Fulfilling Joseph's Promise (2 Nephi 3)

We don't hear much about Lehi's son, Joseph.  He and Sam don't have books of their own in the BOM like their brother Jacob, but that doesn't mean they turned to the dark side or anything.  Chapter 3 in 2nd Nephi is Lehi's speech and blessing for Joseph, his youngest son.

This is actually Israel Blesses Ephraim with the Birthright, by Keith Larson, but I like the image for Lehi and Joseph and Jacob (actually, that means the man standing is Joseph, Israel's son).

Joseph was born during a tough time in Lehi's life.  He tells Joseph that he was born in the "wilderness of mine afflictions" and that he was born in "the days of my greatest sorrows."  It's probably safe to say that Joseph had as rough a time as Jacob did, probably rougher 'cause he was younger.

Can you see the little baby hanging on to his Mom?  I think this is probably Joseph. 

I know Lehi is a wise and wonderful creature, and is trying to give his son comfort, and promised blessings for the future, but if my Dad (if he were a prophet) said this to me, I think I'd freak out:

2 Nephi 3: 3

3.  And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may The Lord bless thee forever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

"Wait, what did you say?!!"

This time, heads are gonna roll... (1st Nephi 4-5)

In June of 1989, about 6 months after returning home from a mission for The Church, I prayed about what I should do next.  I knew what I wanted out of life in very general terms, but the details were so overwhelming that it had kind of a paralyzing effect.  In answer to my prayer, The Lord told me in untypical for me plainness that I needed to pick up and move back to the area where I served my mission (the Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky area).  I was 22 years old, broke, and I didn't have a car.  My response was, "Ok."  5 months later I took the $500 in tax return money that I didn't know I was going to get (not having filed for 1986 because I left for my mission in January '87), threw my crud into my brother Bob's Renault Encore that he loaned me while he served in Japan in the Navy and drove to Oxford, Ohio. 


Cincinnati, Ohio from Northern Kentucky

1st Nephi 4: 6 tells of a similar predicament Nephi had (not really comparable, but I'm trying here, folks).

6.  And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

Nephi had just been saved from a good beating from his brothers by an angel from God, and was determined to remain diligent in his commitment to obey The Lord's command to retrieve the Brass Plates from Laban.  In order to do this, Nephi had to stand and boldly testify to his brothers who had just tried to kill him that The Lord will help them.  You'd think the angel's message would have been enough, but apparently not.  Part of Nephi's testimony of The Lord's power included reminding them of the story of Moses.  The miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea is referenced quite a few times in the BOM. 

1 Nephi 4: 2-4

2.  Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither (here and there), and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.
3.  Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt?  Let us go up; The Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
4.  Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.

I find it interesting that Laman and Lemuel believe in the crossing of the Red Sea by the children of Israel and the miracle that occurred there, but lack the faith that The Lord's love and blessings can be offered to them in real time.  I hate it when I can see how stupid Laman and Lemuel are being, and then realize I often do the same thing.  I can talk about my own testimony of the coming forth of the BOM or the visit to Joseph Smith by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, an event that I entirely believe inside my own intestines, and yet I fear and quake when I don't know what to do or which way to go.

1 Nephi 4: 6

6.  And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

I wish I was a man like unto Nephi.  But, hey!  I did throw my junk into Bob's car and drive to Ohio, didn''t I?  Yes, I did.  The problem is maintaining that faith when the ground turns to mud again and the angel leaves.

Bravo Co. 2-15, Task force 2-15, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (San Francisco Chronicle)

As Nephi walks towards Laban's house inside Jerusalem's walls with his brothers without, he sees a drunken man passed out in the street.  A closer look reveals this man to be Laban, out cold.  Nephi receives a revelation from The Lord through the Holy Spirit which told him to kill Laban.

1st Nephi 4: 10

10.  And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but 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.

Three times the Spirit patiently tells Nephi that this is what he is supposed to do, with the understanding (I think) that, to those who try to be obedient, killing a human being seems contradictory to the commandments of God.

1st Nephi 4: 12-13

12.  And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again:  Slay him, for The Lord has delivered him into thy hands.
13.  Behold The Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.  It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

The many aforetimes asked question may have occurred to you:  Why did Nephi have to kill him to get the plates?  Couldn't The Lord have just made him stay passed out, or helped Nephi get the plates anudder way?

I believe the reason Laban was killed was more than just getting the plates.  There are several places in the BOM where it talks about how nobody knew that Lehi left Jerusalem.  According to The Lord's eternal purposes and omniscience, Lehi's family's journey in the wilderness and reaching their land of promise in the Western Hemisphere had to remain a secret.  If any other scenario other than Laban dying would have played out, at what point do you think Laban would have stopped trying to get those plates back?  Yeah, Laban had to die.  And, for some reason known only to those above, Nephi had to do it.  What gets me is this:

1st Nephi 4: 18-19

18.  Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
19.  And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.

Why, for goodness sakes, didn't Nephi take Laban's clothes off of him first, and then cut his head off?  What a mess!  I'm just joking.  You need to give the scriptures a break sometimes.

A fellow is introduced to us now who always makes me think of Shaggy from Scooby Doo for some stupid reason.  Probably a cartoon video I saw of scripture stories at one time or anudder.  Anywayz, his name is Zoram.  I like Zoram.  He is one of Laban's servants.  Nephi meets up with Zoram at Laban's house and asks him to get the brass plates for him.  Zoram is sure this is Laban.  He looks like him.  He's wearing Laban's clothes.  He even sounds like Laban.  Zoram helps Nephi carry the brass plates to his brothers who are waiting outside the walls of Jerusalem.  Zoram does so without question.  There's an interesting comment in their conversation:

1st Nephi: 4: 22

22.  And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night with them.

Laban was out hanging out with the elders of the church, and then he passes out from being drunk out of his gourd on the way home.  Yeah, Jerusalem wasn't in a high state of righteousness at this time for sure.

So Nephi (who Zoram thinks is Laban) and Zoram approach where Laman, Lemuel and Sam are hidden outside the wall, and Nephi yells out to them so they'll know it's him.  Zoram gets a little freaked out by this, and tries to make a break for it.  Remember, it is VERY important that nobody can know where Lehi's family went.  And, if Zoram is left there alive, he is going to tell the local sheriff who killed Laban, and he'll for sure send out a posse looking for Nephi. 

1st Nephi 4: 31, 36

31.  And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of The Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.

36.  Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.

Nephi explains to Zoram that if he agrees to come with them to the promised land, he will be a free man.  Zoram agrees to come along.  Zoram was a good man.

Back to Mom and Dad's they go...

American Gothic, -by Grant Wood

Now, Mom had been pretty worried about her boys, and had made her views pretty plainly known to her husband.  He comforted her as best he could, bearing his testimony about his revelations from The Lord being real, and that they would all be ok.  When they finally did return, she was very happy, and gained her own testimony of her husband's prophetic warnings.

When Lehi studied the Brass Plates, he discovered that they contained, in effect, what we know as the old testament up through Jeremiah, including some significant additions that we don't have.  Some of these are mentioned later in the BOM, most notably the writings of the prophets Zenock and Zenos.  Our modern day Bible also speaks of records from some prophets of old testament times which have never been found.

Also significant, Lehi discovered his genealogy, and that he descended from the tribe of Joseph, the son of Jacob (or Israel), who was sold into Egypt, and not from Judah as he had assumed.  And of Joseph's sons, Lehi and his family came through the line of Manasseh.  This becomes significant when the prophecies of Joseph are studied.  Joseph, while in Egypt as Pharaoh's number 2, saved his father Jacob and all of his brothers from starvation.  The house of Israel would have become extinct were it not for Joseph.  In a similar way, the descendants of Joseph (Lehi and his family) through their experiences and writings which were recorded and preserved as the BOM for our day will eventually reach out to all of the tribes of Israel and be an instrument in bringing them unto Christ, saving them in a very real sense. 

1st Nephi 4: 21-22

21.  And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of The Lord unto our children.
22.  Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.

The BOM is a sacred and true record of an ancient people who knew and prophesied of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  I testify that Jesus Christ is The Messiah taught about in the Book of Mormon. 

Tune in next time when we talk about marriage, love and living the American dream...
Peace be with you.

Uh oh, Dad’s dreaming again... (1st Nephi 3)

Chapter 3 of 1^st Nephi is home to one of the most beloved verses of scripture in all Latter-day Saintdom.  It is spoken about, taught about and sung about in thousands of LDS chapels around the world, in hundreds of languages.  Ask any member of the church anywhere in the world, “What is a good scripture about having faith to be obedient?”  9.4087 times out of 10 the answer will probably be 1^st Nephi 3: 7.  Before we read it, I’d like to talk about principles.

You can find 3 basic things in the scriptures:  Facts, truths and principles.  All three are important, but of those things that we can apply to our lives, these are listed in ascending order of importance.

Fact

A fact is a detail in the storyline that adds to our understanding, but is not essential to know. 

Example:  1^st Nephi 3: 1 

1.  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with The Lord, to the tent of my father.

Truth

A statement of truth about something of eternal significance, which, for one thing, allows the Spirit of the Lord to testify to us of the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This verse helps the story flow, gives context to what follows, and is even spiritually edifying, but isn't as necessary to know as other things.

Example:  1^st Nephi 3: 20

19.  And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;

20.  And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.

These verses teach us that the words uttered by the prophets from the beginning even down to now has been given to them by the Spirit of The Lord, and by His power.  The Holy Ghost is able to bear witness to us that this is true, that the scriptures are the Word of God, thus deepening our faith and our testimonies.

Principle

A formula from The Lord, which, if applied, will result in a promised blessing.

And the scripture we've all been waiting for:  1^st Nephi 3: 6-7

6.  Therefore, go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

7.  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my 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.

A principle is a very important part of scripture.  They are recipes for blessings and true happiness.  The Prophet Joseph Smith said about the BOM, "...a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book." The Lord’s message to us in these verses, or one of His messages at least, is that if we are willing to obey His commandments without bellyaching about it, He will favor us, and provide the means to obey, even if we don’t know what we’re doing.

Well, what does it mean to be ‘favored’?

Verse 1 of 1^st Nephi says, “…having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of The Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God…”  What a great promise for being willing to obey.  It doesn’t matter how many afflictions you may have in the course of your life, when all is done, you will feel and know that you were blessed.



(not actual photo)

Anywayz, back along the borders of the Red Sea, Lehi had a dream in which he is told that he needs to send his boys back to Jerusalem to get some plates made of brass that are currently in the possession of a fellow named Laban.  Laban is probably Lehi’s cousin, or at least a relative.  Laman thinks it sounds like a real drag, man, and Lemuel always thinks what his mentor Laman thinks, but Nephi and Sam believe that this task was given to them, not by their dad, but by The Lord.  And, whatever The Lord asks Nephi to do, he will, come heck or high water, do. 

That's me dreaming, not Lehi.  Now this is camping.

Turns out Laban doesn’t want to give the brass plates up.  Laman and Lemuel immediately throw in the towel and start back toward the campsite at the Red Sea, but Nephi suggests that they go to their old house and gather up their gold and silver and stuff, and make a trade for the plates.  This idea didn’t pan out either.  When Laban saw their property he saw nothing wrong with taking it and keeping the brass plates too, so he sent his servants after the Lehi brothers to kill them and steal their property. 

1^st Nephi 3: 26

25.  And it came to pass that when Laban saw our property, and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it, insomuch that he thrust us out, and sent his servants to slay us, that he might obtain our property.
26.  And it came to pass that we did flee before the servants of Laban, and we were obliged to leave behind our property, and it fell into the hands of Laban. 

Ain’t that Laban a stinker?  Well, don’t worry; he gets his in the next chapter.  I would like to point out a lesson we could all learn from these guys.  Sometimes you need to let go of your hold on the world in order to save yourself.  How’s that for a gleaned profundity, you like it?  I knew you would.

Well, of course, ol’ Laman and Lemuel are more than ready to, again, book it for home at this point.  Nephi lectures them again, & tells them they ain’t goin’ back without the plates.  So, of course, they try to wack him (and I do mean wack).  They get a stick and beat him with intent to kill.  

There are some terrible acts of violence committed in this world of ours.  People do actually hurt others, even their own brother.  The Lord gave us, in the beginning, the choice of whether or not to follow him, and whether or not to sin.  He said to Adam, “…nevertheless thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee, but remember that I forbid it…” (Genesis 2: 16-17, or Moses 3: 16-17).  In some cases, however, there are events that are of such high importance, He must intervene.  The Lord had a work for Nephi to do, therefore he must live.  And, the descendants of Lehi and others that will join the story later must have those brass plates.  It was vital that these records were kept and preserved and used for the benefit of the peoples of the BOM, and, in turn, us.  The Lord sent his messenger to stop Laman and Lemuel from beating Nephi and Sam to death, and to help them know that The Lord will help them get the plates from Laban. 

1 Nephi 3: 28-31

28.  And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father; and also was Lemuel, for he hearkened unto the words of Laman.  Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod.

29.  And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of The Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying:  Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod?  Know ye not that The Lord has chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquitities?  Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and The Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

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

And the Pièce de résistance…

31.  And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, 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?

And that’s chapter 3 of 1^st Nephi.  I must apologize for being so long winded.  I love the BOM.  I do.  Several years ago this fellow in my ward in Ohio was speaking in church when he referenced me while talking about the BOM.  It was such high praise.  He said, “That’s one of the reasons I love it when John Barney teaches about the Book of Mormon, because he’s been there.”  I hesitate to write that, because it sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, but that made me feel so good when he said that.  The Book of Mormon has given me a closeness to and an understanding of The Savior Jesus Christ that I would never have known without it.  When I say I love the BOM, I’m really saying I love my Savior, because that is what the BOM has done for me, and that is why I love it.  I just hope that when I am told to do something by The Lord (or His servants), and given the assurance that I can do it even when I’m not sure how, that I can be a Nephi and not a Laman.  I can think of way too many examples of when I was a Laman. 

Nephi



Laman



Don’t be a Laman.  Be a Nephi.  Go and do the things which The Lord has commanded you, for He gives no commandment unto you that he does not provide a way for you to do it.

Peace be with you…