Having accepted his father’s task, Nephi and his less than
enthusiastic brothers left camp and went to Jerusalem. Nephi’s description in his record gives us
insight to Nephite descriptions in the future.
The record will describe directions, cities, and large areas using Nephi’s
description. Robert Bennett and Jeffrey
Chadwick explain Nephi’s words.
We read, for instance, that Lehi
dwelt "at Jerusalem in all his days" (1 Nephi 1:4), yet we know that
he did not live in the city of Jerusalem. Consider the following account: Once
in the wilderness, the sons of Lehi returned to the "land of
Jerusalem" (1 Nephi 3:9) intent on acquiring a scriptural record known as
the plates of brass, in Laban's possession. Laman was chosen to visit Laban in
his home in the city of Jerusalem.[1]
It is important to remember that in
the idiom of Nephi one always went up to come to the Jerusalem
region, and one always went down when exiting the Jerusalem
region. This is also the Hebrew idiom employed in the Bible, where persons in
both the Old and New Testaments typically are said to go down to
leave Jerusalem (see, for example, 2 Samuel 5:17; Luke 10:30; and Acts 8:15)
and go up to come to Jerusalem (see, for example, 2 Chronicles
2:16 and Matthew 20:18).[2]
Who was this Laban with whom they were going to meet? Hugh Nibley gives us information that helps
us realize who he was.
Laban of Jerusalem epitomizes the
seamy side of the world of 600 B.C. as well as Lehi or Jeremiah or Solon do the
other side. With a few deft and telling touches Nephi resurrects the pompous
Laban with photographic perfection—as only one who actually knew the man could
have done. We learn in passing that Laban commanded a garrison of fifty, that
he met in full ceremonial armor with "the elders of the Jews" for
secret consultations by night, that he had control of the treasury, that he was
of the old aristocracy, being a distant relative of Lehi himself, that his
house was a depository of very old family records, that he was a large man,
short-tempered, crafty, and dangerous, and to the bargain cruel, greedy,
unscrupulous, weak, vainglorious, and given to drink.[3]
Having arrived in the land of Jerusalem, the brothers had to
decide who would go to Laban. The
brothers, “in the immemorial and inevitable manner of the desert, drew lots to
see who would go in to Laban.”[4] The lot fell to Laban.
Laman went to Laban and made the request for the plates of
brass.
We have no idea about what occurred during Laman’s meeting
with Laban. What we do know is that, for
some reason, Laban became angry at Laman. He accused him of being a robber and
threatened to kill him. “Since Laban had
falsely accused Laman of being a ‘robber’ (a serious capital offense) and
had sent his soldiers to execute the sons of Lehi on this pretext (1 Nephi
3:13, 25), Laban effectively stood as a false accuser. Such an accusation,
coming from a commanding officer of the city, was more than an idle insult; it
carried the force of a legal indictment. Since Nephi and his brothers were
powerless to rectify that wrong, God was left to discharge justice against
Laban.”[5]
Laman was able to escape and return to his brothers in their
place of hiding. He and his brothers
were ready to call it quits and return home without the plates.
Nephi, however, was not ready to give up. “[W]e 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).He encouraged them to be faithful
and to keep the Lord’s commandments. He
then told them to return “to the land of
their father’s inheritance.” This tells us that Lehi did not live in the
Jerusalem proper. In fact, the land in
question was probably not a part of the land of Jerusalem.
He reminded his brothers that Lehi knew Jerusalem would be
destroyed. The people rejected the
prophets and had become a wicked people.
The Lord commanded Lehi to take his family and escape the destruction of
Jerusalem.
He told them that they must have the records to “preserve unto our children the language of
our fathers” (1 Nephi 3:19). This
turns out to be an incorrect assumption on Nephi’s part. King Benjamin would explain the importance of
the plates to his sons.
And
he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of
brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain
these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even
at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.
For
it were not possible that our father, Lehi, could have remembered all these
things, to have taught them to his children, except it were for the help of
these plates; for he having been taught in the language of the Egyptians
therefore he could read these engravings, and teach them to his children, that
thereby they could teach them to their children, and so fulfilling the
commandments of God, even down to this present time.
Mosiah 1:3 – 4 (Emphasis mine)
He was correct when he told them that the words of the
prophets must be preserved.
Nephi was successful in convincing his brothers to get their
riches and attempt to purchase the brass plates.
[1] Jesus' Birthplace and the Phrase 'Land of
Jerusalem', Robert R.
Bennett, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 3,
2013.
[2] Lehi's House at Jerusalem and the Land of His
Inheritance, Jeffrey R.
Chadwick, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 3,
2013.
[3] Escapade in Jerusalem, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell
Institute, accessed January 3, 2013.
[4] Portrait
of Laban, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,
accessed January 4, 2013.
[5] Legal
Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban, John W. Welch, Provo,
Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed January 4, 2013.
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