

People who read the Bible today often ask the question "In what way will Satan be bound when Christ comes?" While it is tempting to think of Satan, the individual, tied up with ropes so he can't bother us anymore, he is a spirit with free will and cannot be contained in that way, even by God, who will never force anyone to do anything against their will.

Rather, the Book of Mormon clearly teaches that because of the faith in Christ of those righteous people remaining after the destruction, they will be righteous (Christ's atonement covering their sins) "And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth."

Quite literally, they will not be tempted by Satan because they will not have a desire to sin because of their faith in Christ. They will know where such things lead, based on the experience of witnessing the destruction of the world, and will instead reject temptations when they come and choose to obey only righteous principles.

The overall message Nephi has for his brothers is to repent so that they can be counted among the righteous when the Lord comes the second time at the end of the world.

30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God.

31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen.

The Role of the Compass (1 Nephi 18, Part II)

"And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work."

These are the words of Nephi as we return to the events that occurred after he calls Laman and Lemuel and those that heeded them to repentance. The ship they had built was well on its way to the promised land, they had been preserved numerous times in miraculous ways by God's power, yet they had returned to their riotous and rebellious ways of living.

The compass, yet another miracle showing God's power, ceased to point the direction in which they should steer the ship to arrive safely in the promised land. They were now adrift in a storm (see vs. 13) and for four days were not only driven backwards, but were dangerously close to being capsized.

After much lamentation and suffering on the part of the righteous members of the group, Laman and Lemuel finally saw that their actions had contributed to their dire situation and agreed to untie Nephi.

Immediately, the compass began to function again. Nephi prayed for deliverance and the storm abated. The sea calmed and Nephi again directed the ship toward the promised land using the direction given by the compass.

We should pause to note here how the compass was a physical reminder to them, much like manna was to the children of Israel, of the absolute necessity of relying on the guidance of the Spirit at all times and in all places. In order for us to hear the promptings of the Spirit in our hearts, we have to be living in such a way that we can recognize those promptings. The Lord provided the compass as a way to create a more recognizable dependency to show how lost they would be without Him.

Note that Nephi and Lehi seem to have gotten along just fine without the compass directing their every move. Numerous times we read of both Lehi and Nephi listening to the Spirit and responding to it and the compass is not mentioned as part of those experiences. They both had visions and angelic visits that seem to be separate from the experience of using the compass for guidance.

The compass, then, seems to have been prepared for the members of the family who were less inclined to listen to the Spirit. More importantly, it shows that the Lord did not forsake them for this, but made every effort to include them in the migration to the promised land so they could participate in the blessings found there for themselves and their posterity. He could have left them behind in Jerusalem to perish, yet did everything possible to give them the benefit of their own doubts so they could share in the same blessings as those who were inclined to listen to the Spirit.

God's plan was greater than Laman and Lemuel's disobedience.

Likewise, God's plan for us is greater than our individual disobedience. The Book of Mormon and other holy scriptures are modern-day compasses to guide us in these latter days. If we heed them, we will be blessed and guided. If we reject them, we will reap certain consequences, but God will still endeavor to bring us back to Him through adversity.

As soon as they arrive in the promised land, they begin to plant seeds that they had brought with them. Whether they were commanded to bring seeds or whether it seemed like a good idea when confronted with the unknowns of a new land is not noted in the Book of Mormon. But we do see that the Jaredites (see the Book of Ether), who came to the Americas at the time of the Tower of Babel many centuries before Lehi's group, also brought seeds with them. Therefore, it stands to reason that they were commanded of the Lord to do so for some purpose not stated.

Nephi's record shows that many animals were found in the promised land. The latest research into what animals existed in the Americas near 600 B.C. will be the subject of another post.

Nephi Finishes the Ship (1 Nephi 18, Part I)

"It is good, brother. It is very good."

Those are words we might imagine Laman or Lemuel saying to Nephi as the ship was completed. For a brief time, it seems, the family is unified in humility and faith. They loaded provisions, made ready, and launched into the ocean in the few verses that Nephi records of this momentous event.

He also mentions the births of two brothers, Jacob and Joseph. Their ages at the ship's launch are not known since it states that they were born at some point "in the wilderness". We do know, however, that Jacob was the eldest and that Joseph was younger and the wilderness journey was about eight years. Therefore both of them were between one and eight years of age.

Unfortunately, after many days on the ocean, everyone seems to have settled into their regular roles and rhythm. We again see Laman and Lemuel becoming spiritually slothful. Nephi describes them as beginning to "dance, and to sing". Not that there is anything wrong with dancing and singing. That has always been approved by the Lord as a form of worship. However, he also states that they began to "speak with much rudeness", which corresponded more to the rioting and revelling of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai than to worship. This conclusion is borne out when we read that they again "did forget by what power they had been brought thither".

Nephi, hoping to correct them and bring them back to a more gentle and worshipful way of life, speaks up, only to be verbally and physically assaulted once again. In their minds, Nephi opening his mouth meant that he was trying to take away from them their birthright as being eldest sons and they lived in constant fear that he might be trying to make himself a king over them.

It is worth pausing here to further analyze how we can compare their attitudes to those found in the world today. Certainly there is a great amount of rhetoric coming from those who profess that there is no God, or that those who believe in God are trying to "shove religion down others' throats". It has become a common complaint by a loud minority in an increasingly vocal and connected society.

Considering that those who revile today against people who openly confess faith in a higher power are living under the same fear as Laman and Lemuel is not much of a stretch. One of the most common epithets hurled at believers is that they are trying to set up a theocracy (a form of government based on divine law), which is a word that holds a negative connotation after the Taliban reared its ugly head in post-Soviet Afghanistan. Suddenly, anyone who believes in God is in danger of persecution from secularists as if all believers are foot soldiers for the dictator of some kind of new world order.

Was Nephi trying to set up a theocracy? Reading further on in the Book of Mormon, we find that he was not, at least not by today's definition of the word. Nephi was simply trying to teach his people to live "after the manner of happiness." The prophets of all ages have taught that there is no lasting happiness in sin, and Nephi's cause was no different.

Upon further analysis based on simple observation, we find that the opposite is actually becoming more true. Secularism is becoming the dominant religion and tyrannical government all its own.

Look around you. When you turn on the television, open a newspaper, search the Internet, or read a magazine, what comprises the bulk of the content you see? Count how many are trying to lure you into accepting adultery and fornication as normal behavior between consenting adults. Tally the number of messages that are about buying a new car early and often. Add up the propaganda with the subtext of "you're never going to be beautiful enough", "you'll never have enough gadgets and toys", and "you'll never be thin until you try this new drug". Happiness, apparently, comes packaged as a standard GPS system in your automobile, a makeover, or some new weight loss pill. It is clear that a gospel is being preached here...just a different kind--the gospel of secularism.

I like what the late LDS presidency 1st Counselor James E. Faust said in a general conference at the turn of the millennium.

"In our time the belief that science and technology can solve all of mankind’s problems has become a theocracy. I would despair if I thought our eternal salvation depended on scientific, technical, or secular knowledge separate from righteousness and the word of God. The word of God as spoken by His prophets through the centuries justifies no other conclusion. Many believe that the transcendent answers to life’s questions lie in the test tube, in the laboratories, in the equations, and in the telescopes. This theocracy of science leaves out the ultimate answer to the overarching question, “Why?” Knowing cause and effect is fascinating but does not explain why we are here, where we came from, and where we are going. As Albert Einstein said, “I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world.” 5

"President Harold B. Lee once said: “No matter what his progress in science, man must always be subject to the will and direction of Divine Providence. Man has never discovered anything that God has not already known.” 6

"I do not believe that this great outpouring of knowledge happened by chance. All of this secular knowledge did not come solely from the creative minds of men and women. Mankind has been on the earth a long time. Over the centuries, knowledge came at a snail’s pace.

"I believe that the appearance of God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in 1820 to Joseph Smith unlocked the heavens not only to the great spiritual knowledge revealed in this dispensation but also to secular knowledge. “Anthropologists inform us that for thousands of years the average human being could expect to live about 25 to 30 years.” 7 But since the late 19th century, life expectancy worldwide has risen to 64 years. 8 New ideas, including scientific inventions and discoveries of better ways of doing things, were being produced annually at 39 a year from 4,000 b.c. to a.d. 1, contrasted to 3,840 new ideas a year in the 19th century, while today they are created at the rate of 110,000 a year. 9

"Now comes the challenge to prevent the scientific, technical, and intellectual from stifling the spiritual enlightenment in our lives. As someone once said, “The greatest of undeveloped resources [in our country] is faith; the greatest of unused power is prayer.” 10 Technology may help us communicate with each other and the world, but not with God."

What do members of the LDS church think about theocracy? We view it in a much different way than the standard definition pushed by the mainstream media today. It certainly is not a system of government headed by a heavy-handed dictator who crushes everyone who opposes him. The word "theocracy" doesn't even appear in our books of scripture. We prefer to call it, simply, the kingdom of God on the earth.

In this kingdom, God (the King) teaches us right ways of living and we proceed to govern ourselves according to that law. If sin is committed, the law allows for repentance ("turning away") from sin and punishment is deferred until the afterlife, when all possible other options to bring us back to Him have been exhausted. People choose to be governed by this law by voluntarily becoming members of God's kingdom by their own free will and choice. If they later disagree with the Gospel's teachings, they are free to leave and no longer be governed by it. Likewise, they are also free to leave behind the blessings that they had been committed to receiving and would have retained had they remained faithful.

King Mosiah, in Mosiah chapter 29 of the Book of Mormon, set up the kingdom of God among his people in much this same way.

Considering all the evil that has come about in the modern world as a result of secularist agendas, not the least of which being the push by elitists for eugenics in the early 1930s that gave rise to the modern abortionist and anti-semitism movements which have killed millions upon millions, which "theocracy" is to be feared the most?

Nephi Begins to Build a Ship (1 Nephi 17)

Nephi gives the direction as "nearly eastward" in which they traveled for the remainder of their journey. If the speculated path of their travels is correct, this would cause them to be leaving the area of Nahom and heading into the most dangerous parts of southern Arabia...the present-day country of Yemen. It was likely a route through what is more commonly known as "The Empty Quarter" or "Al-Rub Al-Khali". Even today, this is a treacherous route, filled with wandering groups of nomads and full of lawlessness. The general condition is survival of the fittest as each group takes advantages of anothers weaknesses so as to survive on the scarce resources available in that area. This is the most likely reason why we are told by Nephi that their family subsisted on raw (uncooked) meat for the duration of that part of the journey. Had they built fires (even if fuel for such would have been available), they would have immediately drawn unwanted attention to themselves and been targeted by other tribes.

Heading almost directly eastward toward the Dhofar region of Oman would take them to a little band of verdant and fertile land. Whether they knew their ultimate destination at this point is not recorded, but it would make sense that they would have at least heard from the natives of Nahom that there would be a desirable destination at the end of that long and arduous trail. If not, it is safe to assume that they simply followed the compass and directions given to them by the Lord.

Upon arrival in this green oasis which they would call Bountiful, this is what they found:



It must have been a marvelous place in their sight after thousands of miles of sand, rocks, and looming demise. Not only that, but it is simply incredible that Joseph Smith, if, as the critics believe, he made it all up, would have guessed on pure luck a route that perfectly matches what we find in that region today. No maps of that area of the world existed for him to consult and no one in upstate New York had any inkling of what topology resources existed on the remotest southeast edge of Arabia.

Almost immediately after they arrive, the Lord speaks to Nephi and tells him to get up into a mountain for further instructions. Nephi obeys and when he arrives is told he is to build a ship large enough and strong enough to carry his family and provisions over the sea to a promised land. Any other man would have complained loudly about having to leave this newfound security for more uncertainty, but not Nephi. He simply asked where he might go to find ore so that he could make tools. The area of Khor Kharfot in this green region was found to have a deposit of a type of limonite or ferroan dolomite ore which has a composition such that it would have easily been turned refined into tools given what Nephi describes he was able to use to refine it.

Nephi's obedience by now is an expected reaction to seemingly impossible commandments. Likewise, Laman's and Lemuel's reactions seem to be just as predictable on the other end of the spectrum. Upon seeing Nephi preparing to build a ship, they immediately point out the lunacy of the endeavor and pour down verbal persecution on Nephi. No mention is made of Nephi ever asking them to help him, yet they seem to feel that he eventually will.

As if Nephi has finally has has had enough (after eight years of complaining), he counterargues that were it not for the miracles of the prophet Moses, they wouldn't even be having this conversation. If God could part the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross on dry ground, God could make even the ocean into dry earth for them to cross over to the promised land. And if God could command that to happen, he could help Nephi to build a ship. (What also comes to mind here is the fact that Noah and seven of his family members built an ark that carried them to safety in the flood.) Nephi then reminds them of every miracle they had experienced thus far and their not having learned the intended lessons.

Of course, this made Laman and Lemuel very angry and they attempted to lay hands on him to throw him into the sea, but Nephi warned them that if they should touch him, they would wither "as a dried reed".

At this point, the Spirit must have been upon Nephi and on his brethren because Laman and Lemuel were visibly confounded and didn't even dare to touch him for several days. The Lord had Nephi further demonstrate His power to them by commanding Nephi to stretch out his hand with the intent that instead of withering, they would be "shocked" or "shaken".

It must have been an impressive feeling because it caused both of them to fall down and attempt to worship Nephi. He stopped them and simply told them to stop being rebellious, to honor their father and mother, and to worship God.

Murmuring in the Wilderness (1 Nephi 16 Part III)

34 And it came to pass that ^aIshmael died, and was buried in the place which was called ^bNahom.

The family had passed through their first major trial in the desert, and now one of the joint patriarchs of the combined families, Ishmael, is called out of this world into the next. The family, grief stricken and mourning, bury him in a place called Nahom.

As Steve Smoot explained in his excellent post on this subject, this event is one of the best and earliest indicators that Joseph Smith was not a fraud.

Here is a map of the probable route of Lehi through the Arabian Peninsula.


View Larger Map

Here is a video for more explanation and visuals that really illustrate the impact of this information.



The name "Nahom" corresponds directly to the situation and place as Nephi describes it as well as to a place and its purpose in our day. As with all proofs given of the Book of Mormon, critics have endeavored to attack even this plain evidence of authenticity. However, those objections have been adequately debunked as well.

Yet again, we see how fragile the faith of Laman and Lemuel can be as they turn this potentially faith-building event into more cause to complain. In other words, they could have turned to the scriptures and to the teachings of the prophets to try to understand death and what it means to be mortal vs. immortal. They could have mediated upon the promises the Lord had made to them numerous times before. They could have prayed for strength to overcome their sadness and to gain hope of better things to come. The could have served the grieving family members with love and compassion.

Instead, they turned against Lehi and Nephi and even threatened to kill them both. The irony of such desires as a consequence of mourning the death of Ishmael is alarming.

It is Satan's plan to compound our grief with even more grief, heaping on a good dose of vengeance.

It is God's plan that we overcome our grief with hope of salvation and exaltation, heaping on a good dose of forgiveness and humility to accept the tests and tasks He presents to us.

But all was not lost yet for Laman and Lemuel. Even with their threatenings and feelings of hatred and jealousy, they had not progressed so far down the path of unrighteousness as to merit being cut off. The Lord was still interested in recovering them and guiding them to repentance. Verse 39 states:

39 And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did ^achasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.

As with all things in the Book of Mormon, we are invited to apply these events to our own lives and see what parallels there may be. If we take the time to do that, we can avoid many of the pitfalls that plagued Laman and Lemuel. Consequently, we can reap the blessings and spirituality that came to Nephi and those who were righteous and didn't murmur.

Prayer as a Commandment (1 Nephi 15)

After Nephi had received this vision, he had to come back to the harsh realities of this world, for his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, despite their previous experiences with angels and God's protection, were still not believers in revelation from God.

Nephi relates that his brothers came to him with many questions about what he and their father, Lehi, had seen.

3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be ^aunderstood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

They told Nephi that they couldn't understand what Lehi and Nephi were telling them about natural branches of an olive tree, a rod of iron, a tree with fruit, and a filthy river. Nephi was direct in asking them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"

"We have not;" they said, "for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

Nephi responded, "How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?"

In other words, they had been taught, correctly, that asking God is a commandment whenever we are in doubt or are confused about anything at all. It's not something to be treated lightly or tossed aside because of our unbelief or doubts. We have an obligation to approach God and ask Him for wisdom.

This is the principle problem with the Book of Mormon. Not that the book itself has problems, but that people will renounce it out of hand, after reading just a few pages, by declaring it unreadable, boring, difficult to understand.

What they really mean is that they don't understand or don't want to comply with the commandment from God to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7)

How is it done? Through prayer! When we feel that we should not pray to know the truth of something, we are paying more attention to the devil than we are to God. For, "if ye would hearken unto the ^aSpirit which teacheth a man to ^bpray ye would know that ye must ^cpray; for the ^devil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray."

Alma, a prophet we will read about in a later book, taught:

Alma 34:17-27

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your ^afaith unto repentance, that ye begin to ^bcall upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is ^amighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in ^aprayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your ^afields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 ^aCry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your ^aenemies.

23 Yea, ^acry unto him against the ^bdevil, who is an enemy to all ^crighteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must ^apour out your souls in your ^bclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your ^ahearts be ^bfull, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your ^cwelfare, and also for the welfare of ^dthose who are around you.

It is a theme that is repeated frequently in scripture.

1. Matt. 21: 22
   22 And all ^athings, whatsoever ye shall ^bask in ^cprayer, believing, ye shall receive.
2. John 16: 24
   24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ^aask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
3. James 4: 3
   3 Ye ^aask, and receive not, because ye ^bask ^camiss, that ye may ^dconsume it upon your ^elusts.
4. 1 Jn. 3: 22
   22 And whatsoever we ^aask, we receive of him, because we ^bkeep his ^ccommandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
5. Enos 1: 15
   15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to ^apreserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
6. Mosiah 4: 21
   21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive...
7. 3 Ne. 18: 20
   20 And ^awhatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
8. 3 Ne. 27: 29
   29 Therefore, ^aask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
9. Moro. 7: 26
   26 And after that he came men also were ^asaved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the ^bsons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: ^cWhatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
10. Moro. 10: 4
    4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
11. D&C 35: 9
    9 And whoso shall ask it in my name in ^afaith, they shall ^bcast out ^cdevils; they shall heal the ^dsick; they shall cause the blind to receive their ^esight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk.
12. D&C 50: 31
    31 Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that if you behold a ^aspirit manifested that you cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus; and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God.
13. D&C 66: 9
    9 Lay your ^ahands upon the ^bsick, and they shall ^crecover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. ^dAsk, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
14. D&C 88: 63
    63 ^aDraw ^bnear unto me and I will draw near unto you; ^cseek me diligently and ye shall ^dfind me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
15. Moses 6: 52
    52 And he also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be ^abaptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of ^bgrace and truth, which is Jesus ^cChrist, the only ^dname which shall be given under heaven, whereby ^esalvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.

It is clear from these and many other passages what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to talk to Him and ask Him for wisdom.

Will you ask God whether what you are reading in the Book of Mormon is true?

Laman and Lemuel return to Jerusalem...without complaining (1 Nephi 7)

Almost immediately after their journey to Jerusalem to get the brass plates, Lehi received another revelation from the Lord.

1 And now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of ^aprophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take ^bdaughters to ^cwife, that they might raise up ^dseed unto the Lord in the land of promise.

2 And it came to pass that the Lord ^acommanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.

3 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did ^aagain, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.

This is one of the more humorous parts of the Book of Mormon simply because Nephi makes no mention of any complaints. Laman and Lemuel appear to be perfectly happy to return to Jerusalem now that there is the possibility of bringing women back with them. :)

Ishmael is the father of the daughters for whom Nephi, Sam, Laman, and Lemuel return. We don't know too much about how the family of Lehi and the family of Ishmael knew one another. It could be that they were near kinsmen, which Lehi might have deduced after reading the genealogy contained in the brass plates. Nevertheless, it appears that Ishmael was willing to follow Lehi into the wilderness with his entire family. Therefore, it's more than likely that, at the very least, Ishmael originally sympathized with Lehi and was eager to leave Jerusalem before it fell to the Babylonians.

Laman and Lemuel's change of heart didn't last very long. On the way back to Lehi's camp, they, and some of Ishmael's own family, rebelled against "Nephi, and Sam, and their father, Ishmael, and his wife, and his three other daughters."

Nephi is quick to remind them of how the Lord has already supported them and their ancestors through many worse things and that if they would just be faithful, the Lord would give them a land of promise. If they want to go back, Nephi tells them, they can make that choice and perish with the rest.

Laman and Lemuel become furious and tie up Nephi to leave him to be eaten by wild beasts. Exercising his faith in the Lord, Nephi asks God for strength to break his bonds. Nephi is granted that power and is able to break free. This is a great example of faith as a principle of power. Nephi didn't ask for the Lord to come down and break his bonds for him. Rather, he asked that the Lord would amplify his own meager strength to free himself. We benefit from the Lord's help only when we put forth our own efforts and let Him do the rest. Otherwise, we begin to take His power for granted, or think that it is somehow by our own strength we are able to emerge from troubles. When He gives us more power than we know we have on our own, the lesson we learn is much more clear. To the contrary, taking His power for granted is the major mistake Laman and Lemuel have made and continue to make as they travel to the promised land.

But this time, something about this experience temporarily humbles those who rebelled. They repent, asking Nephi for forgiveness. He is quick to give it for his own part and then to remind them that their duty to ask forgiveness is not to him, but to God for having rebelled against His commandments.

Upon returning, they perform sacrifices and burnt offerings in accordance with the law of Moses to complete their repentance process and to show thanks to God.

Nephi Makes a Critical Decision (1 Nephi 4)

Chapter 4 continues the story of the conflict between Laman and Lemuel and Nephi and Sam in their attempts to obtain the brass plates. Let's pause for a moment and analyze why they were so motivated to get these records.

In ancient times, there were, of course, no printing presses. So, every important record or history that was kept was valuable insomuch that it took enormous effort to copy and distribute it. Therefore, it wasn't uncommon for there to be one and only one copy of a particular account or history. For preservation, these accounts were carved on stone monuments, written on sheepskin or papyrus, or, in this case, were engraved on metal plates.

The brass plates were one of a kind. They contained a history of the lineage of Lehi's family (Laban was a kinsman). Lehi had been commanded to leave Jerusalem forever and to start anew in a promised land that the Lord had prepared for them. He was likely concerned from the start that the teachings of prior prophets and their genealogy as recorded on the plates of brass would not be with them to help remind them and their posterity of their origins, language, and religious practices. Lehi knew that Laban would not give them up willingly and, for that reason, probably did not see it as an option to ask for them when leaving Jerusalem...especially given the haste in which they had to leave. But now, after they had journeyed in the wilderness for a good space of time, the Lord was commanding Lehi to send his sons to return to get the records. It had to be done.

Continuing on, Nephi reminds his brothers that the Lord "is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?" He also recalls the captivity of the Jews in Egypt and how God inspired Moses to lead His people out using a series of miracles. Then he repeats the fact that they have all seen and heard an angel telling them to be obedient to this commandment and that they would be kept safe.

Still murmuring, the two older brothers followed Nephi and Sam back to Jerusalem. They hid outside the city walls and then crept into the city. Nephi says he was "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do."

At this point, Nephi goes ahead alone and he describes what would be his final encounter with Laban. Laban was powerful, having command of a militia within the city and entrusted with the care of important records. Yet, there before him was this ruler of fifty men, drunken and "fallen to the earth". Perhaps he had been celebrating his defrauding of the sons of Lehi of all of their earthly possessions while still withholding the plates of brass from them.

However, Nephi was not seeking revenge. He merely wanted to obey the Lord's commandment to get the sacred records. Remember also that he had no prior plan, but was being led by the Spirit. As he was contemplating the fallen figure before him, he noticed Laban's sword and that it was of a workmanship that was "exceedingly fine" (there is some evidence to suggest that Nephi had a working knowledge of metallurgy, having possibly been an apprentice in that trade. See "Ancient Smelting" and "Iron Making" in Metals of the Book of Mormon).

As he pulled the sword from its sheath, he received a commandment from the Spirit that he would never have expected. The commmandment was to kill Laban. Nephi records that "I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him." Until now, Nephi had been unflinchingly obedient to every commandment of the Lord. But this one obviously troubled him because he was not disposed to this kind of violence, nor did he expect such a command to come from the Lord.

Yet, the Spirit of the Lord commanded again that he slay Laban, saying, "Behold, the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands." Nephi began to understand more of the context of this commandment as a result of this added detail. Laban had sought to kill him and his brothers and he was steadfast in refusing to obey the commandment of the Lord to give them the plates. He had also taken away their property without giving them anything for it.

The Spirit then said to Nephi that "the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than a nation [like the one that would come of Lehi's posterity in their new promised land] should dwindle and perish in unbelief. "

At this point, Nephi begins to fully understand the reach of this commandment because he remembered the words the Lord had spoken to him in the wilderness: "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise." How could this promise be fulfilled unless a written record of the commandments, and their religion, be transmitted through their descendants. They had already tried everything possible short of killing Laban to obtain these records and were nearly killed themselves in the process.

Nephi, having been taught the reason why the Lord was insistent on Laban perishing, was ready to obey the voice of the Spirit so as to preserve the knowledge of the Lord for his future descendants. It was better that this wicked man be slain than for millions of yet unborn people to fall into error and forget the Lord.

He raised the sword and did as he was commanded. Then, he put on Laban's clothes, knowing that he would likely run into some opposition at getting the records and would need to be disguised somehow.

Upon approaching the treasury, he saw the servant of Laban, Zoram, who was a guard. The disguise was apparently enough to convince Zoram that Nephi was Laban and he began to speak with him as if that were so. Nephi asked for the records and Zoram produced them. Nephi wanted to ensure that Zoram would not alert other guards should he become suspicious, so he had Zoram follow him to the gates of the city.

But, when Zoram saw Nephi's brethren outside the city, he began to run away. Nephi caught him and promised him that if he would make an oath or a promise (something not easily broken in those days) that he would come with them, be faithful to the Lord, and not return to Jerusalem, Zoram would be a free man and would inherit a promised land. Zoram agreed and they returned to Lehi.

Return to Jerusalem (1 Nephi 3)

As they traveled in the wilderness, Lehi had another dream from the Lord telling him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain sacred records that had been handed down, likely through their Israelite tribe (the tribe of Joseph), for many generations. This record was known as the "plates of brass" and "contained a record of the Jews and also a genealogy of [Lehi's] forefathers" (1 Nephi 3:3). The records were kept in the house of a man named Laban.

As Laman and Lemuel murmured, Nephi said to his father,

...I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
1 Nephi 3:7

When they arrived in Jerusalem, Laman was the first to go to Laban's house and ask for the plates. He was not only refused, but was cast out of Laban's house. Just as Laman and Lemuel were about to turn back to return to their family in the wilderness, Nephi reminded them of the promise or oath they made to their father that they would obtain the plates and that they would not return without them. He reminded them that it was part of God's plan for them to have the records and therefore it would be made possible.

Successful in persuading them, Nephi led them back to Jerusalem to speak with Laban as a group. Along the way, they stopped by their home and brought with them all of their gold, silver, and other precious things. Laban, impressed by their goods, stole it all from them and chased them out of his house with his servants following to kill them. Once they were safely away from the city, Laman and Lemuel were angry with Nephi and began to beat Nephi and Sam with a stick.

Immediately, an angel appeared to them commanding them to stop and to return again to Jerusalem. They were told that Laban would be delivered to them. Even after the angel disappeared, Laman and Lemuel continued to murmur because they didn't understand how someone as mighty as Laban, with his command of fifty men, would be delivered into the hands of four young men.

Lehi in the Wilderness (1 Nephi 2)

In chapter 2 of First Nephi, Lehi and his family prepare to leave Jerusalem and begin a new life in the wilderness. In part, they are escaping persecution at the hands of those who do not believe Lehi's prophecies and, in part, they are leaving behind the world to live the Gospel in a more pure form, away from distractions of wealth, status, and comfort.

Above all, Lehi was commanded by the Lord in a dream that he should depart the city. His family, particularly two of his sons named Laman and Lemuel, had a hard time dealing with this commandment because it required extreme faith on their part both to leave and to do so because of Lehi's dream. But, Nephi, ever the valiant and obedient son, prays to the Lord that he might believe the words of his father and not grumble and complain as his elder brothers Laman and Lemuel did. Nephi is visited by the Lord and softens Nephi's heart. In turn, he bears witness to (teaches) his younger brother, Sam, who also is touched by the Holy Spirit and believes that what they are doing is the right thing.

Nephi is saddened by Laman and Lemuel's rebellion. The Lord also promises Nephi that because instead of complaining he has sought answers from the Lord, he will prosper in the new land to which they are about to travel. If his brothers continue to rebel against Lehi and against Nephi, they will be cut off from the presence of the Lord (i.e. not blessed as Nephi will be). Instead, they will become a scourge to Nephi's descendants, to "stir them up in the ways of remembrance" of their dependence on the Lord through the conflict and strife that will be inflicted on them by the descendants of his brothers.