1 Nephi 11:27

27  And I looked and ^abeheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the ^bprophet who should prepare the way before him.  And the Lamb of God went forth and was ^cbaptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a ^ddove.

            -Condescension #2:  a perfect being submitting to baptism which is a representation of washing away sins and the actions which previously have been contrary to the nature of God.  It is a rebirth to a new life that is free of sin.  The irony is that Christ had  no sins to wash away.  He did not need to begin a new life of better living.  He was always spotless, guileless, and clean.  The purpose of this ordinance was literally, beneath him.  He submitted or stooped down for a higher law of example and obedience.  Nephi explains this point more specifically later (2 Nephi 31).

 

    "the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him"

        -the bestowal of the Holy Ghost is part of the baptismal ordinance.  Without the granting of the Holy Ghost the ordinance is not complete.  Did Jesus have need of the Holy Ghost for the same reason we do (as a teacher, a comforter, a constant companion)?  Assuming he did not due to his station as a member of the Godhead, why was the Holy Ghost sent?

Verse rewrite (replacing pronouns with names):
And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld John the Baptist.  And the Messiah/Jesus went forth and was baptized of John; and after Jesus was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

1 Nephi 11:8

8  And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me: Look! And I looked and beheld a tree; and it was like unto the ^atree which my father had seen; and the ^bbeauty thereof was far beyond, yea, exceeding of all beauty; and the ^cwhiteness thereof did exceed the whiteness of the driven snow.

    “Look!”

            -the punctuation increases the fervor, the urgency and the importance of the message.  Nephi was not just invited to “look…”, he was told, “Look!”.  Can we comprehend the difference between the two?

     “exceeding all beauty… exceed whiteness of snow.”

            -althouth he tries, Nephi does not have words sufficient to really explain the “superlativeness” of the tree.  It is beyond anything earthly.  It is an object belonging to a higher sphere.

1 Nephi 7:12

12  Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all ^athings according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise ^bfaith in him?  Wherefore, let us be faithful to him.

      “how is it that ye have forgotten"

            -three consecutive verses start with this interrogative.  It is a key insight to Laman and Lemuel’s spiritual lethargy.  Could it be that the reason they have forgotten is that they never learned it in the first place.  It is impossible to forget something if it was never within our mental repetoir to begin with.  Sure, they experienced the same events as Nephi –events that had profound spiritual impact on Nephi- but the lessons of those events seems to have entirely escaped Laman/Lemuel.  So, initially, they never had a conviction that “the Lord is able to do all things for the children of men”.  Hence, how could they forget something for which they never had a conviction?  This is not to make an excuse for them.  It is, in fact, a more desperate condition than to have had it and forgotten.  They have seen things and yet refuse to see them. How do you see an angel from heaven who instructs you as to the course you should be pursuing and not be changed?  What are the forces countering and minimizing such an experience?

     “the Lord is able to do all things…”

            -this is a spiritually universal theme that runs through all scripture and permeates God’s experience with man.  This is a fundamental divine truth that forms the foundation of our belief in, relationship to and dependence on God.  A person who does not have this personal conviction  walks through this life very differently than one with it.

            -the truth of this statement is contrasted against a related one:  man is not able to do all things.  Here, clear as day, is one of the great differences between God and man.  God is omnipotent; man is impotent. In moments of quiet reflection and absolute self-awareness we recognize that we can do nothing of merit without God.   He provides us the very air we need to breath, he is the architect of the marvelous heart that pushes life through our bodies.  Its perpetual beating is a mystery to us.  This is a source of much anger and vexation to many people.  The resent it and reject it.  In fact, if they were truthful they would admit that they hate God for it.  Mostly, however, their defense mechanism is to deny and dismiss its veracity.  The contrast ceases to exist if we dismiss God from the equation.  A being who is able to do all things can’t really do all things if He does not exist!

            -compare with Alma 26:12 --> “I can do all things”.  When we are in concert with the Lord there is nothing that is beyond our capabilities.

       “according to his will…”

            -the critic of God will ask “Can God do anything?” To which we must answer –to defend the omnipotence of God- “Yes!” The trap is tightened by the critic tempting something like, “Can he commit sin?”  or “Can he make a boulder so big that he cannot lift it?”  Well, the answer is “neither.”  He does what He does as that thing is according to His will.  It is good to realize that his will/work is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  He does not trifle with “feats of strength” nor is he concerned with impressing mortal men.  To consider whether God can create a boulder big enough that he cannot lift is to manifest a logic of thinking that is so trivial and so far below godliness as to prove nothing but the natural man’s utter incongruity with diety.

            -this fundamental statement of truth can be broken down into two parts:
                                    “the Lord is able to do all things   according to his will”

                                                                 

Our problem with faith in God is often not in the first part of Nephi’s declaration.  Many of us believe that “the Lord is able to do all things”.  Our point of departure is in the second part, “according to his will” since that is often at odds with what we really want:  “the lord is able to do all things according to OUR will…”  That, in perfect honesty, is what drives our prayers and our faith.  And when our will is not realized we are more often likely to question the Lord’s ability rather than face the possibility that our will might not be His will.  To question the latter is to summon a level of humility and submissiveness that is more difficult and painful than the crisis of faith that is brough to bear when we think that God may not be able because he may not even be there.  If he is not really there then we are free to pursue our own will and desires.  The real “problem” is if He is there and expects something different of us than we want for ourself;  a situation that is not only a possibly but is an eternal verity. 

     “for the children of men”

            -like a good earthly parent, God does all with the motivation that it is for His children’s well being and happiness.  From the perspective of the child, however, there are certain lessons that, in their immaturity and lack of sophistication, appear to be painful or senseless.  A parent, not a child, is able to judge what is best in a perspective that contemplates the full course of life.  How much more this must be the case when considering eternal life.

-There are three qualifications Nephi puts here on the Lord’s ability to do “all things”:

            1.  it has to be according to His will.

            2.  it (as is His will) is for the children of men.

            3.  the children of men have to exercise faith in God.

      “if it so be that they exercise…”

            -here the Lord lets us “call some of the rules”.  We control, to some degree, the extent of His hand in our lives.  It is a blessing and a burden.  By being “partners” we are expected to learn what “all things” are (righteous vs. unrighteous desires) and the process of achieving all things.  In short, we are expected to become familiar with God’s ways.  Although this might appear intimidating, all we are asked to do in the beginning is to “have faith in him” –to believe that He can do what He says He can do.  Here we come full circle to the truth:  we cannot do anything of ourselves.  We are succored, leaning on His strength until we begin to grow in understanding, ability and righteousness.

      “exercise faith”

            -this is active, engaged faith.  It is not merely a cerebral or passive thing.  The faith required here and in all instances where great/high things are promised, is a moving thing.  It is shown in our actions. “Exercising faith” is spoken of here as being synonymous with “be(ing) faithful”.  “Be” is an action word!

    “exercise faith in him”

            -the exercise of our faith must always be based on, grounded in, built upon Jesus Christ.  It is not enough simply to have faith;  that faith must be in Him.  Who or what are the potential alternatives for our faith?  Ourselves:  we can easily rely upon our own strength especially against the backdrop of the doctrine of self-reliance.  We can have faith in science, in systems, in others… all of which are important but all these root back to Jesus Christ and can very easily grown inappropriately larger than faith in Christ.  Coincidentally, as we have greater faith in Christ our faith in others –so long as those things are based in truth- will also become greater.

      “Wherefore, let us be faithful to him”

-Now, you tell me, who has the power here?  Can we doubt that God can do all things?

-to be faithful to another is most oftenused in the context of a married couple, of one spouse being faithful to the other.  In that case we mean to be loyal, to be chaste, to be devoted particularly in the most intimate expression of love and affection.  It might be useful to consider our relationship to God in exactly the same way.  This being said, what does being faithful to a spouse have to do with the usual way we conceive of faith?  That is belief that moves us to action in something we cannot see but hope to be true.  To be faithful to a spouse is all about discipline of our own behaviors, thoughts and actions.  To have faith in God is usually about things exernal to us that we believe in but cannot see.  Perhaps we should internalize faith to be more like being faithful…

1 Nephi 4:18

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 ^asword.

            SCRIPTORAL PRINCIPLE/LESSON to be LEARNED:  (stop after verse 18)

            -what is the Lord teaching us with the demise of Laban and the success of Nephi?  (there              are a multitude of principles)

            -what is the Lord teaching us about obedience as Nephi struggles, deliberates and reasons with the Lord's command?

      "therefore" (a summation of why Nephi was to kill Laban)

            -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.

            -his people could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses   unless they had the law.

            -the Lord had delivered him into thy hands.

      CR:  1Sam 17:51  This event was 475 years since a similar experience between David and Goliath.

            -finally Nephi concedes to the voice of the Spirit and resolves to slay Laban.  The word “therefore” signifies the result of a line of reasoning that occupied the preceding verses.  It is as if he is telling us the rational/reasons for why he obeyed such an unorthodox command.

            -the death of Laban brings up a curious question.  Does the suffering of Christ during the atonement cover the murder of Laban?  In considering this question the subject of whether there was an actual sin/transgression or other breaking of the commandments that occurred, what nature of actions does the atonement cover and what claim does justice have on this (and other such) events?

      “took Laban by the hair of his head and I smote off his head”

            -(6/7/95) we generally glide quickly by these words and hardly give them a second thought, but I think we should give consideration to what Nephi is experiencing in the event these words represent.

      Nephi was an honorable and good young man.  I think we may safely suppose that he did not glory in violence or harm.  His heart was peaceable and his soul enjoyed the gentle things and now he is required to do one of the ugliest things imaginable.  I cannot fathom the trauma of lifting a man by the hair of his head, feeling the weight of his drunken body, swinging the sword and cutting through the skin, the muscles, severing the bones and completely decapitating the head from the body.  Then feeling the weight of the torso sloughing to the ground and holding a head by the hair until he had to drop it to the earth and hearing it hit the ground and then roll til it rested still.  This was not an easy command to keep!  There was not glory in it.  This, when we think about what it entailed, must have been as great a trial for Nephi to experience as any part of this endeavor to obtain the plates.

            -The killing of Laban still represents a question that provides food for thought:  The Lord could have accomplished the obtaining of the brass plates without commanding the death of Laban, why didn’t he?  What is he trying to teach us?  What is he trying to teach Nephi?  Think about it, it must be important… a man’s life was required (as was his opportunity for further mortal preparation in the days of his probation) of it.

     “with his own sword…”

            -My mind wants to rest on this phrase and understand  what the symbolism, that is too strong to ignore, means.  Yet, nothing comes to me now.

1 Nephi 4:13

13  Behold the Lord ^aslayeth the ^bwicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.  It is ^cbetter that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in ^dunbelief.

      “the Lord slayeth the wicked”

            -some mortals burdened with a limited view of our place in the heavenly family and the nature of eternal existence will declare God to be a cruel tyrant.  They forget to recognize that we came into being by his declaration and only continue to exist by his selfless charity.  Neither do they understand that mortal death is such an insignificant pause in the eternal time line of personality.  It was his will that gave us life and it is his will (whenever and wherever) to usher us into the next stage of that life.  Furthermore He has ordained directions by which we must follow to insure our continued sojourn in mortality.  When we decided to depart from such laws it is with the recognition that we no longer enjoy the guarantees of his protecting and prospering hand.  If we then work to impede his work by opposing His designs to ensure the immortality and eternal life of man, how can we assume any possible pardon from his hand removing us from the way that others must travel to the celestial city?  The commandments He has given to man are to lead them to that eternal destination.  If one of the those commandments impedes rather than facilitates that goal it may and must be stepped over.  The commandments are not ends unto themselves but means to an end and if, like the law of Moses, they are viewed as simply ends, we are in danger of going astray.

      “to bring about his righteous purposes…”

            -we know that God has the right and authority to slay the wicked and here we find out why he will slay the wicked:  He does not do it out of anger or for trivial/petty matters.  He will remove his children from this life, as with all things he does, for the sake of righteousness to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

       “it is better that… than…”

            -this is a weighting out of celestial matters (which are inseparably connected to earthly matters) where one less fortune/desirable, even otherwise prohibited act is permitted for a greater benefit.

            -this phrase reveals one of the difficult truths of life.  There are some things that are clearly black and white, some things that are very straightforward but there are many decisions, circumstances and situations of degrees.  This is clearly illustrated by many who have discussed the concept of “good, better, best”.  Some of the more advanced decisions of life follow the logic of “it is better than __(insert action here)____ than ___(insert consequence of inaction here)___. Nephi faces such a situation here.  Adam and Eve faced a similar situation in the Garden of Eden.  The Savior faced a very consequential decision in the garden of Gethseomane. In these situations we are forced to reveal not only the measure of our discipleship but also the depth of our spiritual understanding.  The things/values of mortality come directly ino conflict with the things/values of eternity.

1 Nephi 4:12

12  And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;

12 – 13.  Like the second command of the Spirit, this third command includes additional information:

            a quick review:  1^st time – “I should kill Laban”

                                      2^nd time – “the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands.”

                                      3^rd time – “slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into they hands: 

Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous

purposes…”

            -this third time Nephi is given a reason for the Lord’s command.  This is the first time in this circumstance where an explanation is given to him.  I suppose that the Lord considered Nephi worthy for this additional light and truth.  The Lord does not always explain His rational for what he does  -remember Adam’s offering sacrifice and “I don’t know why save the Lord God commanded me.”

            -I am sure the Lord could have accomplished his design of obtaining the brass plates for Lehi and safely delivering them out of town without killing Laban, but it is very possible that Laban’s death was required so that Nephi could learn some very important truths.  We would do well to recognize what those are!

            -I suppose one of these lessons relates to Heber Kimball’s trial at the request from Joseph to give his own wife to be one of the prophet’s.  This is evidence of the extent to which the Lord will “try our very heart strings”.  We should learn wisdom from these things to be prepared for the trying of our own souls.

1 Nephi 4:10

10  And it came to pass that I was ^aconstrained 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.

      “I was constrained…”

            -strange verb, let’s look into it:  to compel, to confine, to restrain.  Forced; unnatural.  On the face of the definition and of what we know about how much God and the Spirit honor our agency, it is a curiously strong word to use.  We know Nephi was not mandated to kill Laban in the sense that his will was taken and he was forced.  He had a choice to obey God, but clearly the will of God was made known.  As a reflection on Nephi’s obedient character, it is probable that he recognized that he really did not have a “choice”.  God’s way is the right way and must be obeyed.  Like Joseph Smith who said in essence:  I’ve made this my rule, when God speaks, I obey, Nephi chose to use the word “constrained” in making his account because it was something he naturally would not have done (as his later wrestling with the Spirit proves) but also something that he felt must be done because God spoke it.  This is to be constrained.

       “constrained that I should kill Laban…”

            -oh my!  There are many things to pay attention to here.  Nephi has just been directed to do something that he has been told all his life is a sin.  Several questions arise:

            1.  How can this command be from God?  He has told us, as one of the basic 10 commandments, not to kill

            2.  Is not God, who changes not and cannot contradict himself, contradicting himself?

            3. Why the command to kill, couldn’t this be accomplished by tying Laban up or otherwise getting rid of him without killing?

All these questions deserve and earn answers in the following verses.

 

       “by the Spirit”

            -this phrase is of primary importance to understanding everything else in or relating to this experience and revelation.  Nephi had, by this time, fostered his ability to communicate with God enough to know what the Sprit was, how it sounded and if it was indeed the Sprit and not an unfriendly source.  Most of us struggle to hear, much less distinguish between the Holy Ghost and other spirits.  There is a great need to be familiar and conversant with the Spirit of God.  I would suppose that Nephi’s course of action (obedience to the promptings) rested largely –although there were other pertinent struggles- on knowing that the direction originated in God.  In our struggles to hear and identify the voice or direction of the Spirit thee is no substitute for experience and experience with the Holy Ghost comes from consistent obedience and righteous living.

       “but”

            -if we can ever be so judgmental as to attempt to accuse Nephi of wavering in keeping the commandments of God, here it is.  In this “strange” and “unique” command Nephi questions the Spirit instead of proceeding in his typical unquestioning way.  But let’s look at this as a strength rather than a shortcoming:  The command was so contrary to what he had learned and knew about God that he was going to be sure of it’s correctness before he carried it to completion.

        "...but I said in my heart..."

            -Nephi "talked back" to the Spirit how?  IN HIS HEART!!!  This should clue us into the way in which we receive and send communication to the Spirit and the Godhead.

            -Nephi’s deliberation was in his heart not his head.  This is of tremendous importance.  Our deliberations should, likewise, be through the Spirit, where we have a connection to an intelligence much higher than our own rather than relying on our own capacities of reason and logic.  While important and God given, the logic and reason of man –even the most sophisticated and “advanced”- is far short of God’s.  Man’s logic and reasoning has brought us brutal eras and harmful philosophies where, it seems, man’s behavior toward man slips to sub-human levels.

      “never at any time have I shed the blood of man.”

-Here Nephi declares his innocence and obedience to the commandments of God:  “Thou shalt not kill.”  He knows the commandment, is obedient to it and probably honors it. But his strength is that he will not shut himself off to continuing instruction and teachings. Are we so humble?  If we are not, there is a limit to our usefulness as instruments in God’s hands.

      “and would that I might not…”

-Nephi did not say “No, I won’t!” but like Christ in Gethsemane, he (if it were his choice/option) would rather not do this thing.  He wished that there were another way.

1 Nephi 4:1

PLAN 3
-First and foremost in this attempt is the ingredient of (like the previous two attempts) faithful obedience:  “Let us go… let us be faithful in keeping the commandments…”

1  AND it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be ^afaithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not ^bmightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

            -The emphasis has moved from "I will go and do,(3:7)" to we will not leave until "we

have     accomplished, (3:15)" to the Lord is "mightier than Laban and his fifty" and "the

Lord is able     to deliver us," (1 Nephi 4:1-3).

-Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Recurrence in Book of Mormon Narratives, p.45

        “let us”

            -by this time I think I would have been fed up and frustrated with the stubbornness of my brothers and given up trying to pull them along.  But Nephi continues to invite them and really work at bringing them to be obedient to the Lord’s commandment. We should be as patient in our work with the “Laman and Lemuels” of the kingdom.  The Lord is with us in any case.

I think one of the lessons God is trying to impress upon us in the scriptures, since He shows us by experience after experience, is that He is more powerful than vast numbers of trained mean and that when we align ourselves to His purposes we can not fail.  Besides being our support, He wants us to recognize that it is His hand that delivers his children and not their own strength.  Notice the similarities in all the situations:

                        -unarmed children of Israel versus Pharaoh’s army

                        -grossly outnumbered Gideon versus the Midianites

                        -young Nephi versus Laban and his “fifty”

                        -Joshua destroying Jericho with trumpets and shouting

                        -Elisha:  they that be with us are more than they that be with them

                        -Fierce weather intervening against militias and mobs sword to destroy Zion’s

  camp.

1 Nephi 3:19

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;

     “it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records…”

            -There was a reason for doing what they were doing.  There always is at least one reason behind the things the Lord commands us.  Understanding that reason(s) further empowers us and drives us to be more faithful.  Besides knowing that they were engaged in a commandment of the Lord, which Laman and Lemuel did not know –their first error-, Nephi also by this point had discovered the reasons behind the command  (a position that Laman and Lemuel never could have come to because they were stuck back on problem #1).

      “that"

            -here we are explicitly told the reason and importance of their obtaining the plates of scripture:

            1.  “preserve unto the children the language of fathers”

                        -this could very easily mean much more than knowledge about the ability to speak or write the language –such ability would be passed down (although with changes and modifications) simply as a function of growing up, like walking.  What then could it mean?

               a.  “language” has a couple of meanings:   one would be what I have described above (a mechanism of social communication).  A second would be a more inclusive term for culture or learning or experience.  This would include covenants and laws, communication methods and a history of God’s interaction of the same with man.  In light of this definition, having a record that stands as a bona fide original record of the reality of such things would be vitally important.

               b.  the phraseology has a distinct familiarity with another meaningful verse of scripture:  “turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children.”  Perhaps this situation was as important to those of former dispensations as it is to us today.

               c. ? (more…

            2.  “preserve the words… of all the prophets… since the world began” (from verse 20)

                        -there must be something important in reading the words of the prophets… How much value do we put on the scriptures?  The Lord felt them valuable enough to put the lives of four of his children (including one of the greatest prophets to walk on earth, who incidentally has a most important role to fulfill in his future years) in jeopardy.

-CR:  Omni 1:18

     “unto our children”

            -at this point Nephi nor Laman or Lemuel had children.  In fact, they were not even married.  Nephi’s vision and understanding of the purpose behind this errand extended well into the future. In a sense, he, was ‘seeing’ as God sees:  where the present and future is an eternal “now”.  When we see things as they are to come, we are overcoming the limitation of time, a component that is so central and fundamental to the mortal experience.

1 Nephi 3:18

18  For behold, they have ^arejected the words of the prophets.  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.  Wherefore, it must needs be that he flee out of the land.

            -interestingly, Jerusalem was still standing during this trip back.  Laman and Lemuel could see no sign of this supposed imminent demise.  To them it was still all speculation, and weak speculation at that.  They were the vagabonds while Laban, as an example, was living a life of comfort and ease.

    “they have rejected the words of the prophets”

            -rejecting the words of the prophets is a hallmark of a rebellious people on the verge of destruction. It is not that God gears up for vengeance against such a people but rather they have disqualified themselves from God’s protective care and placed themselves on the same level as other forces that surround them.  God withdraws and the wicked consume the wicked.  Once privledged to enjoy the prosperity and blessings of God, they now survive according to the strength of the creature in a world where the strongest survive.

    “if my father should dwell.. after he hath been commanded to flee… he would also perish”

            -the disciples of Christ and followers of God should always remember that there is nothing inherently special that priveledges them above Gods other children.  Lehi was no more chosen than any other man in Jerusalem EXCEPT through the level of his obedience to God.  Hewould also have perished if he had not obeyed God’s commands.  God honors those who honor Him.  The wicked are as privy to God’s discriminating treatment as anyone, the qualification is obedience.

     “Wherefore it must needs be that he flee out of the land.”

            -if we really think about consequences we would see that there is really no other option than to obey God.  “Itmust needs be” is a statement of one who sees the reality of the situation and recognizes that the way to life, happiness and long-term (i.e. eternal) blessings is to obey God.  The difficulties associated with obedience are really inconsequential:  there is really no other acceptable alternative than to do as God requires.  But this is a view where humility is a fundamental quality.

    “he flee out of the land.”

            -when the people of God come too a point of confrontation with those who oppose them, the pattern of the Lord has almost always been to concede the geography and maintain their integrity to spiritual principles and values.  God instructs is disciples to flee.  He then takes them to a comparatively poorer location (at least it is usualy undeveloped/uncultivated) where they create a little bit of heaven.  The work and sacrifice required in building up such places has a unifying and ennobling effect of its own.  In our democratic and capitalist orientation we view land as a sacred commodity.  We have made it a practice –over and over again- to die over certain parcels of land.  God does not view land in quite the same way.  He is cultivating his people, not the land.  All the earth is His and he is quite as happy to remove His people from a place they consider choice and move the to another location.  Consider the place Lehi fled as instructed by the Lord:  Jerusalem was the city of Peace, the sacred city, the center of Israel and yet Lehi is commanded to leave it.  How does that make sense?  The wicked are the ones who should be expelled…  And in another decade they would be.

1 Nephi 3:16

16  Wherefore, let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; therefore let us go down to the land of our father's ^ainheritance, 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.

            -in formulating Plan B, Nephi is looking to find the mind and will of God.  He sees the Lord’s hand in the fact that Lehi was instructed to leave his gold and silver behind and simply take his family into the wilderness.  Nephi recognizes this as a possible opportunity to help them obtain the brass plates from a greedy and materialistic Laban.  This exercise of seeking to obtain the mind of God is part of the “homework” we are expected to do.  Both Oliver Cowdery and the brother of Jared were instructed to search things out, to use the power of their minds and seek solutions to their problems.  Nephi did exactly this in the formulation of Plan B… a plan which would fail miserably.  There was a greater lesson Nephi needed to learn than could be had if they obtained the plates through the employ of this strategy.

     “let us be faithful”

            -the invitation is extended to his brothers.  He lifts them up and elevates them to a higher level of obedience.

            -the problem is Laman and Lemuel had very little experience doing this and now, at a moment of great need, they were required to flex their spiritual muscles and dig in… It is an impossibility.  Just like physical muscles, spiritual strength is not developed in a moment.  It comes from sustained practice.  This is the essence of the oil in the bridesmaids lamps that was accumulated drop by drop over a time of consistent discipline.

            -if we could see into Laman and Lemeul’s heart we would hear them respond to Nephi’s rallying petition, “let us be faithful” with a reply, “I can’t, I do not possess the faith to be faithful.”  It is like asking a man to load up a heavy burden on a horse and transport it to some city fifty miles distant… but the man has no horse.  He cannot use a resource he does not have.

            -this is a great example of how faith is not just some ephemeral construct but it is a principle of action with very measurable, very real consequence.  Faith is a spiritual characteristic that leads to physical action.  Faith resides within the individual but has external manifestation (has effect outside the person).

        "let us be faithful in ....  And all this he hath done because of the ..."

            Nephi directly draws on his father's example for strength and direction as to how to proceed.

        “in keeping the commandments of the Lord.”

            -I have to wonder, because of these words and what was said in verse 5 (“… which I have required of them; but I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.”) if much of Laman and Lemuel’s resistance comes because they still do not recognize this as a command originating from God.  They have not put in the effort to find out if it has, in fact, come from God.  This is a situation which will resolve itself with a visit from one of God’s messengers.  Wether they want to know or not, Laman and Lemuel will come to find out that this quest is God’s design.  It then becomes a question of falling in with the Lord’s designs or not.

     “let us go down to the land of our fathers…”

            -where did Nephi come up with this plan?  What was his thought process:  was this a stroke of heavenly inspiration?  If it was, he is now able to lay claim on “doing it the Lord’s way” and therefore should expect success  -thus becoming all the more baffling, frustrating and trying in wake of the eventual failure of this course of action.

     “all this he hath done because of the commandments of the Lord.”

            -Nephi appeals to his brothers on the example set for them of obedience by their father.  From this we can suppose a source of Nephi’s incredible character:  his incredible father!  The power of example in the development of a righteous life is beyond measure.

            -the words “all this” reference the monumental sacrifice of Lehi in leaving his much gold, silver and other luxury and comforts of life in exchange for following the Lord.

            -Lehi could have drug all his riches with him, but what good would it have done him to withdraw all his money and carry his wallet full of currency into the wilderness?  A world without money would be a beautiful thing, how enabling and freeing it would be.  There would be no poor, no class divisions and none of the related strife.  God’s world is one without a human made relative currency.  There was no need for Lehi to take his silver and gold, it would have as much value as the sand or the bark of a tree.  The new world, the promised land was a place of infinite promise but had nothing to do with monetary measurements.

1 Nephi 3:15

PLAN 2

15  But behold I said unto them that: ^aAs the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have ^baccomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.

            -Here Nephi makes an oath that the only way he will return to his father without the plates is in a coffin and this because God is no more.  He has so much confidence in what he said in verse 7 that he knows that if God is alive they will succeed.  And he will pursue the commandment which he has received until it is fulfilled or until he is killed in the process.  In other words, he would dedicate his whole life to the accomplishment of this thing and will only be withheld when or if his state of being (i.e. living or dead) prohibited its fulfillment.

-Determination and faith in the Lord's word:  Nephi would rather die than fail  -just like Abinadi.  This solid determination and commitment is a common thread in the character of Book of Mormon prophets (or prophets of any time):  Abinadi, Samuel the Lamanite, Alma, Mormon, etc.

            -Either the Lord is dead and not there and we will die doing this thing (which we know is wrong:  He does live) or we will do this, overcoming whatever obstacles may be in the way, because the Lord has called us to do it and He does not fail (D&C 1:38).

     “we will not… until we have accomplished…”

            -there is absolutely no deviation, give or compromise in Nephi’s words or character.

     “the thing which the Lord hath commanded us.”

            -here is the moment when the difference between Nephi’s reason and Laman/Lemuel’s reason for obedience to their father’s request makes ALL the difference.  All the sons complied with the assignment and traveled back to Jerusalem but the unseen commitment which sprang from their spiritual condition comes to be relevant.  To Laman and Lemuel the request only came from their dad while to Nephi the request came from the Lord.  This difference makes ALL the difference and it is something that cannot be fabricated or conjured in the moment.  This difference is played out in the lives of young full time missionaries every day.  The elder who goes on a mission to appease mother or father or because it is a Mormon cultural expectation is going to find himself like Laman and Lemuel.  A young elder who has a personal relationship with the Savior and has come to know that God is real and involved in the affairs of men will be unstoppable in the many trials he will encounter.

1 Nephi 3:7

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 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.

            -Nephi’s answer addresses both of Laman/Lemuel’s objections:

·         “The things which the Lord hath commanded” = Nephi recognizes where the calling has come from.  It’s source is God even though it was conveyed through a man (a prophet/their father).

·         “the Lord giveth no commandment… save he shall prepare a way” = we remember that a primary objection to the job at hand was that it was a “difficult thing”.  Not only does Nephi know where the command originates, but he knows that however hard, improbable, irrational, unpopular, etc. the thing might be to accomplish, the Lord will raise him up and support him in the eventual succeed at the endeavor.  

"I will go and do"

            -these may be three of the most glorious words a father can hear from a son while at the same time the most difficult words for a son to speak to his father.  The willing obedience of a child is one of the highest joys for parents.  To hear a child say “yes, I will do that” in response to any request large or small brings joy and contentment that the child is on the path to happiness and accomplishment.  It denotes a humble and obedient heart even when the request concerns a small matter like taking out the trash, getting dressed, finishing homework.  If this is the answer for small things, it is likely to be the answer for large things like going on a mission, treating a young woman with respect and defending her purity, retaining integrity when fraud is the status quo.  From the perspective of a youth, however, to acquiesce willingly to so many requests feels like a surrender, like submission to a burden, it may be esteemed as humiliation or a threat to one’s individuality or sense of identity.  It is a reminder that he or she is not in charge, a constant evidence of not getting your own way.  Often resentment is the response to parental requests.  The impulse of the natural man is to resist and rebel.

 Footnote

     a:  1 Sam. 17:32, 1Kings 17:11-15

            “go and do”

            -it is one thing to “go” and still another, and harder, thing to “do”.  Hundreds of missionaries go but a precious minority “do”.  The great and honorable and chosen are the ones that “do”.

            -we should always remember that Laman and Lemuel both came around to the “go” part of this equation.  Many will go but it is in the subtleties or the “how” of the going that changes everything.  Yes, “go” is the essential first step and there are blessings associated with obedience to “go”.  But there is a deeper conviction that comes of faith that fuels our resolve to overcome the difficulties that are always faced in the second or “do” stage.  This is where Laman and Lemuel could not rise to the task.  This is where our own personal will power reaches its limits and dependence on God’s infinite power of will carries the day.  Perservereing into and through the “do” stage requires a genuine relationship with God.  It is where the partnership is consummated.  We become partners with diety.  This cannot be feigned or forged in an instant.  This is where our resevoirs of faith are required, where the oil in our lamps provides the energy to see us through the dark night.  There is no deception or fakery.  You have it or you do not.

      “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded”

            -there is a critical pattern established throughout the scriptures but perhaps nowhere illustrated better than by Nephi here.  Nephi becomes an imitator of the Savior.  His words, expressing his commitment, are nearly exact replicas of the Savior’s.  What is more is how Nephi is mirroring words and behavior he and we have seen firsthand in the pre-mortal life.  Nephi’s own desires, his own   Did Nephi WANT to go back to Jerusalem and tackle a challenge that seemed almost unattainable?  Not in a million years, so what would make him do just that?  We can expect to find ourselves in just such a situation albeit the exact circumstances will be custom fit to our day, technology and context. 

fears, hopes and appetites are consciously placed behind his father’s.

"...the things which the Lord hath commanded..."

            -Nephi understands the source of the instruction, these are the things the Lord commands, not the things man commands.  And this difference is at the heart of why Nephi could press forward and why Laman and Lemuel failed.  This same difference is why any venture that includes God can prevail and why those that exclude him will ultimately fail.  This is true of individuals, governments, families, marriages, civilizations, as well as the ideas and principles that lie at the foundation of each of these.  This is why secularism and its manifestations, laws, concepts and embodiments eventually fall apart.  Anything lasting –the ultimate manifestation of which is “eternal”- must be connected into the source of lasting, of being, of integrity.  Secularism which is based on man and man’s best ideas has no integrity.  It must fall apart because man is temporal.  Its very basis is limited, temporary and transient.  In the eyes of man it may appear to have some permanence but a couple generations or a couple hundred years, even a couple millennia is a moment when compared to ages, eons and eternity.  Our point of view is so incredibly myopic and puny. 

            -the things the Lord commands will all be done whether it be sooner or later or whether we or another be the one to accomplish them.  The objectives of God will come about.   Why then should we resist being the subject that brings these things about when we are invited?

      “for I know”

            -Nephi is willing to “go and do” while Laman and Lemuel are not and it boils down to this statement:  Nephi knows God –about God, that this is His work/will, that God will prosper his efforts, that God is, in fact, real and involved in this adventure- and Lamand and Lemuel do not. 

            -how did Nephi know?  Because he just had a personal experience with God (see chapter 2, verses 16, 19-24.

            "I know that the Lord giveth ..."

            -we should be careful in the placement of our faith, it is true -absolutely and unequivocally- that the Lord giveth no commandments except that they are proper, achievable, etc.  but sometimes man, your parents, your spouse, etc. will request things that are not proper or achievable.  It is important, especially for the youth to distinguish the always appropriate requests of the Lord and recognize the sometimes errant actions of parents.  Nephi understood the source of this request whereas Laman and Lemuel did not. 

     “he shall prepare”

            -the preparation for the promised accomplishment is in God’s hands, not ours.  We are simply to be goers and doers.  It is not for us to be concerned with the how, although that question will drive us crazy.  The natural man wants to have a grasp on the “how” before he commences.  We want to have a plan and we want to know what it is. That is the way of the rational mind.   In fact, we frequently fail to start along the way of accomplishment until we “see” the way, until we know how something is to come about.  Our knowing the how is obviously not of primary concern to God, he is much more concerned with our trusting him.  The drive for understanding the “how” is to trust in the arm of flesh.  When we strike out “not knowing beforehand”, that is an expression of faith and submission.

            “shall prepare”

            -the avenue to a thing’s accomplishment is not always clear.  The Lord will make possible a path that had been, will be, or at all other times would have been closed or impossible.  Don’t faint because the way to accomplishing something is impossible at the moment or had been just a few moments earlier.  After all, the Red Sea did not have a permanent part in it.  It was made to divide for only a few moments in the history of its existence.

            "he shall prepare a way"

            -the use of future tense "shall" signifies that the way is not currently prepared but in due time it will be.  This signifies a great need to exercise faith and carry on expending all energy and means within your power and then counting on divine assistance at the moment (after we have done all that we can) when things are beyond your power and now in the hands of God.  This is faith at its finest.  In the tense and meaning of the word “shall” is the need for the exercise of faith.

            -this is a promise from God to those who obey him:  He shall prepare a way for them.  God makes a path for those who abide and pursue his will.  He will straighten and clear the way which to us seems impassable and strewn with obstacles.  Even if the barrier is a sea or an army or a host of social, psychological or physiological impediments.  The path of deliverance cuts through tight places and narrow passages, it is, afer all, straight and narrow.

            -we have a full capability to achieve all the commandments we have been given.  There is not one that we cannot fulfill.

            “a way”

            -this little word is very important.  It is not singular.  We are not taught that there is one way.  If there were one way of accomplishment it would read:  “save he shall prepare the way…”  Sometimes if we knew the one and only way of accomplishing a thing we would be more enthused to do it.  But there is not one way to activate a less active family neither is there one way to be a missionary.  There is not one method that will gain the attention of all and touch everyone’s heart.

            Neither does it read “my way”.  The Lord will do the work as he sees fit.  Too often we want to do His work the way we see fit.  The brothers were about to learn this first hand.

            “they may accomplish”

            -the Lord is an accomplisher.  He does not fail.  His is a work of success.  He is assured of success but without forcing anyone to do anything against their wills  Think about that!  Remarkable!