1 Nephi 7:16

16  And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me.  And it came to pass that they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and they did ^abind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.

     “were angry with me..”  “were exceedingly wroth…”

            -another example of anger being expressed by those whose hearts are contrary to God.  Anger is a trait of the weak and those who stand against Godly things.  It is a manifestation of one who is challenged in their pursuit of selfish goals (CR:  D&C 3:1-4).

            -they were angry because of the words Nephi spoke… and what was it that he said?  He actually gave them permission –pointed out that they could exercise their agency- to go back to Jerusalem.  This was the thing Laman and Lemuel had been complaining about since their original departure. So why would they be angry?  If they desired they could go back now.  Their anger, as does the anger of all who find themselves on the wrong side of truth, came because they were brought face to face with the consequences of truth and they do not like it.  They want their cake, to eat it and to not get fat.  They want to return to Jerusalem and a life of leisure and to wallow in self-indulgence without the threat of destruction.  The potential destruction ruins everything and they do not like it.  They especially don’t like someone telling them about it.  At least they can enjoy themselves during their their naivete or put it out of their minds until it happens.  Truth, morality and virtue always angers the natural man.

     “did lay their hands upon me… did bind me… sought to take away my life”

            -when we reject truth, morality, God and/or righteousness we become antagonistic to it and the distance between mental antagonism and physical antagonism is very short.Violence is the inevitable destination of those who reject the doctrines and the beliefs established by the Prince of Peace. 

            -why did Laman and Lemuel’s response elevate to violence –to assault, battery, kidnapping and attempted murder?  Obviously they subscribed to a different perspective than Nephi but they were not being physically coerced or threatened.  When right (the objectives of God) and wrong (the objectives of the devil or man’s whims) confront each other within a person, between indivduals or amongst groups of people there will be a struggle.  In this mortal-physical world that struggle will often become violent in nature.  There is a period of strained coexistence but the differences will escalate until one or the other is established triumphant.  God’s power and dominion is eternal in nature; Satan’s power and dominion are temporal –that is relegated to this mortal existence- in nature.  On earth then, we should not be surprised at the proliferation and success of Satan.  Good and evil cannot coexist any more than water and oil.  A house divided against itself cannot stand.

      “they sought to take away my life…”

            -this is the first time Laman and Lemuel make an attempt to murder Nephi.  Their degree of rejection of the Lord has already grown to this extent.

            -why don’t Laman and company just do as Nephi invited, that is, go back to Jerusalem?  But no, they became violent and attacked Nephi.  Why?  He did not try to stop them.  Because once we enlist to serve Lucifer and fight against God we want to extinguish all that is good and godly.  Hence Lucifer’s plan is not to simply get his own way, but to destroy all those who will not embrace his cause (every social and political cause authored by Satan and carried out by his, often unwary, pawns operates in the same manner).  It is slavery, absolute and uncompromising.  For those who don’t join, it is death.  Evil cannot endure the existence of goodness.