2 Nephi 1:25-32

Lehi continues talking directly to Laman and Lemuel.  He repeats his fears that they will suffer being cut off from God.  He chastises them for their treatment of Nephi.  Even though they consistently accuse him of trying to exert authority over them, he hasn’t.  Is all he has done is “sought the glory of God” for their “eternal welfare” (2 Nephi 1:25).

We see this when Nephi taught Laman and Lemuel about Lehi’s Tree of Life vision.

And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.

And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?

And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.

Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord?  How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?

Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

1 Nephi 15:7 - 11

When Abinadi was preaching to King Noah and his wicked priests, he told them (talking about the Lamanites):

They were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea;

And again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea, and all this because that Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.

And his brethren were wroth with him because they understood not the dealings of the Lord; they were also wroth with him upon the waters because they hardened their hearts against the Lord.

Mosiah 10:12 - 14

The Lord told Nephi, “And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren”  (1 Nephi 2:21 - 22).

He reminded them that when Nephi spoke to them, he had plainly told them the word of God.  Instead of listening to them, they were angry.  They claimed he used sharp and hard words when explaining the words of God.  Solomon explained, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die” (Proverbs 15:10). 

After having taught them the word of God, Laman and Lemuel complained.

AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.

And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.

1 Nephi 16:1 - 2

In an epistle to Moroni, we see Mormon had to deal with the same problems as Nephi.

And now behold, my son, I fear lest the Lamanites shall destroy this people; for they do not repent, and Satan stirreth them up continually to anger one with another.

Behold, I am laboring with them continually; and when I speak the word of God with sharpness they tremble and anger against me; and when I use no sharpness they harden their hearts against it; wherefore, I fear lest the Spirit of the Lord hath ceased striving with them.

Moroni 9:3 - 4

Leslie Taylor discusses how the word of God can be considered sharp by those who hear it.

Just as the word of God can be comforting to those who accept it, it can be discomforting—"hard," "sharp," or "strict"—to those who reject it. This dichotomy is a prevalent theme in the Book of Mormon … Nephi expresses a similar sentiment after explaining the vision of the tree of life to his brothers …

Nephi's speech contains a reference to the Logos-tomeus metaphor in which the truth of the word of God acts as a "cutter" ("it cutteth them") and causes pain to the guilty … The characterization of the word of God as "sharp" also applies to the dichotomy of how the righteous and the unrighteous receive the word of God…

The word of God also offends the wicked because of its strictness … Jacob, when chastising the Nephites for their iniquities, notes the sorrow that the righteous feel when witnessing iniquity: "And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds" (Jacob 2:35).[1]

Lehi testifies that the power of God is with Nephi.  When he commanded them to obey, he did so through the power of God, not through any desire for personal power. “behold, it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it” (2 Nephi 1:27). 

When Nephi was commanded to build a ship, Laman and Lemuel mocked him and refused to help.  When he called them to repentance, they became (that’s right!) angry.

And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea; and as they came forth to lay their hands upon me I spake unto them, saying: In the name of the Almighty God, I command you that ye touch me not, for I am filled with the power of God, even unto the consuming of my flesh; and whoso shall lay his hands upon me shall wither even as a dried reed; and he shall be as naught before the power of God, for God shall smite him.

1 Nephi 17:48

An important point to remember is that the Lord, on occasions, expects we will be reproved for our sins.  “Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy” (D&C 121:43).

Closing his remarks, Lehi calls upon Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and the sons of Ishmael to listen to the words of Nephi.  If they do, they will not perish.  But, if they refuse, “if ye will not hearken unto him I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him” (2 Nephi 1:29).

Lehi turns and speaks briefly to Zoram.  Even though he is not family, he has been brought out of Jerusalem to the Promised Land.  He is a true friend to Nephi and will be so forever.  Because of his faithfulness, Lehi left Zoram and his seed with a blessing they will prosper in the land so long as they keep the commandments of God.  Only their iniquity will lead to their destruction.

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[1] The Word of God, Leslie A. Taylor, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed June 1, 2013.