1 Nephi 3

(All of my own thoughts are in blue type. red is from 4/20 Green 1/21 orange 3/22 Brown 2023)

CHAPTER 3

Lehi’s sons return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass—Laban refuses to give them up—Nephi exhorts and encourages his brethren—Laban steals their property and attempts to slay them—Laman and Lemuel smite Nephi and are reproved by an angel. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

  1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned where did he return from? from ^aspeaking with the Lord, How great would that be…he's not praying "to" the Lord, but speaking "with" the Lord! to the tent of my father. To tell him what he had just learned? It almost doesn’t seem like he said anything to Lehi, or Nephi doesn’t record any response, but immediately goes into Lehi telling him about Lehi’s dream. Maybe Lehi had been looking for him and as soon as he returned he was told Lehi wanted to see him...

  2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a ^adream, seems like this would be a harder “source” for Laman and Lemuel to accept than a visit… I could see Nephi saying in his heart, "...but dad...I just was speaking with the Lord! I wanted to tell you that first! Ok...I honor you...you go first..." in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall ^breturn to Jerusalem. So many emotions could have been aroused by this request. "Yeah! Let's go back and stay; go back and get some more stuff!" 

  3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a ^agenealogy of my forefathers, and they are ^bengraven upon plates of brass.

  4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me not an option that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. Even though it was a dream, Lehi was clear that the Lord had commanded him, through the dream, to send the boys back for the plates.

  5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur they must have already been informed…maybe while Nephi was “out” praying…, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. Is anything too hard for the Lord?  If He’s commanded it…then it’s NOT too hard.  Trust Him…Believe Him… I think as a parent, I would have said, "I know it's hard, but I'm not requiring it...the Lord is, and what is too hard for Him?"

  6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast ^anot ^bmurmured. Want to find favor with the Lord? Don’t murmur when He asks you to do something…EVEN if it seems hard! He must be referring to not murmuring in the past, because Nephi hasn’t even had a chance to respond to this request…

  7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know ...because I just got through speaking with Him myself… that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. We must have faith in this fact about God…

  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. ...with knowledge, a witness, and a testimony…because anyone who doesn’t murmur has been blessed.

  9 And I, Nephi, and my brethren So Laman and Lemuel went…perhaps they were looking for an opportunity to stay, or bring some things back, or for proof that Jerusalem was “still standing”…but I doubt they went without some ulterior motive… took our journey in the wilderness, with our tents, to go up to the land of Jerusalem. They must have had several tents and not just a family tent.

  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. God gave them the commandment but didn't tell them how to accomplish it. They had a long time to talk about how to accomplish this commandment.

  11 And we ^acast lots I should research this…I think it was a tradition of the day, but I’m not sure.  Why would they not pray to know who should go?…maybe Laman and Lemuel would not accept that as a valid way—who of us should go in unto the house of Laban. And it came to pass that the lot fell upon Laman; …funny that the lot should fall on one who would likely cry “not fair”….and Laman went in unto the house of Laban, and he talked with him as he sat in his house. I’m pretty sure there was a blood relation there, but whether it was close enough that they had an ongoing relationship, I don’t know. Seems like there would have to be some kind of relationship to be so bold as to just “ask” for the plates to be given to you. Also seems like it would be God's will that the oldest would go first and that just asking would be the first thing you should try.

  12 And he desired of Laban the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, which contained the ^agenealogy of my father. I wonder what reason Laman gave him for wanting them?

  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. Attempt on their lives – number one… Though my understanding is that robbers could be put to death, much like you are justified in defending your own property with a gun if necessary.  Funny also, that the first thing he accuses him of being…a robber…is the very thing he ends up being himself, which justifies his own death. Also…where does Laban get off accusing him of robbery when he politely came in, sat down with him, and just asked? Maybe Laman told Laban that God had commanded that Lehi should have them and he felt threatened like he would take them anyway...(which they did)

  14 But Laman fled out of his presence, and told the things which Laban had done, unto us. And we even Nephi… began to be exceedingly sorrowful, and my brethren were about to return unto my father in the wilderness. You can feel sad…just don’t let it sway your testimony….perhaps we need to look at our failures as tests to see if we’ll give up quickly. The "easy" thing didn't work. I would have had faith originally that if God asked us to get the plates, that he would soften Laban's heart that he would just give them to us. Since that didn't work, they knew they had NO IDEA how to get them now, and that anything else would put them in danger. No wonder they were exceedingly sorrowful!

  15 But behold I said unto them that: ^aAs the Lord liveth, and as we live apparently this is an oath of the day that was used that to mean you were giving your word…, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have ^baccomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

  16 Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord is he referencing other commandments besides the one to get the plates?; therefore let us go down to the land of our father’s ^ainheritance, this makes it sound like Lehi didn’t live right in Jerusalem… for behold he left gold and silver, and all manner of riches. And all this he hath done because of the ^bcommandments of the Lord. This could mean the Lord specifically told him to leave it all, or that it was left because they followed the command to leave Jerusalem and logistically couldn’t take it…

  17 For he knew that Jerusalem must be ^adestroyed, because of the wickedness of the people.

  18 For behold, they have ^arejected the words of the prophets. If we reject the words of the prophets…we will be destroyed as well...I just read something that said, civilizations are destroyed because they reject prophets. Which means they must always be sent before destruction to warn. The Jaredite record doesn't say anything about churches or established religion. Just that prophets were sent throughout their generations and they were destroyed for rejecting them. I would think that is a pattern that will repeat in our day. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after he hath been ^bcommanded to flee out of the land, behold, he would also perish Because he was one of the prophets that would be killed. Or would that class Lehi among the wicked for rebelling against God? Someday we may be commanded to “leave” as well. If we choose to stay…we may perish…. Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

  19 And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these ^arecords, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers; Reason number one…

  20 And also that we may ^apreserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy ^bprophets, Reason number two… which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time. The Old Testament prophets are ones we are commanded to follow too...

  21 And it came to pass that after this manner of language did I ^apersuade my brethren, that they might be faithful in keeping the commandments of God. See…you don’t have to use force…

  22 And it came to pass that we went down to the land of our inheritance, and we did gather together our ^agold, and our silver, and our precious things. What a test for these boys to not only have to “see” their wealth again...but touch it, gather it up, carry it…why not just haul it off back to camp?

  23 And after we had gathered these things together, we went up again unto the house of Laban. No discussion about this being a temptation…I think they all could reason that surely Laban would let them buy the plates for all the wealth they would offer him. 

  24 And it came to pass that we went in unto Laban, and desired him that he would give unto us the records which were engraven upon the ^aplates of brass, for which we would give unto him our gold, and our silver, and all our precious things. A little scarier this time since a threat was made last time…but surely the offer to buy the plates would be proof they didn’t come to steal them.

  25 And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, Nephi has been trying to tell us they had a lot! he did ^alust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, Attempt on their lives number two… that he might obtain our property. Now who’s the robber…and murderer!

  26 And ^ait came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, Can’t run with “all” that gold and stuff…and it fell into the hands of Laban. Must have been particularly painful for Laman and Lemuel….but they let it go…good job! Interesting to consider that the first time they left it, they did so willingly, because of a future threat of destruction. The second time they left it, also willingly...though under direct threat of destruction. Are these both a type of the need to "leave" the world (not be "of" the world) or we face destruction?

  27 And it came to pass that we fled into the wilderness, and the servants of Laban did not overtake us, probably because they were gathering the things Nephi and his brothers had left instead of chasing them. And of course, God was protecting them…and we ^ahid ourselves in the cavity of a rock.

  28 And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, see….and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman. Okay, older siblings….sometimes your younger siblings are following you WHEREVER you lead, regardless of what they believe on their own.  BE CAREFUL!!! Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many ^ahard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod. Where did desire to use this physical abuse come from? I think the absolute loss of their wealth was the tipping point. These two knew, up to this point, that it was just still sitting at home. Now it was gone. No returning for it now! This is where their hearts still lay. So there is more to "leaving" the world than walking away from the physical. You have to leave it in your heart as well.

  29 And it came to pass as the Lord allows the wicked their agency that he may be justified in his judgements… they smote us with a rod, hopefully, the angel wasn’t tooo long in coming….behold, an ^aangel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Why no mention of smiting Sam when Nephi said “us”? Maybe they were only hitting Nephi when the angel appeared... Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ^bruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Ouch…and yet, he also seems to be saying that this didn't have to be. If they were righteous Nephi would not be a ruler over them. It was more about their own choices than it was about Nephi's. It's not so much about God playing favorites The angel also confirms what the Lord told Nephi about being a ruler over his brothers and the type of Joseph of Egypt. Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will ^cdeliver Laban into your hands. There seems to be some significance to trying 3 times…think temple, think Adam in the wilderness… How could you doubt after an angel tells you that Laban WILL be delivered into your hands? You don't have to go get him or figure anything out now. He'll be given to you. Why did the Lord wait til now to deliver Laban into their hands? Did Laban have to exercise his agency in this story too?

 30 And after the ^aangel had spoken unto us, he departed.

 31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to ^amurmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us? We laugh at them for saying this, immediately after seeing an angel, but how often do you say “how is it possible?” when asked by the prophet or a bishop to do something? Nephi never responded with “how”...only "show me the way." "Show me the way"…should be the beginning of every prayer of obedience. “My ways are not Thy ways…my thoughts are not Thy thoughts.” Maybe it comes down to receiving our own witness of what the Lord wants us to do that allows us to do hard things.

1 Nephi 2

(All of my own thoughts are in blue type. Red is from 4/2020 Green 1/21 orange 3/22 Brown 2023)

CHAPTER 2

Lehi takes his family into the wilderness by the Red Sea—They leave their property—Lehi offers a sacrifice to the Lord and teaches his sons to keep the commandments—Laman and Lemuel murmur against their father—Nephi is obedient and prays in faith; the Lord speaks to him, and he is chosen to rule over his brethren. Between 600 and 592 B.C. Is it significant that it says “Lehi takes his family into the wilderness” instead of “Lehi leaves Jerusalem?  Is the lesson – always look forward to where you are going, instead of where you have been? (think Lots wife who turned to a pillar of salt when she looked back; the scripture that prophesies for our day in Matt 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the ^aabomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the ^bholy place, (whoso readeth, let him ^cunderstand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judæa ^aflee into the mountains:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Hmmm… I just read in a book called “The Last Lecture” that Disneyland always says “we are open until 8” instead of “we close at 8”…and doctors with terminal patients should say “you have 3 months of good health left” instead of “you will die in 3 months.” Also the very next thing mentioned is that they left their property.  Is that a lesson for us, or an indication of how much they left, and therefore how hard it was to leave?  Perhaps the fact that Nephi opened his account (years after the fact) with “I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, supports the fact that he wants to emphasize that they were wealthy and willing to just walk away from it all. 

Now, most of us would consider leaving, without even “selling” off our wealth, a sacrifice, but three days out, Lehi offers an additional sacrifice.  Somewhere I heard there is significance to the 3 days away from the city, but I don’t recall what it was…something about Jewish tradition, I think…

Those first two points: Leave your property (don’t set your heart upon the things of the world. Leave it, figuratively, at least, though sometimes literally), sacrifice to the Lord (temporally, and spiritually) and the next two highlights – keep the commandments, pray in faith, and the Lord will speak, may be a summation of how to journey through the wilderness of this life so that we may one day be “chosen” to rule in the House of Israel. Perhaps the greatest stumbling block to progressing successfully is “murmuring”!!! (The verbal expression of a lack of faith...always due to Pride)

 1 For behold, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto my father, yea, even in a dream, I wonder why the Lord uses dreams to communicate, when he could do so in other ways. Is it because visits by angels/pillars of fire are hard on the physical body? Is it because dreams allow for images as well, instead of just revelation by words or thoughts? It just seems that dreams open up the opportunity to question, since we often have "nonsense" dreams and they can also come from the adversary. Seems like audible talking or even clear words to the mind would be less questionable. But maybe dreams like his are clearly discernable. and said unto him: Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done; and because thou hast been faithful and declared unto this people the things which I commanded thee here we learn that Lehi was “called” to preach and prophesy, behold, they seek to ^atake away thy ^blife."choose the right, let the consequence follow..."

  2 And it came to pass that the Lord ^acommanded my father, even in a ^bdream, that he should ^ctake his family and depart into the wilderness. Wish I had
dreams…I think a lot of people would find it hard to trust their dreams. ...especially if the dream told you to up and leave with no known destination or time frame.

  3 And it came to pass that he was ^aobedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. Nephi learned by example “I will go and do what the Lord commands…”  We are blessed not for believing only what the Lord tells us, but because we act…we obey. This is faith…belief in action…Also….obeying doesn’t guarantee acceptance and safety, but it does guarantee peace and deliverance. Also, the Lord commanded Lehi to "depart".  He didn’t say, “If you are willing to go, I will lead you to a promised land."  In fact, it doesn’t say he was told anything more than to leave.  He knew Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, but it doesn’t say he had any idea that he’d be taking his family across an ocean to a new land. It also doesn’t say that he asked for details, or explanations, or assurances.  Kind of silly to question God, I guess. But you think Lehi would want to know if he was coming back, or how to prepare and for what…Great example of how the Lord gives us knowledge "line upon line". 

 4 And it came to pass that ^ahe departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness  I wonder if the Lord told him not to take any of his wealth. If Lehi thought he was just relocating to a new town, surely he would want to take some gold and silver to get re-established. Nephi is reminding us again of how very much they were walking away from; perhaps to soften our hearts toward Laman and Lemuel a bit so we can at least understand where their murmuring was coming from. Even Nephi tells us he was struggling with it as well…meaning there was probably very little explanation about where they were going or what was going to happen next to explain why they would leave so much. Also, I think inheritances were a big thing in their day. All they left was what those boys were to inherit someday... The children of Israel, on the other hand, took wealth from Egypt that was given to them by the Egyptians when they left. Why was it different for them? They ended up making a golden calf with it, so maybe it was a different kind of test for them... Or they didn't want to repeat the test the Israelites failed. Another possible lesson that Lehi teaches us here is acknowledgment that “all things come from the Lord”.  If he believed that the Lord had provided him with his inheritance, and gold, and silver, and precious things, then surely the Lord could, even would provide them again.  Also, Lehi was a learned man, so perhaps he had confidence he could establish himself somewhere else. The bottom line, however, was probably his faith that the Lord would not “save” him from being destroyed in Jerusalem, or from being taken captive, just to die in poverty or in the wilderness.  He must have had great faith that the Lord would lead them along. I wonder too, if leaving it “all” is symbolic of Lehi’s “total” trust in the Lord and a “total” offering on his part. Or was it a realistic function of weights and load…they could really only take what they needed to survive? (When my Dad and Mom moved out of their house last April for the umpteenth time, I joked that the reason Lehi left everything behind is that Sariah refused to pack it all up and move it…haha)

  5 And he came down by the borders near the shore of the ^aRed Sea; I think I heard that these would have been well traveled routes because of the water…except I  think it’s a salt water sea.  Maybe where the rivers feed into it is fresh?…and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in the wilderness with his family, which consisted of my mother, Sariah, and my elder brothers, who were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam.

  6 And it came to pass that when he had traveled three days I had said before, that there may have been significance to the “three days out” before offering a sacrifice (according to Jewish custom), but it also seems like it wasn’t until they arrived here (in a valley…) that it was a good place to stop and set up camp.  So…coincidence? Or did Lehi know of this spot and pushed to make it here in 3 days? in the wilderness, he pitched his tent in a ^avalley by the side of a ^briver of water. Just read a piece about “thank offerings” being for petitioning the Lord for a safe journey. (Psalm 107) Another piece points out that it was 3 days travel AFTER he reached the Red Sea, not from Jerusalem… If you think I have a lot of questions…check out this commentary in the Sept 6 Ensign http://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/09/in-search-of-lehis-trail-part-1-the-preparation

  7 And it came to pass that he built an ^aaltar of ^bstones, and made an ^coffering unto the Lord, and gave ^dthanks unto the Lord our God. Perhaps there is some Jewish tradition going on here. If this is so, then Lehi made an offering just as soon as he could. (another important lesson) And he gave thanks. For what?
There was plenty to think about for the last three days…what you were leaving, how you were going to survive, etc.  But…Lehi knew he would need to keep is eye focused on faith, and express gratitude for what he did know…that the Lord had commanded them to leave, that he had seen a vision, that the Lord had led his people through the wilderness before. Since he was preaching "Jerusalem would be destroyed", the greatest blessing would be deliverance, which is played out over and over through the scriptures, pointing to the Savior, Jesus Christ and the "deliverance" he offers us, from sin and death. I think there may be a principle of the gospel…a law with a blessing attached, that can’t be received if not obeyed…that when you are obeying God’s word, but seeking guidance, that the “way” to receiving is through gratitude AND a sacrifice.  We don’t build alters of stone, and I don’t know what, if anything Lehi put on that alter…what was his “offering”?  I know Christ said the replacement for the sacrifices and offerings of Moses were a broken heart and and contrite spirit.  But if you are offering that…what do you have to place on the alter of sacrifice?  Your pride? Your laziness? Your selfishness?  Your time?  I think we have to “offer” up another piece of our natural man in sacrifice when we are asking for special blessings…and we do it in a spirit of gratitude…which can be a natural expression of “faith” that the Lord will bless us with our desire.  We thank Him in advance for what “will be” for us, but for “what already is” for Him…as all things are “present” before God. I want to make these kinds of offerings each week at the Sacrament Table. Working on "intentional" change!

  8 And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, At first I thought he was doing the “naming thing” by birth order…the boys would take it as an honor and hopefully as counsel as well…but I don’t think he ends up naming anything Nephi or Sam…and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof.

  9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the ^afountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! We are about “eternal progression” and must be “continually running” into goodness…I'm impressed that he taught by speaking of what they could become and not specifically calling out their weaknesses.

 10 And he also spake unto Lemuel: O that thou mightest be like unto this valley, ^afirm and ^bsteadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord! If we are not firm, steadfast, and immovable, we will be carried about by “every wind of doctrine”. 

 11 Now this he spake because of the ^astiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel So this was his motivation…counsel more than honor…; for behold they did ^bmurmur
in many things against their ^cfather, because he was a ^dvisionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, if you read the word “precious” with a patronizing tone…it becomes a blantant warning to not let any of our “things” become “precious” to us…only people and love and charity should be precious to us to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. Remember lesson one? LEAVE the stuff…focus forward…be grateful for what you DO know… Why do they suppose Lehi would leave all his security to wander in the desert if he was not certain about what he had to do? Hopefully, when it becomes our turn to “leave”, the Lord will give such an assurance to at least two in our company, and that we will be able to either “be” one of those people, or be blessed with the faith to believe on their words.  Lehi and Nephi had zero doubt about the Lord’s plan for them.  Now…at this point, it was still just Lehi, although Nephi had received a confirmation about his father’s dreams, but no literal knowledge for himself.  But they were only three days out…so they were not past the point of no return. They could go back.

 12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their ^afather. And they did ^bmurmur because they ^cknew not the dealings of that God who had ^dcreated them. Want to stop murmuring?  Seek to understand the dealings of God, who created you.  Where do we find a record of his dealing with man? In the scriptures, of course.  And how do we understand them?  Through the spirit and prayer. Direct all “murmurers” to God for understanding…but we know light and truth cometh through obedience. (D&C 93:28 He that ^akeepeth his commandments receiveth ^btruth and ^clight, until he is glorified in truth and ^dknoweth all things.)

 13 Neither did they ^abelieve that Jerusalem, that great city, could be ^bdestroyed according to the words of the prophets. Seems like there are a lot of members who don’t believe that our great country could be destroyed, although it too has been prophesied…This is the part they should have focused on…that it was said by prophets…NOT that what was said was unbelievable. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father. Never understood the concept… ”believe what I do…stop believing what you do...OR DIE!” if the belief doesn’t take away their agency... I believe this part is still coming in our day …"stop believing what you believe or die"…which is why it makes sense to me that the Lord will help the believers escape or lead them to places of safety.

 14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the ^avalley of Lemuel, with ^bpower, being filled with the Spirit, every parent who needs to “correct” a child should want to know they are speaking under the influence of the Spirit and not in anger or pride… until their frames did ^cshake before him. This experience of Lehi confounding Laman and Lemuel to the point of causing them to quake would certainly give Nephi the faith that the Lord could do it again if needed…which he did for Nephi later. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them. Why these experiences had no long term effect on these boys, I can’t figure…Was it that all they focused on/felt was the “fear”? Yet, they were old enough to just run back home. They knew their house and all their stuff and gold etc. was still there. Why didn’t they just take off? Perhaps the thought, “what if dad is right?” was enough to keep them there, and the inexplainable way their bodies quaked to the point where they dared not say anymore.

 15 And my father dwelt in a ^atent.

James Ferrell’s book, “The Holy Secret” spends a third of its pages on this one verse…why it is significant.  But again, it could be an emphasis by Nephi, that his father, a man of means, was now humbly dwelling (a word suggesting something more like “living” than “traveling”) in a tent. Someone also suggested that tents are/can be temples by proxy. We know that the Israelites have used tents as temples in the wilderness for years. Tent imagery appears in gospel context frequently (ie. "stakes of Zion") Some believe that Nephi was telling us that Lehi was dwelling in a sacred place as he continued to receive revelation for his family as they journeyed in the wilderness. Hence, if the day comes that we "dwell" in tents in the wilderness they will serve as sacred spaces for us and our families as we are refined by both the elements and the truth of "Zion" and what it takes to become a "Zion" people." I am also hoping that my home can be a temple when I need it to be.  I can’t make it to the temple every day (actually, I can)…but I can pray to Heavenly Father in my home. Other ponderings on this verse: Why did Nephi say only his father dwelt in a tent, instead of “we” dwelt in a tent. Why did he say it at this certain place in his writing, right after his account of his father speaking with power to Lamen and Lemuel? Remember how some experiences with the Spirit have a weakening effect on the body? Maybe Lehi was so full of the Spirit that he had to “dwell” in his tent for a bit to gain his strength back...  Perhaps it meant Lehi spent a lot of time in his "sacred space" with the Lord.

 16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, How young is “exceedingly”? nevertheless being large in stature, must have been big for his age and also having great desires to know of the ^amysteries of God, this sounds like a type of Joseph Smith…exceedingly young, having great desires to know the mysteries of God.  I wonder if Joseph was large for his age as well? Wait…why did he put his age and stature in there instead of just starting out, “I had great desire to know of the mysteries of God”? I understand the "being young", to teach us that we don’t have to be a certain age to ask for understanding or go along with our older siblings if they are in the wrong. But how does the stature play in there? Maybe it gave him confidence? wherefore, I did cry is this different than just praying? unto the Lord; and behold he did ^bvisit me, is this literal? and did ^csoften my heart does this mean Nephi was struggling a little bit with leaving and believing? Maybe he thought his father was being too hard on Laman and Lemuel and he was a little scared of his father? that I did ^dbelieve all the words which had been spoken by my ^efather; wherefore, I did not ^frebel against him like unto my brothers. Always helps when you can do the “all or nothing” since if you only take part, then you always have a part of you that’s unsure.

 17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. I’ve heard it said that when the Spirit witnesses the truth of something to you that it is the greatest witness you can have.  If that is so, then Nephi had a “rock solid” testimony of his father’s call. It also seems to be saying that the Lord did not literally visit him at this time, but he received a witness of the Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words It doesn’t say if Sam was struggling too, but we can assume they all were to some degree.  We also don’t know if Sam had asked the Lord like Nephi and just received his answer through Nephi.  If so, it could be an example of the “gifts of the Spirit” where it says “to some it is given to believe on the testimony of others”….

 18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; So he shared his experience with them too. Did he share to the group or
individually? and being ^agrieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them. Instead of feeling contempt for them, he felt compassion… He had just finished conversing with the Lord, and immediately returns to him with his concern for his brothers. 

 19 And it came to pass I wonder how long had passed… that the Lord spake unto me this is the second time he uses the word “cried” and both times the Lord seems to visit him immediately. Is there something significant to this “crying”?, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy ^afaith, for thou hast sought me diligently, maybe he had to pray many times before this answer came…and that’s why he starts with “and it came to pass”…it took some time to get a response…His faith then, would be, knowing the Lord would answer him at some point. Nephi’s faith moved him to seek the Lord diligently…the seeking was evidence of his faith. Could he have done other things to show his faith? with lowliness of heart. Perhaps because of his young age he was lowly in heart. But the Lord tells him it is because of his faith that he is blessed to receive not only a visit from the Lord but some great promises…they are conditional…

 20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall ^aprosper, and shall be led to a ^bland of promise; this is the first time a “land of promise” is mentioned in the scriptures. Did Lehi receive this information as well and if so…was it before or after Nephi did? yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.

 21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be ^acut off from the presence of the Lord. Hearkens back to Adam and Eve...the consequence of sin/transgression is being cut off from God.

 22 And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ^aruler and a teacher over thy brethren. Nephi must have been thinking…”yeah…that’s going to go over well…” Sounds like Joseph, son of Jacob and the experience with his brothers. Nephi knew this story. Did he think of it as well? Laman and Lemuel would know this story too. You would think they would know how it turns out and learn from the past!

 23 For behold, in that day that they shall sounds like a prophesy that that will ^arebel against me, I will ^bcurse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall ^crebel against me also.

 24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a ^ascourge unto thy seed, to ^bstir them up in the ways of remembrance.  Recap….keep commandments equals prosper, rule, teach; Rebel equals cut off, cursed, become a scourge to stir people to remember. REMEMBER….Pres. Kimball says it’s the most important word in the scriptures.  Notice how many times in the Book of Mormon people are told to “remember”. At first, I hear the warning to Laman and Lemuel, but then I notice Nephi is warned that if his seed rebel, the Lord will use the seed of his own brothers as a means to “stir them up in the ways of remembrance”.  So there’s double motivation to keep working to convert his brothers…his love for them and to protect his own children.  Also, the wickedness of others can be directed at us FOR THE PURPOSE of humbling us to repentance. What are the “ways” of remembrance? Prayer? Scripture study? Love? Patience? Charity? Just had the thought, that Laman and Lemuel wanted to "rule over" Nephi and Sam. The Lord gave them what they wanted when the Nephites rebelled and the Lamanites were allowed to rule over them at times. It was not given to them to rule in righteousness, though. Satan also wants to rule and reign, and because of our unrighteousness, he is getting what he wants, for a time, only to stir us up in the ways of remembrance. Are we responding? Are we changing our "ways" to keep us in "remembrance? What is it we are to remember? God? Our dependence on Him? Gratitude? Our need for the Savior? Forgetting all these things leads to selfishness and spiritual laziness.

* verse 4 (600 B.C.).

1 Nephi 1

All of my own thoughts are in blue type.Red font added 4/20.Green 1/21 Orange 2022 Brown 2023 Yellow highlights are text I am commenting on. The Black text is original Book of Mormon text.

THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI
HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY

An account of Lehi and his wife Sariah and his four sons, being called, (beginning at the eldest) Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Lord warns Lehi to depart out of the land of Jerusalem to my knowledge, Lehi is not a prophet at this point, and has not been told by a prophet to flee.  Could we also receive direction to flee
before the prophet directs it?, because he prophesieth unto the people concerning their iniquity, So, maybe he IS a prophet because he's prophesying to the people and they seek to destroy his life.This would be all the prompting I would need… He taketh three days’ journey into the wilderness with his family. Nephi taketh his brethren and returneth to the land of Jerusalem after the record of the Jews. The account of their sufferings. They take the daughters of Ishmael to wife. They take their families and depart into the wilderness. Their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness. The course of their travels. They come to the large waters. Nephi’s brethren rebel against him. He confoundeth them, and buildeth a ship. They call the name of the place Bountiful. They cross the large waters into the promised land, and so forth. This is according to the account of Nephi; or in other words, I, Nephi, wrote this record. While there were probably many “good” days in the years it took them to get to the promised land…Nephi chooses to record their sufferings…for it is how we handle life's “tests” that teach us most. Perhaps he records their sufferings so we can more easily see the "tender mercies of the Lord" in response to their trials.

CHAPTER 1

Nephi begins the record of his people—Lehi sees in vision a pillar of fire and reads from a book of prophecy—He praises God, foretells the coming of the Messiah, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem—He is persecuted by the Jews. About 600 B.C.

  1 I, Nephi, having been ^aborn of ^bgoodly ^cparents, Goodly…of means, wealthy So wealth doesn't HAVE to corrupt people, because it clearly didn't corrupt Lehi (Lamen and Lemuel are a different matter) having been ^dtaught somewhat I wonder if he qualifies it with “somewhat” because his learning was interrupted by their leaving Jerusalem, or if he only occasionally received formal learning. in all the learning of my father; what was “all” the “learning of my father”?  Was he taught “by” his father, whatever his father knew or was he saying he had the same “kind” of education as his father. including Lehi's trade...Or did “all” mean both? Someone suggested that it means Lehi taught him the language of the Lord and the scriptures and having seen many ^eafflictions in the course of my days, he’s writing this at an older age, I believe, maybe 30ish, looking back… nevertheless, having been highly favored is being “favored” of the Lord something we can seek or something the Lord chooses to do? Or is it a state of gratitude…the way we see our lives being blessed. I would think, if God is no respecter of persons, that we become favored by certain conditions being met. of the Lord in all my days; I hope at the end of my life, I will see that I have been highly favored of the Lord, despite the afflictions I may have seen… yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God the greatest man can receive..seeing Christ and having the “world” shown him, therefore I make a ^frecord of my proceedings in my days.

  2 Yea, I make a record in the ^alanguage of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.  So Lehi, a Jew, was educated as a Jew, but also learned Egyptian. Was that because he was a merchant? Was Nephi’s education the same via his father or from the Egyptians?  Earlier he says he was taught somewhat in all the learning of his father, and now he says he makes a record in the language of his father, which consists of the "learning" of the Jews and the "language" of the Egyptians. Might mean that the earlier reference to "learning" wasn't just language. Also might mean he wrote how the Jews wrote but used Egyptian words/characters. 

  3 And I know that the record which I make is ^atrue Already in verse 3 we have a testimony, a witness that this record is true.  Read it with faith that it is so and that you can know it as well; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge. We could have the same words in our own journal record. Certainly my record would acknowledge that "my knowledge" was limited or subject to limitations of my understanding or memory. Could this be what Moroni meant when he said "if there are mistakes they are the mistakes of men"?

  4 For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days);born and raised, then? and in that same year there came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.

  5 Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people

The first thing to note here is that some of the motivation for Lehi’s concern for Jerusalem was that it was his HOME…he grew up there; knew it well; knew and loved the people, the places, etc.  The thought of it and them being destroyed probably aroused great emotion, and it is EMOTION that is the impetus for faith. (moving forward in action…)

The second thing to note is the fact that there were MANY prophets telling the people to repent or the city would be destroyed. and they all seemed to have appeared "in that same year". What a scene that would cause to suddenly have these prophets all appear preaching repentance!  This must have created a feeling of urgency and anxiety that time was running short to repent…so short, in fact that it says “Lehi, AS he went forth prayed unto the Lord.”  Did he pray AS he went about, feeling there was either no time to stop and pray, or to cease praying?  Either way, he did so “even with ALL HIS HEART”.  What does it mean to pray “with all your heart” as opposed to not praying with all your heart?  To me, it suggests emotion added to words…a critical component to praying with FAITH.

The third thing to note, is that Lehi was not prophesying to the people at this point.  He was just a citizen of the community who was troubled by the prophecies that he was hearing.  He wasn’t praying to know if they were true, or if he should join the preaching, it just says that he was praying “in behalf of his people” suggesting that he was praying they would soften their hearts and repent and change so they and the city would NOT be destroyed. I also wonder what happened to the “many prophets” who were preaching repentance.  Were their lives not also in danger? Did the Lord take them and their families away? There was only one record, or were there more copies? so what would they have taken with them? Why did the Lord not have them join Lehi’s group?  I guess it just shows that we each have a “mission” and it’s different for everyone. I suppose those prophets still have the same reward, even if they were killed, or left, or remained and were taken captive or destroyed with the wicked…And under what form of church organization or lack thereof, does the Lord call “many” prophets? We have ONE prophet, yet the apostles are also prophets. Were these men with the “gift of prophecy” or did they have a position and official “calling”?

6 And it came to pass as he prayed sometimes answers come while we are still praying unto the Lord, there came a ^apillar of fire what other times in scripture do we find a pillar of fire? There was Moses and the Egyptians when it served as a barrier between the army of Pharaoh and the children of Israel, In this instance, it sounds like the Lord looks on the Egyptians through the pillar, so it sounds like it’s hiding Him from them. Nephi and Lehi were encircled by a pillar of fire and conversed with angels and it caused their faces to shine. When the Lamanites prayed to have faith and repented, they too were encircled by a pillar of fire which protected them and allowed them to hear/see wonderful things as well. Christ says that He and his Apostles will come forth in a pillar of fire at the last day. Joseph Smith says the Father and the Son appeared to him in a pillar of light above the brightness of the Sun. I suppose he could have called it a pillar of fire as well. He says it fell upon him, so we could assume he was “in” the pillar of fire too. The common thread here seems to be that when mortal man comes in contact with the divine, the pillar of fire surrounds him and for man to converse with him, he must be included in that circle. This could be the first reference to "fire" which could represent the "baptism of fire" that we are ALL to receive. Is it called "fire" because, as these records show, it brings us into the presence of the Divine? and dwelt upon a rock before him; Although Lehi says the pillar was before him, not upon him. But maybe since he only saw and heard, and did not converse he was not included in the pillar of fire. and he saw and heard much; what did he see, how was it shown to him and who was talking to him? What was the significance of the “pillar”? Was it hiding a heavenly presence? Was it the means of showing him what he saw? In any case, the manifestation was indisputably and undeniably real. and because of the things which he saw and heard he did ^bquake and tremble exceedingly.

  7 And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being ^aovercome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen. Does he share later what he saw/heard that caused him to quake and tremble? What physical effect does being so fully in the presence of the Spirit do to our bodies? Why do they become weak?

  8 And being thus overcome with the Spirit, he was carried away in a ^avision,  was this vision a repeat of what he just saw and heard? even that he saw the ^bheavens open, and he thought interesting expression…”thought”…was he not sure? he ^csaw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God some religions believe this is what we do in heaven forever…just sing and praise God.  Sounds silly to me…so he must be seeing a celebration or an event of some kind?…. or perhaps, we are in a continual attitude/state of praise and gratitude, but not always manifesting it outwardly?

  9 And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven perhaps this is what they were singing for…in anticipation of the arrival of Christ, and he beheld that his ^aluster was above that of the sun at noon-day. Was this not Joseph Smith’s description. We’ll assume this meant he was in a pillar of light again.

 10 And he also saw ^atwelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament. Notice they shown as well, but not as bright as Christ. This makes it sound like the light emanates FROM the person, not something that is “put upon” them…

 11 And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and ^astood before my father, and gave unto him a ^bbook, and bade him that he should read. Interesting that they would appear to him and have him read out of a book instead of talking to him or showing him what they wanted him to know….Does this teach the importance of the scriptures? Christ taught from the scriptures as well, even though He was scripture personified! 

 12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the ^aSpirit of the Lord. Is this a key to revelation? Is this a key to being filled with the Spirit of God? READ THE SCRIPTURES? What if it is just that literal?  

 13 And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine ^aabominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning ^bJerusalem—that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be ^ccarried away captive into Babylon.

 14 And it came to pass that when my father had read and seen was this a separate thing from reading or were his spiritual eyes opened to “see” in his mind what he was reading…much like you and I do when we read a book.. many great and marvelous things, he did exclaim many things unto the Lord; such as: Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy ^apower, and goodness, and mercy are over all the inhabitants of the earth; After seeing the destruction of Jerusalem, he must have seen good things or he would not have ended with praise. What "great and marvelous things" did he see? Why didn't he write what those were? and, because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who ^bcome unto thee that they shall perish! “Perish” must be more spiritual than temporal, for we know that many honest, believing people perish at the hands of wicked men… Does it have something to do with the phrase "come unto me"? There could be many "believing" people who do not fully "come" unto Christ and enter through the gate where "he employeth no servant there" and are baptized by fire and the Holy Spirit. Are we promised deliverance no matter what if we "come unto Christ" in this full manner? 

 15 And after this manner was the language of my father this reference to the "language" of his father was more about what he was saying than what dialect he was saying it in in the praising of his God; for his soul did rejoice, after the first vision, Lehi trembled and quaked because of what he had seen.  Now his soul rejoices.  Perhaps this second vision was a “part 2”…where he saw how it all fit into the grand plan and how the atonement reached into the lives of those who believe and his whole heart was filled, because of the things which he had seen, yea, which the Lord had shown unto him. Or he saw his family’s deliverance from the destruction. That would surely cause you to rejoice!

 16 And now I, Nephi, do not make a full account of the things which my father hath written, for he hath written many things which he saw in ^avisions and in ^bdreams; Here we are given validity to the reality and importance of visions and dreams...and he also hath written many things which he ^cprophesied and spake unto his children, Does this mean before his call to preach to Jerusalem, just for his own family’s benefit? of which I shall not make a full account.

 17 But I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. Behold, I make an ^aabridgment of the record of my ^bfather, upon ^cplates which I have made with mine own hands; wherefore, after I have abridged the record of my ^dfather then will I make an account of mine own life. Nephi must have known that we would not have Lehi’s full record, so he included a summary, at least to the degree that we would understand how Nephi had been influenced by Lehi’s teachings. Or maybe he thought we WOULD have Lehi's record, so he didn't need to repeat everything...

 18 Therefore, I would that ye should know, that after the Lord had shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophesy and to declare unto them concerning the things which he had both seen and heard.

It seems that Lehi’s experience with the pillar of fire; all that he saw and heard there, as well as what he saw and read in a vision upon returning home, became the basis for his call as a prophet.  He was given two witnesses of what he was to preach.  There would be no doubt in his mind and heart as to what he was saying.  Perhaps he was hoping that his standing in the community, his long time associations with others would give him the credibility to be heard and listened to.  “These people know me…surely they will listen” he might have said. How wrong he was. Were the others who prophesied granted the same experience as Lehi?

 19 And it came to pass that the ^aJews did ^bmock him because of the things which he testified of them; for he truly testified of their ^cwickedness and their abominations; and he testified that the things which he saw and heard,  beyond their wickedness and abominations?…and also the things which he read in the book, Two witnesses…manifested plainly of the coming of a ^dMessiah, and also the redemption of the world. Here we are told more about what was in the book…and perhaps what he saw in the pillar of fire (so it would indeed be a second witness…) and it was this part that caused Lehi’s heart to rejoice…for he saw a way for his people to repent and be saved.  Don’t focus on the wicked part…rejoice that a Savior has been provided to make you clean again so you can live with God forever! I often picture prophets of old just crying repent or be destroyed…focusing on their wickedness…yet in reality, they probably focused on the message and hope of the Atonement. But the people never got past the accusations to hear the real message.

 20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him;  yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had ^acast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also ^bsought his life, that they might take it away. here is the ultimate pride…to be so steeped in your ways, yet so bothered by your conscience that you feel the only way to silence that conscience is to silence the one “pricking” it…I have never understood why people get so riled up over someone’s belief that they demand it be silenced. If it is not true (and it’s belief only causes the believer to be kind and charitable) what is the harm in that? It is such an obvious admonition of guilt! But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender ^cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance. The Lord chooses us because of our faith, not because He just chooses us. And He needs to make us mighty unto deliverance, because when we choose Him, others may turn against us in dangerous ways. Perhaps once He chooses us we are asked to do things that will require great faith...and thus deliverance! Perhaps a type of the "ultimate" deliverance! How sad and frustrating to know so much that could help your friends and neighbors and associates and to be met with mocking, anger, and hatred to the degree that they would want to KILL you!  Surely you would ask the Lord why he had picked you to share these things, only to be met with such rejection!  But Nephi teaches us this important truth.  When you are chosen by the Lord, the Lord has “tender mercies” in store for you, BECAUSE of your FAITH, and He will make you mighty and deliver you by His power.  The word “mercies” is plural, suggesting that you can expect more than one.  The word “all” suggests that He has chosen MANY…even you, maybe. The key ingredient however, is FAITH! “Deliverance” can be from the wicked in this world, while remaining in the world, or literal deliverance from this world altogether.  I have to believe that the prophets who are allowed to be slain, instead of removed from the wicked, like Lehi, also received the tender mercies of the Lord in perhaps “not tasting of death” as their lives were taken from them. If the people were ALL so wicked that no one believed him, it makes me wonder if Lehi had any real friends. It's pretty hard to be close friends with someone who believes the opposite of you and does bad things while you are trying to do good. The purple highlights are a point I learned from Brother James Ferrell, author of “The Peacegiver” and “The Holy Secret”  Lehi was inspired by the words of a prophet(s), he went out somewhere to pray, he was shown a book, and his life was in jeopardy because of what he said he saw.  A type of Joseph Smith.