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1 Ne 3:1 speaking with the Lord
Interestingly, Nephi doesn’t give us the details of this
conversation he had with the Lord with the exception of 1 Ne 2:19-24. He is writing on the small plates which are the
ones on which he intended to record the things of the Spirit. Could it be that
the rest of the conversation was too sacred to record? Was this experience too
personal to share? We should not worry that Nephi didn’t give us every detail.
We should follow his example and be selective about how and with whom we share
our personal spiritual experiences. Neal A. Maxwell said, “President
Marion G. Romney cautioned about the inappropriate sharing of certain spiritual
experiences, suggesting that we might have more of them if we would not talk so
much about them! We must be careful not
to ‘trifle’ with sacred things (D&C 6:12).” (If Thou Endure It Well, p.
108)
Secondly, this phrase, ‘speaking
with the Lord,’ is reminiscent of Exodus 33:11 in which the Lord speaks
to Moses ‘face to face, as a man speaketh unto his
friend.’ The brother of Jared also had a similar experience. Thus we see
that the Book of Mormon confirms the Biblical truth that God is a personage,
with a form like man’s although more glorious, and that God usually speaks to
prophets ‘as a man speaketh unto his friend,’ and
not with burning bushes.
1 Ne 3:2-4 Why didn’t the Lord command them to take the record of the Jews on their way out of Jerusalem?
Here we see an example of how obedience can be inconvenient.
The carnal mind (Laman and Lemuel) would wonder why the Lord would have allowed
them to travel several days before commanding them to obtain the record.
Couldn’t they have grabbed it on their way out? Whether the Lord was testing
them, or whether He had other reasons is not clear. What is clear is that this
event, like many others, demonstrates the difference in character and
spirituality among Lehi’s sons. Many of the Lord’s dealings with us are just as
hard to understand with the carnal mind. We should accept the fact that, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, (Isa 55:8) and exhibit the faith of Nephi.
1 Ne 3:3 record of the Jews and
also a genealogy of my forefathers
This record of the Jews becomes a stabilizing force among
the Nephites. It allows consistency of language, doctrine, history, genealogy,
and tradition. The stabilizing effect can be seen when comparing the Nephites
to the Mulekites who came to the new world without any records. Hence, ‘their language had become corrupted; and . . . they
denied the being of their Creator’ ("Omni
1:17Omni 1:17).
Hugh Nibley
“The purpose of the plates, as he
saw it, was to preserve the cultural heritage of the past for generations to
come, and especially to retain intact the unbroken religious tradition of God's
people back to the very beginning.
“This is
the announcement that launches the vast and restless record-keeping project of
Lehi's descendants, determined to keep intact the chain of writings that bound
them to the righteous of every age in a single unbroken faith and tradition.
For the ancients all history was sacred history.” (An Approach to the Book
of Mormon, p. 158.)
1 Ne 3:3 plates of brass
Some have argued that the description
of brass in the Book of Mormon is an anachronism. However, the same term is used in the Bible as early as Genesis
4:22. Both descriptions probably describe a copper alloy which is different
than the current definition. Brass is an alloy of copper and nickel. Bronze is
an alloy of copper and tin. The latter was much more common in Old Testament
times, but by the 17th and 18th centuries, the word
“bronze” was not yet in common usage.
Hugh Nibley
“When we see brass in the Old
Testament, are we supposed to read bronze? Answer: Well, you can read bronze.
They did have brass, the alloy of copper and nickel, but, of course, copper and
tin was much commoner. The word bronze doesn't occur in the King James Bible at
all because it wasn't used until the 1880s. It wasn't an English word at all;
it was a French word. We use brass which means bronze…. In Joseph Smith's time
they didn't use the word bronze at all. That was a word for artists in Paris to
use, and it was a new thing.” (Teachings
of the Book of Mormon, lecture 10, p. 141)
1 Ne 3:5 it is a hard thing which
I have required of them
The Book of Mormon
Student Manual states, “The distance from Jerusalem to the Red Sea (the Gulf
of Aqaba) is about 180 miles through hot, barren country infested anciently by
many marauders. And they had gone three days’ journey beyond that. (See 1 Ne
2:6) This meant at least a twelve- to fourteen-day trip one way, giving added
meaning to Nephi’s response in verse 7.” (1981 Book of Mormon Student Manual, p. 16)
1 Ne 3:7 I will go and do the
things which the Lord hath commanded…
Joseph
Smith
“….as my life consisted of
activity and unyielding exertions, I made this my rule: When the Lord commands,
do it.” (History of the Church,
2:170, as taken from Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 13)
“I am thankful beyond expression
that I did read the book [of Mormon] in my boyhood days and that the assurance
came into my heart that it was in very deed the truth, and that I fell in love
with the character of Nephi. More than any other mortal man that we have any
record of in the Bible, the Old, or the New Testaments, or in the Book of
Mormon, more, I believe, than the influence of my friends and associates with
whom I have lived, Nephi has made an impression upon my heart and my soul and
has been one of the guiding stars of my life--a man who endeavored upon all
occasions never to become discouraged or disheartened, never to complain; but
who endeavored to the full extent of his ability to carry out his own wonderful
words spoken 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 commanded them.’
“It is in the way we answer the
call that we show the measure of our devotion…. Never say ‘No’ to an
opportunity to serve in the Church. If you are called to an assignment by one
who has authority, there is but one answer. It is, of course, expected that you
set forth clearly what your circumstances are, but any assignment that comes
under call from your bishop or your stake president is a call that comes from
the Lord. An article of our faith [#5] defines it so, and I bear witness that
it is so. Once called to such positions, do not presume to set your own date of
release. A release is in effect another call. Men do not call themselves to
offices in the Church. Why must we presume that we have the authority to
release ourselves? A release should come by the same authority from whence came
the call. Act in the office to which you are called with all diligence. Do not
be a slothful servant. Be punctual and dependable and faithful.” (BYU
devotional, Mar. 23, 1965 as taken from Latter-day
Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.13)
Marion G. Romney
“I believe with all my heart, for
example, that if our young people could come out of our homes thoroughly
acquainted with the life of Nephi, imbued with the spirit of his courage and
love of truth, they would choose the right when a choice is placed before them.
How marvelous it would be if, when they must make a decision, there would flash
into their minds, from long and intimate association with them, the words of
Nephi: ‘I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded…” (Conference Report, Apr. 1960, p.112 as
taken from Latter-day Commentary on the
Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.11)
“My brothers and sisters, true greatness
has a habit of surviving the years. I am certain that every member of the
Church has thrilled to the words of a stalwart young man of Aaronic Priesthood
age who lived approximately twenty-six hundred years ago. When faced with a
difficult situation, he said, ‘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.)
“This young man, destined to
become a great prophet, had a most important quality. He had courage, courage
to stand on his own two feet rather than follow the so-called easier way -- the
more popular way -- the beckoning of the crowd, in this case his own brothers.”
(Conference Report, Oct. 1963, p.
102)
1 Ne 3:13 thou art a robber
Interestingly, Laban accuses Laman of being a robber. Later
in the chapter, Laban proves who has the heart of a thief as he takes all
Lehi’s wealth without giving up the plates. It is part of human nature to be
critical of others for those traits with which one is most deficient. The Book
of Mormon is so full of these snippets of human nature that Joseph Smith (if he
were the author as critics suppose) must have been brilliant to come up with
all of them on his own.
1 Ne 3:15 As the Lord liveth, and
as we live
Gene R. Cook
“Laman and
Lemuel were quitters. After just one setback they were ready to give up. They
probably continued murmuring and criticized Nephi much as they had criticized
their father.
“Now, think
carefully about what happened to Nephi and his brothers, because it relates to
you. They had a serious setback. They had tried, with their faith, the best
they knew how. Would they ever have gone to the house of Laban if they had not
had faith that they would obtain the plates? No, they believed they would or
they would not have gone. But their attempt was a failure. They had come to the
moment of tribulation, a moment almost every one of us faces every day. They needed
to make a decision. Would they go on believing in the Lord's word with double
the faith they had before, or would they quit? Laman and Lemuel wanted to go
back to the tent of their father. But listen to Nephi, who was filled with
great faith.
‘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.’ (Verse 15.)
“That is
strong. Nephi was saying in essence that the Lord lived, and that as surely as
He lived and they themselves lived, they would not return until they had
accomplished what they had been sent to do. At that particular moment did Nephi
have any more knowledge than he had had before in the sense that the task was
going to be easy or even that he knew what he was going to do? I do not think
so; he was still working with faith. Did he know how he was going to get the
plates? No, but he believed he would. He believed so strongly that I feel he
understood the great principle that is intertwined throughout this whole
experience: When tribulations and problems come, you cannot let your faith
weaken, but you must redouble your faith in the Lord. It was situations like
this one that Joseph Smith was referring to when he said that when the Lord
sees that you are willing to serve him at any price, at any cost, or under any
circumstance, then you will have sufficient faith to lay hold upon eternal
life, and not until. Nephi was going through that process.” (Living by the
Power of Faith, p. 44-5.)
Bruce R. McConkie
“This matter of swearing with an
oath in ancient days was far more significant than many of us have
realized. For instance: Nephi and his
brethren were seeking to obtain the brass plates from Laban. Their lives were in peril. Yet Nephi swore this oath: '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.' (1 Nephi 3:15.) Thus Nephi made God his partner. If he failed to get the plates, it meant God
had failed. And because God does not
fail, it was incumbent upon Nephi to go the plates or by down his life in the
attempt.” (Conference Report, April 1982, pp. 49-50)
1 Ne 3:20 preserve … the words…
of all the holy prophets
The brass plates of Laban contained the history of the Jews
from the creation down to Lehi’s day.
It included the Old Testament prophecies written prior to Lehi’s day.
Even the prophecies of Lehi’s contemporary, Jeremiah, were contained on the
plates (see 1 Ne 5:13). Almost all the
major Old Testament prophets’ prophecies were recorded. The Nephite record would not have included
prophecies from Daniel, Ezekiel, Micah, or Malachi. This is hinted at by the
ministry of the Savior among the Nephites. At that time, the Lord made sure
that the most important scriptures were a part of the Nephite record. This required Him to rehearse some of the
Old Testament prophecies which were either of great doctrinal importance or
which the Nephites did not have. A careful study of 3 Nephi demonstrates that
he mostly quoted Isaiah, Micah, and Malachi.
The plates of brass represented a larger body of literature
than our current Old Testament. This is apparent from the statement of Nephi, it (today’s Bible) is a
record like unto the engravings which are upon the plates of brass, save there
are not so many (1 Ne 13:23).
The plates of brass obviously contained a considerable body of
literature no longer extant in our Old Testament. It contained the words of
many prophets whose message, without the Book of Mormon, would have otherwise
been lost to the world. These were men who clearly taught of a Messiah who
would come in the flesh to redeem his people. These prophets include Zenock,
Zenos, and Neum (see the Book of Mormon Index).
1 Ne 3:27 hid ourselves in the
cavity of a rock.
Hugh Nibley
“The brothers went and hid in the
caves near Jerusalem. As you know (many of you have been there, I'm sure), the
whole limestone area around Jerusalem is just peppered with caves, wonderful
caves all over the place. Right up to Jerusalem, there are caves everywhere-the
cave of Machpelah and all the famous caves. There are hundreds of caves.” (Teachings of the Book of Mormon, lecture
7)
1 Ne 3:28 Laman was angry with me
Gene R. Cook
“There are two important points
here that we need to remember. First, after two failures, Nephi still remained
strong in the faith. Even when Laman and Lemuel were beating him, he believed.
I ask, do you still believe when you are being beaten by life? Do you
say to the Lord, ‘I do not know how I am going to do it, Father, but with thy
help I am still going to accomplish thy will.’ Or, do you follow the example of
Laman and Lemuel who doubted, murmured, feared, and gave up?
“The second point is that Nephi,
after resisting two great failures, finally had his faith rewarded. An angel
came! Nephi must have needed some support right then, and I imagine that
helped. But what did he know, at that moment that he did not know before? The
angel said, ‘Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem
again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.’ (Verse 29.)
Then Nephi knew the Lord's timetable, which is a very important thing to know.
There are many things that are the will of the Lord but whose timetables are
not known to man. Keep that in mind when you are trying to accomplish the
Lord's will.” (Living by the Power of Faith, p. 47)
1 Ne 3:31 Laman and Lemuel again
began to murmur
It doesn’t take Laman and Lemuel long
to demonstrate a complete lack of faith.
They don’t believe the message of an angel of the Lord that has just
appeared to them. Remarkably, they still fear the power of Laban even though
the angel promised that the Lord will deliver
Laban into your hands (v. 29). Nephi commented that their rebellion was
because they knew not the dealings of that God who
had created them (1 Ne 2:12). They
must not have, if they thought that Laban’s men were more powerful that the
Creator of heaven and earth.
George Q. Cannon
“After speaking to them the angel
departed. We have heard of a good many people who have thought if they could
only see an angel, and he should tell them anything, they would believe it, and
never afterwards doubt it. Yet here were these two young men who had seen and
been spoken to by an angel, and he had scarcely gone when they began to murmur.
They did not believe that which the angel had told them.” (The Life of
Nephi: Faith-Promoting Series, no. 9, p. 23 - 24.)