Between 600 and 592 B.C.
1 Nephi Chapter 3 starts with Nephi returning from speaking with the Lord, and going to his father Lehi's tent.
Lehi tells Nephi that he had a drea where Nephi and his brothers were commanded by the Lord to return to Jerusalem, where Laban has the records of the Jews and a genealogy of their family, and that they are engraved upon brass plates.
In the dream, the Lord told Lehi that he was to have his sons return to Jerusalem and go to Lagan and seek the records and bring them into the wilderness. Nephi's brothers Laman and Lemuel did not like hearing what Nephi was telling them, but Nephi told them it is a commandmet from God, The Lord told Nephi that when he goes to Jerusalem that he will be safe because he murmured not, and therefore he will have the Lord's blessing.
Nephi prepared for the journey telling his father that he know that he will be safe knowing that the Lord doesn't give commandments unto his children that they can't handle and that they have the Lord's blessing therefore they will be safe.
Nephi then took his brothers with him to Jerusalem to retrieve the plates, while they were on their way, they decided that Laman the eldest would go to talk to Laban to try to get the plates, Laban did not like the request and sent Laman away telling him that he was a thief, and that Laman would kill Laban.
As they were getting ready to return unto the wilderness, Nephi told them that as the Lord liveth, and as they life, they will not go down to Lehi without the plates..
Nephi told them that they were doing it in the Lords name, and that if they got the plates from Laban, they would be preserved, as well as their children. They went to their land of inheritence, and picked up all their silver and gold to take to Laban in exchange for the plates, hoping that Laban would lust after them and want the in exchange for the plates. Laban did want their gold and silver, but he sent them away and sent his servants to slay them and take their stuff, but they fled into the wilderness and hid behind a rock.
Laman and Lemuel became very upset and spoke very ill of Nephi and Lehi, and they said many harsh words about them and they hit Nephi and Samuel with a rod. That is when an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and told them "why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands."
After the angel finished his words, he soon left, leaving Laman and Lemuel to begin to murmer once again saying "How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban inro our hands? Behold he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty, then why not us?"
1 Nephi 3:1-10. talks about the journey back to Jerusalem, The distance from Jerusalem to the Red Sea is about 180 miles, it took Lehi and his family 3 days to make the journey, that's 60 miles a day,
1 Nephi 3:26–31. Evidence of God’s Power
Several interesting points are raised in 1 Nephi 3:26–31. Could the anger of Laman and Lemuel have been related to the loss of their wealth? (see 1 Nephi 2:11). Also, on several occasions divine intervention became necessary to preserve Nephi from his brothers’ hatred, but even direct evidence of God’s power was not enough to change the hardness of their hearts. Imagine seeing an angel and then immediately after his departure proceeding to complain again!
This evidence provides support of the Savior’s parable wherein he said: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). How does this principle relate to people who say things like, “Well, if I could only see the golden plates then I would know the Book of Mormon is true”?
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Things to think about:
1) Who is Laban?
2) 1 Nephi 3:11—What Does It Mean to "Cast Lots"?
3) The Lord gave them direct commands to do what he asked of them and yet, Laman and Lemuel still argued, and didn't believe what the Lord told of them to do. So when we are asked of certain things from the lord through our prophet, what is our reasoning for not doing so? even the small things, we still find justification to our actions, and we seem fine with it. How can we work on that?
WORDS TO KNOW:
Engraven (vv. 3, 12)—Cut or scratched into metalLust after (v. 25)—Uncontrolled desire, want
Were obliged (v. 26)—Were forced
Iniquities (v. 29)—Sins
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