Lehi has been commanded by the Lord to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban. Laman and Lemuel are murmuring about the assignment, but Nephi tells his father that he will go, and explains his belief that the Lord will never give us a commandment without preparing the way for us.
8. And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord.
What a relief it must have been for Lehi to look upon his youngest son. He was already worried about Laman and Lemuel—their headstrong ways, their fierce refusal to listen to the things of the Lord—and it must have brought Lehi much joy to have one son he could depend on.
9. And I, Nephi, and my brethren took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem.
10. And it came to pass that when we had gone up to the land of Jerusalem, I and my brethren did consult one with another.
11. And we cast lots—who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house.
None of them want to go talk to Laban—he has a reputation for being mean and for being a drunkard. These young men would like to get this whole thing over with. Who knows who long it took them to go back to Jerusalem, and they are tired. Casting lots (sort of like our tradition of drawing straws or playing rock, paper, scissors) seemed the best way to determine who should go down. I picture them all sitting down grumbling, saying, “I don’t want to go. Why should I have to go?” Of course, right now we have a pretty good idea who would be the best choice, but that’s not how it plays out, at least, to begin with.
12. And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the genealogy of my father.
13. And behold, it came to pass that Laban was angry, and thrust him out from his presence; and he would not that he should have the records. Wherefore, he said unto him: Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee.
Laban thinks that Laman just wants the plates for his own monetary gain, and calls Laman a robber. Well, Laman is a whole lot of unsavory things, but at least at this point, he is not a robber, but is doing what his father asked him to do (for once, a refreshing change).
14. But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness.
At this point, it does seem that there is no hope. Lehi seemed sure that if they just asked Laban to give the plates, he would surrender them willingly, and no backup plan had been made. It would be so tempting just to give it up as a lost cause and move on. But Nephi understands there’s more to his father’s command than just the simple collecting of objects—that there’s a need for those plates that goes beyond materialism.
15. But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.
Nephi is putting his foot down and drawing a line in the sand. Listen to the firmness of his speech – this is not just, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe we should try again.” No, he’s speaking with the spirit, showing courage and conviction. He then suggests:
16. Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father’s inheritance, for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord.
This is a great example of how the spirit can direct us in what to do. No one else in the group had thought about the riches they’d left behind as the possible means of purchasing the plates from Laban – they were too wrapped up in doubt and fear. Nephi kept a cool head, was determined to obey the Lord, and was inspired with an idea.
From today’s reading: How can we increase our obedience so we can have the spirit with us all the time to inspire us? Do we give up at the first sign of opposition, or do we keep the faith, knowing that God will eventually clear our path?
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