1 Nephi 18:1-12

Chapter 18

The ship is finished—The births of Jacob and Joseph are mentioned—The company embarks for the promised land—The sons of Ishmael and their wives join in revelry and rebellion—Nephi is bound, and the ship is driven back by a terrible tempest—Nephi is freed, and by his prayer the storm ceases—They arrive in the promised land. About 591–589 B.C.

Nephi’s brethren got their act together and began to help with to build the ship. 

He was guided by the Lord in what he did.  “[T]he Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship … I … did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men … I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me” (1 Nephi 18:1-2). 

Nephi often prayed to the Lord and was shown great things.  The Lord told Jeremiah, “MOREOVER the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:1 - 3). 

The time came the boat was finished.  “[I]t was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine” (1 Nephi 18:4).  His brethren remained humble before the Lord.

One day, the Lord told Lehi it was time to leave.  They took all their provisions (meat, fruit, and honey), the seeds, and whatever else they needed.  They entered the ship, by age, with their wives and children.  Then Nephi tells us that two sons were born to Lehi, Jacob and Joseph.

The ship departed and was “drive forth before the wind towards the promised land” (1 Nephi 5:8).

His brethren’s humility didn’t last long.  They, along with their wives, “began to make themselves merry, insomuch that they began to dance, and to sing, and to speak with much rudeness” (1 Nephi 18:9).  John Tvedtnes explain what Nephi meant.

It was because of their "rudeness" that Laman and Lemuel were unfit to succeed their father as head of the family. Though "rude" has come to mean "impolite" in twentieth-century English, at the time Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon it meant "wild" or "savage." Lehi made a point of mentioning the effect of the rudeness of Laman and Lemuel on Jacob (2 Nephi 2:1), as did Nephi, who referred to the "afflictions" caused by his elder brothers (1 Nephi 18:9, 19).[1]

Fearing the Lord’s response, Nephi began to “speak to them with much soberness” (1 Nephi 18:10).  This was the last thing the happy little group wanted to hear.  They became angry and brought up that constant objection, whining they won’t let Nephi rule over them.  That he had no such desire didn’t matter.

There is another element in the founding story along with the complaints and the violence, namely deprivation. That theme is most evident on the ship. Laman and Lemuel, the sons of Ishmael, and their wives made themselves merry—dancing, singing, and speaking with much rudeness. Nephi, ever fearing the Lord would be displeased, spoke to them soberly, and they grew angry. Immediately his brothers came forth with the classic complaint: "We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us," and bound him with cords (1 Nephi 18:9-10). In this case it seems that the denial of pleasure and the objections to Nephi's rule are closely linked. The attempt to stop the merrymaking aroused the thought of his unfounded claims to govern. The connection is most clear on the ship…[2]

They took Nephi and tied him up and “treated [him] with much harshness” (1 Nephi 18:11).  After this happened, the Liahona ceased to work.  Alma₂ would remind his son, Helaman,

And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.

Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works.  They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;

Alma 37:40 – 41

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[1] Notes and Communications: "My First-Born in the Wilderness," John A. Tvedtnes, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 15, 2013.

[2] The Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed April 15, 2013.