2 Nephi 5:21-25

1 And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

22 And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.

23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.

24 And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.

25 And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me; and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction.

In the first post, we looked at the curse that was placed upon the Lamanites.  That curse was being cutoff from the presence of the Lord.  Other things occurred, including a skin of blackness.  But, that was not a part of the curse; that was one of the many consequences of the curse.

How does the Book of Mormon itself treat the Lamanites?  You would expect a racist book to minimize them and tear them down whenever possible.  To determine if the Book of Mormon is racist, we need to understand how the Lamanites were treated in the Book.

From the beginning of the Book of Mormon, we learn the Lamanites will “be a scourge unto [Nephi’s] seed, to stir them up in the way of remembrance” (1 Nephi 2:24).  We also read the Lamanites will be a scourge to the Nephites in 2 Nephi 5:25 and Jacob 3:3.  We must keep in mind that the Lamanites will be this scourge only when the Nephites have become a wicked people. 

Of course, there was hatred towards the Lamanites by many of the Nephites.  We would expect this record to portray them in a negative light.

Shortly after Nephi’s death, Jacob was preaching to the Nephites.  Even this early in their history, the Nephites had turned away from God.  The Nephites had more than one wife and concubines.  Jacob uses the Lamanites as his example.  You hate the Lamanites “because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins” (Jacob 3:5).  Jacob then informs the people that the Lamanites are more righteous than the Nephites. 

They only have one wife and no concubines.  Husband and wives love each other.  They love their children.  While the Lamanites hate the Nephites, they do so “because of the iniquity of their fathers” (Jacob 3:7).  In fact, they are held in higher esteem by the Lord.  Unless the Nephites repent, “[the Lamanites] skin will be whiter than yours when ye shall be brought before the throne of God” (Jacob 3:8).  (For a full account of Jacob’s words, see Jacob 3:5-9.)

Towards the end of Jacob’s life, “many means were devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth” (Jacob 7:24).  It wasn’t successful, but the effort was made. 

When Jacob’s son, Enos, wrestled with the Lord in prayer, part of his prayer dealt with the Lamanites (see Enos 1:11-20).  He desired “that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—“ (Enos 1:13). 

The missionary effort to the Lamanites continued during the time of Enos; however, “our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed … and they were continually seeking to destroy us” (Enos 1:20).

Enos’s son, Jarom, tells us that the small plates of Nephi “are written for the intent of the benefit of our brethren the Lamanites” (Jarom 1:2).

Why was their so much hatred between the Lamanites and Nephites?  A Nephite, Zeniff, presents the Lamanite perspective (see Mosiah 10:12-17). 

He lists the following traditions that had been passed down to each generation: 

• They were driven out of Jerusalem because of the inequities of their fathers (v. 12).
• They were wronged in the wilderness and while crossing the sea (v. 12).
• They were wronged in the Promised Land by Nephi (v. 13).
• They were angry because they claimed Nephi had taken the right to rule out of the hands of Laman and Lemuel (v. 15).
•  When Nephi departed into the wilderness, he robbed Laman and Lemuel by taking the brass plates with him.

 Here we see a fair and objective look at the Lamanite perspective, given to us by a Nephite.

When Mosiah stepped down as king, none of his sons would accept the kingdom.  These royal sons “thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their sinful and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare of their souls” (Mosiah 25:11). 

The sons of Mosiah asked their father to allow them and their group to preach the word of God to the Lamanites.  “[T]hey were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3).

They were allowed to preach to the Lamanites.  The account of their amazing missionary efforts is found in Alma 17-26. 

Alma₂ would use the Lamanites as an example in his teachings.  For example, he taught the Nephites that ”here are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land” (Alma 9:16).

During their missionary efforts, the sons of Mosiah converted a group of Lamanites who covenanted with the Lord that they would not take up arms against their enemies lest they return to their bloodthirsty ways.  Many of these faithful Lamanites did suffer death rather than take up arms again.  These people were known as the Anti-Nephi-Lehis (later Ammonites). 

It was soon realized that they needed to return to the land of Zarahemla with the Ammonites and ask for Nephite protection.  The Ammonites feared the Nephites would see them as enemies and kill them, but they placed their faith in the sons of Mosiah.

The chief judge heard the request and went to the people asking them what they would do.  “And it came to pass that the voice of the people came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon … and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance. And behold, we will set our armies between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness” (Alma 27:22-23). 

Nephi₂ and Lehi₃ preached to the Lamanites, baptizing 8,000 Lamanites.  As the Lamanites were converted, they laid down their weapons of war and rejected the traditions of their fathers. (Helaman 5:18 – 19; 50-51).

One of the greatest prophets in the Book of Mormon shows up in Helaman 13-15.  This prophet was Samuel, the Lamanite.

Here are other references about the Lamanites.

•          Helaman 6:1 - 4
•          Helaman 6:20
•          Helaman 6:34 - 37
•          Helaman 7:23 - 24
•          3 Nephi 2:11 - 14
•          3 Nephi 10:18
•          Moroni 1:4
•          Moroni 10:1

There are many accounts of wars and problems with the Lamanites.  Yet, the Nephites were taught that the Lord would be more understanding of the Lamanites because of the traditions of their fathers.  The Lord always expected more from the Nephites because they had the gospel. 

You would think if the Lamanites were nothing more than evil villains, the Book of Mormon would constantly condemn them.  Yet, this doesn’t happen.  One of the purposes the Book of Mormon record was preserved was to go to the descendants of the Lamanites to bring them to Christ and the gospel. 

No, the Book of Mormon is not a racist Book.  The critics claim fails badly.  It is shown to be nothing more the political correctness at its worst.

2 Nephi 5:19-20

19 And behold, the words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher. Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life.

20 Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.

It is at this point in the record that Nephi proclaims his authority.  “[T]he words of the Lord had been fulfilled unto my brethren, which he spake concerning them, that I should be their ruler and their teacher.  Wherefore, I had been their ruler and their teacher, according to the commandments of the Lord, until the time they sought to take away my life“ (2 Nephi 5:19).

Though Laman and Lemuel constantly whined about Nephi wanting to rule over them, the fact is they had plenty of warnings about the potential consequences of their choices.

“And it came to pass as [Laman and Lemuel]smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: 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” (1 Nephi 3:29).

“And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.

“And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them” (1 Nephi 8:36-37).

“And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren.

“Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him.  But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger.

“And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish” (1 Nephi 16:37-39).

“And I, Nephi, began to fear exceedingly lest the Lord should be angry with us, and smite us because of our iniquity, that we should be swallowed up in the depths of the sea; wherefore, I, Nephi, began to speak to them with much soberness; but behold they were angry with me, saying: We will not that our younger brother shall be a ruler over us.

“And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and bind me with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless, the Lord did suffer it that he might show forth his power, unto the fulfilling of his word which he had spoken concerning the wicked.

“And it came to pass that after they had bound me insomuch that I could not move, the compass, which had been prepared of the Lord, did cease to work.

“And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea…  “And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists…

“And there was nothing save it were the power of God, which threatened them with destruction, could soften their hearts; wherefore, when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me” (1 Nephi 18:9-12, 15, 20)

“And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.

“And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you.  Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.

“And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey.  But 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 1:25-27).

“Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land?  And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

“Now I would that ye should remember, that inasmuch as the Lamanites have not kept the commandments of God, they have been cut off from the presence of the Lord.  Now we see that the word of the Lord has been verified in this thing, and the Lamanites have been cut off from his presence, from the beginning of their transgressions in the land.

“Nevertheless I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for you, if ye remain in your sins, yea, and even more tolerable for them in this life than for you, except ye repent” (Alma 9:13-15).

So we see that, despite all the warnings they were given, Laman and Lemuel refused to repent and obey the Lord’s commandments.  Lehi’s words, “[I]f ye will hearken unto him I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing.  But 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 1:28 - 29), were finally fulfilled.

Nephi … declares that the initial promises of the Lord "had been fulfilled" (2 Nephi 5:19–20; compare 1 Nephi 2:20–24). The fulfillment of the prior promises occur in both covenantal senses: blessing Nephi and his followers for their obedience and cutting the wicked off from God's presence. As a result, the Lamanites become the antithesis of the Nephites, being characterized as rebellious, loathsome, idle, nomadic, mischievous, and aggressive.[1]

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[1] Prospering in the Land of Promise, Steven L. Olsen, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 5:14-18

14 And I, Nephi, did take the sword of Laban, and after the manner of it did make many swords, lest by any means the people who were now called Lamanites should come upon us and destroy us; for I knew their hatred towards me and my children and those who were called my people.

15 And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.

16 And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon’s temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.

17 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands.

18 And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.

Having established a settlement, Nephi turns to the defence of the settlement.  He took to sword of Laban and made swords “after the manner” (2 Nephi 5:14) of Laban’s sword.  What does this mean?

John Sorensen examines verse 14.

“Laban's weapon was replicated in function and general pattern, but different material could have been used for the new weapons (Matheny offers helpful citations on the use of hard wooden ‘swords’ in Mesoamerica). The copies might have been of metal, but need not have been. The text fails to settle that question. Note also that the statement about weapons (2 Nephi 5:14) is made before that about working metals (2 Nephi 5:15) and no attempt is made by the writer, Nephi, to connect the two; had a connection been intended, one would have thought the statement about metalworking would have come first, then the mention of weapons preparation. It seems a sound rule to pay as much attention to what the text does not say as to what (we think) it does say.”[1]

As we will read in the record, the sword of Laban is seldom used in war.  Brett L. Holbrook explains:

“The sword is also only mentioned by the Nephites three times after that, which ‘suggests that the weapon was not only well known, but also unique, wielded by kings, with no comparable weapon being used by others.’ In this sense, the sword was strictly part of the regalia and was not used or handled by any individuals beside the king.”[2]

The Book of Mormon records:

“The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare” (Jacob 1:10).

“And it came to pass also that the armies of the Lamanites came down out of the land of Nephi, to battle against his people.  But behold, king Benjamin gathered together his armies, and he did stand against them; and he did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban” (Words of Mormon 1:13).

It is here that we learn the two names that we will use for the two groups throughout the Book of Mormon, Nephite and Lamanite.  Hugh Nibley explains how, over time, the identification becomes political rather than family.

“The Lamanite and Nephite division was tribal rather than racial, each of the main groups representing an amalgamation of tribes that retained their identity (Alma 43:13; 4 Nephi 1:36—37). Our text frequently goes out of its way to specify that such and such a group is only called Nephite or Lamanite (2 Nephi 5:14; Jacob 1:2; Mosiah 25:12; Alma 3:10; 30:59; Helaman 3:16; 3 Nephi 3:24; 10:18; 4 Nephi 1:36—38, 43; Mormon 1:9). For the situation was often very mobile, with large numbers of Nephites going over to the Lamanites (Words of Mormon 1:16; 4 Nephi 1:20; Mormon 6:15; Alma 47:35-36), or Lamanites to the Nephites (Alma 27:27; Mosiah 25:12; Alma 55:4), or members of the mixed Mulekite people, such as their Zoramite offshoot, going over either to the Lamanites (Alma 43:4) or to the Nephites (Alma 35:9—not really to the Nephites, but to the Ammonites who were Lamanites who had earlier become Nephites!); or at times the Lamanites and Nephites would freely intermingle (Helaman 6:7—8), while at other times the Nephite society would be heavily infiltrated by Lamanites and by robbers of dubious background (Mormon 2:8).”[3]

The Nephites began to build a city with wood, copper, iron, brass, steel, gold, silver, and other precious ores.  Nephi, having a background working with metals, taught the people how to do this.

Among the buildings built was a temple.  It followed the design of Solomon’s Temple.  Because a lack of precious things, it was not exactly like Solomon’s temple. 

“The fact that Nephi kept the law of Moses says something important about Nephi's temple. It is hard to imagine him keeping every whit of the law of Moses without a temple patterned after the tabernacle constructed by Moses in the wilderness or the Temple of Solomon of Jerusalem. That ancient temple had been used by the first Nephi, six centuries before the birth of Christ, as the model in building his temple shortly after his arrival in the promised land (2 Nephi 5:16).”[4] 

The people wanted Nephi to become their king.  Among Book of Mormon scholars, there is disagreement about whether Nephi became the king or simply acted as if he were a king.  The ambiguity comes from verse 18.  After being asked to be the king, Nephi wrote he “, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power.”  So, depending on your interpretation of verse 18, Nephi either became the first Nephite king or refused to be their king.

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[1] Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe! John L. Sorenson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] The Sword of Laban as a Symbol of Divine Authority and Kingship, Brett L. Holbrook, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] "Forever Tentative …", Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[4] Seeing Third Nephi as the Holy of Holies of the Book of Mormon, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 5:10-13

10 And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses.

11 And the Lord was with us; and we did prosper exceedingly; for we did sow seed, and we did reap again in abundance. And we began to raise flocks, and herds, and animals of every kind.

12 And I, Nephi, had also brought the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass; and also the ball, or compass, which was prepared for my father by the hand of the Lord, according to that which is written.

13 And it came to pass that we began to prosper exceedingly, and to multiply in the land.

After find a new place to live, Nephi tells his they “did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord” (2 Nephi 5:10).  Unlike Laman and Lemuel, he followed Lehi’s counsel.

“And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning.

My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever” (2 Nephi 1:16-17).

Hugh Nibley tells us:

“From the New World settlement he escaped with as many people as wanted to go with him. They lived the law in its strictness and austerity. We find what they were escaping from in 2 Nephi 5:10. They went out to a rigorous and austere life. ‘And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses.’ That was basic. [The others] wouldn't believe the warnings, so he took his family and Zoram and others. ‘And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God.’"[1]

The statues and commandments they followed were a part of the Law of Moses.  John Welch further explains:

“Were they strict in their living of the law of Moses? Well, look at some of the passages like 2 Nephi 5:10. When Nephi establishes the monarchy in the city of Nephi, he does all the things that kings basically do in getting a society going. He builds a temple—you have to have a temple. He establishes the law. He says, we will live the law. What law is it that he says they must live? It's the law of Moses. He says, we will live it according to its statutes, judgments, ordinances, etc. The nomenclature here becomes important, as we will see in a minute. He says, ‘And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things according to the law of Moses.’"[2]

Verse 10 is an example where we see Hebrew wording instead of what we would expect in English. 

“And we did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord in all things, according to the law of Moses” (2 Nephi 5:10).

Donald W. Parry analyzes this verse.

“Unlike English, in which a series of nouns can be introduced by a single definite article (the), Hebrew repeats the definite article for each noun. This kind of repetition is seen throughout the Book of Mormon. A prime example is ‘We did observe to keep the judgments, and the statutes, and the commandments of the Lord’ (2 Nephi 5:10). Of course, it would be much more usual in English to render this as ‘We did observe to keep the judgments, statutes, and commandments of the Lord.’"[3] 

Daniel Peterson observes, “Clearly, as is abundantly attested throughout the Book of Mormon before the coming of Christ, the Mosaic law was practiced among the Nephites (2 Nephi 5:10; 25:24), and equally clearly, therefore, the ‘priests’ of the Book of Mormon were really priests and not merely a nineteenth-century farm boy's retrojection of the circuit-riding revivalist preachers of his own day into his pseudobiblical historical yarn²⁶.”[4]

Living the commandments and keeping the Law of Moses brought prosperity to the land.  Their crops grew and they began to raise herds of animals of all king.  Here we see Christ’s promise fulfilled among Nephi and his followers, “Wherefore, seek ye not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (JST Matthew 6:38).

When Nephi departed, he took the plates of brass, the Liahona, and the sword of Laban with him.  King Benjamin explains the importance of these items, especially the plates of brass.

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

And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of these sayings to [Mosiah₂],  that he gave him charge concerning all the affairs of the kingdom.

And moreover, he also gave him charge concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass; and also the plates of Nephi; and also, the sword of Laban, and the ball or director, which led our fathers through the wilderness, which was prepared by the hand of the Lord that thereby they might be led, every one according to the heed and diligence which they gave unto him.

Mosiah 1:15 - 16

Hugh Nibley writes:

:"Hardly had the party landed in America when it was necessary for Nephi in turn to "depart . . . and flee into the wilderness' (2 Nephi 5:5). With him he took a select group: 'And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words' (2 Nephi 5:6). It was, that is, strictly a religious body that went forth, taking their tents and journeying 'in the wilderness for the space of many days' (2 Nephi 5:7). They settled down as a religious community, calling themselves the 'people of Nephi' (2 Nephi 5:9). Though they were only a minority group, viewed forever after as traitors and dissenters from the main body, it was they who preserved unbroken and intact all the religious ties with the Old World: it was they who had the records that were brought from Jerusalem (stolen, said the Lamanites!), and the ball and sword that were to become the traditional national treasures (2 Nephi 5:12—14); and as soon as they settled in the wilderness they built a temple 'after the manner of the temple of Solomon' (2 Nephi 5:16), which many of them had seen with their own eyes."[5] 

They prospered and multiplied in the land.

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[1] Lecture 43: Alma 1-2, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] Lecture 97: 3 Nephi 11, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] Hebraisms and Other Ancient Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon, Donald W. Parry, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[4] Authority in the Book of Mosiah, Daniel C. Peterson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[5] Churches in the Wilderness, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 5:5-9

5 And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me.

6 Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me. And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.

7 And we did take our tents and whatsoever things were possible for us, and did journey in the wilderness for the space of many days. And after we had journeyed for the space of many days we did pitch our tents.

8 And my people would that we should call the name of the place Nephi; wherefore, we did call it Nephi.

9 And all those who were with me did take upon them to call themselves the people of Nephi.

In the past, someone had been there to support Nephi when his brethren threatened to kill him.  Now, there was no one.  Nephi’s life was in jeopardy.

The time came when the Lord warned Nephi he must leave and take all who would go with him, and flee for their safety.  Nephi most likely went to those who supported him, telling them they needed to leave for their safety.

Nephi writes the following people left with him:

·         Nephi’s family.

·         Zoram and his family.

·         Sam and his family.

·         Jacob and Joseph.

·         His sisters.

·         “And all those who would go with me.”  (1 Nephi 5:6)

All these people supported Nephi and believed in his words.

We learn, for the first time, Nephi had two or more sisters.  This is the only time Nephi mentions them in this record.  Sidney Sperry writes about Nephi’s sisters:

“For the first time, Nephi mentions having sisters. To be sure, he does not refer to his sisters as the wives of Ishmael's two sons, but that they were is almost certain in view of the fact that no mention is made of Lehi's having other children following the birth of Jacob and Joseph. What is remarkable is that these daughters of Lehi were willing to leave their husbands, the sons of Ishmael, if they were still living, and follow Nephi after having rebelled against him during the trip from Jerusalem into the wilderness (1 Nephi 7:6).”[1]

Camille Fronk continues:

“Nephi referenced his ‘sisters’ in 2 Nephi 5:6, but no supporting information is supplied in the text concerning the number of sisters or their birth order in the family. John L. Sorenson argues that these girls were born in Jerusalem, before the family departed, and would have been younger than Nephi; ‘otherwise there would be no way to place them in Sariah's birth history.’ Let it suffice that at least nine urban women were thrust into an eight-year desert existence.”[2]

Nephi tell us nothing about the last group that went with him.  Who were these people?  It probably wasn’t the children of his brethren.  Had some of their children departed with Nephi, we would expect Nephi to identify this group (e.g., “the children of my brethren” or “Laman and Lemuel’s children” etc.).  Matthew Roper examines this question.

“At the time the Nephites and the Lamanites separated, then, Nephi was accompanied by his own family, Zoram and Sam and their respective families, his younger brothers Jacob and Joseph, and his sisters, in addition to ‘all those who would go with me.’ Who were these others who ‘believed in the warnings and the revelations of God’? The most likely answer seems to be other people living in the land, not of Lehi's family.

“Significantly, at this point in the text Nephi introduces the term people of Nephi for the first time in reference to his followers (2 Nephi 5:9), a term that may be suggestive of a larger society including more than his immediate family.”[3]

The group packed tents and other things they needed and left.  They traveled for many days and finally came to a place they found acceptable.  Here they established their camp.

The people wanted the campsite called “Nephi.”  We will see throughout the Book of Mormon, a land or city will usually be named for the leader of the group or the first person to settle there.  This tradition most likely stems from Nephi’s journey.

The group decided to call themselves the “people of Nephi” (2 Nephi 5:9).

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[1] Did Father Lehi Have Daughters Who Married the Sons of Ishmael? Sidney B. Sperry, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, .

[2] Desert Epiphany: Sariah and the Women in 1 Nephi, Camille Fronk, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] Nephi's Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations, Matthew Roper, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 5:1-4

Chapter 5

The Nephites separate themselves from the Lamanites, keep the law of Moses, and build a temple—Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed, and become a scourge unto the Nephites. About 588–559 B.C.

1 Behold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto the Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren.

2 But behold, their anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.

3 Yea, they did murmur against me, saying: Our younger brother thinks to rule over us; and we have had much trial because of him; wherefore, now let us slay him, that we may not be afflicted more because of his words. For behold, we will not have him to be our ruler; for it belongs unto us, who are the elder brethren, to rule over this people.

4 Now I do not write upon these plates all the words which they murmured against me. But it sufficeth me to say, that they did seek to take away my life.

Lehi has died.  Laman, Lemuel, and company are angry with Nephi. 

Nephi continued to call upon his brethren to repent and turn away from their anger.  But, the more Nephi called on him to repent, the angrier they became. 

Laman and Lemuel continue to accuse Nephi of wanting to rule over them.  Once again, their response was, “Let’s kill him.  We are the oldest so we should rule over this people!”  It’s too bad they didn’t spend a little time actually thinking about the situation.  Why would Nephi want to rule over them?  They did nothing but complain and whine.  Nobody in their right mind would want to deal with this behavior for the rest of his life.  Laman and Lemuel never got it.

This was similar to their threats after Ishmael died.

“And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren.

“Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him.  But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger” (1 Nephi 16:37-38).

They also conveniently forgot Lehi’s blessing.  They were promised Lehi’s first blessing if they cease murmuring and ceased to rebel against Nephi as he preached the word of God, they would receive his first blessing.  If they refused, the first blessing would rest upon Nephi (see 2 Nephi 1:24-29).  They made their choices and lost their blessings; however, it’s always easier to blame somebody else for all our problems than to have to admit we are responsible for our problems.

Moses also was accused of wanting to rule of the children of Israel.  “Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?” (Numbers 16:13).

As we read the Book of Mormon, the Lamanites carry the tradition of Nephi usurping Laman and Lemuel’s authority throughout their history.

Towards the end of Jacob’s life, (around 500 B.C.), he wrote:

“And it came to pass that many means were devised to reclaim and restore the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth; but it all was vain, for they delighted in wars and bloodshed, and they had an eternal hatred against us, their brethren.  And they sought by the power of their arms to destroy us continually” (Jacob 7:24).

Around 420 B.C., Jacob’s son, Enos, would write, “And I bear record that the people of Nephi did seek diligently to restore the Lamanites unto the true faith in God.  But our labors were vain; their hatred was fixed, and they were led by their evil nature that they became wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax.  And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat; and they were continually seeking to destroy us” (Enos 1:20).

Some 300 years later, Zeniff would write:

“[The Lamanites] 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, they were wroth with [Nephi] when they had arrived in the promised land, because they said that he had taken the ruling of the people out of their hands; and they sought to kill him” (Mosiah 10:12, 15).

During the great Nephite and Lamanites wars a hundred years later, the leader of the Lamanites, Ammoron, would claim in his epistle to General Moroni₂,  “For behold, your fathers did wrong their brethren, insomuch that they did rob them of their right to the when it rightly belonged unto them” (Alma 54:17),

In some ways, the hatred Laman and Lemuel felt for Nephi was similar to the problems between Jacob and Esau.

The Nephites and Lamanites for whom Enos prayed were very much like Jacob and Esau. Nephi, like Jacob, had to flee with his family because his elder brothers Laman and Lemuel sought to kill him (2 Nephi 5:1–7). Nephi’s people were settled and industrious, constructing a temple and other buildings (2 Nephi 5:15– 17), while the Lamanites became “an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey” (2 Nephi 5:24). Enos later described the Lamanites as “wild and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness; feeding upon beasts of prey; dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness with a short skin girdle about their loins and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and in the cimeter, and the ax” (Enos 1:20) and noted that they sought to destroy the Nephites (Enos 1:14).

“[T]he Bible describes Esau as ‘a cunning hunter, a man of the field’ (Genesis 25:26), who loved to hunt with the bow (Genesis 27:1-5). Before God for gave his sins, Enos ‘went to hunt beasts in the forests,’ where he remembered the words of his father, which prompted him to seek God’s forgiveness (Enos 1:3-4). By describing himself as a hunter, Enos may have been comparing his preconversion self to the Lamanites and to Esau.”[1]

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[1] FARMS Update: Jacob and Enos: Wrestling before God, Insights Volume - 21, Issue – 5, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

2 Nephi 4:28-35

28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

We continue the Psalm of Nephi.

Nephi rejoices in the Lord.

28 Awake, my soul! 

No longer droop in sin. 

      Rejoice, O my heart,

      and give place no more

for the enemy of my soul.

29 Do not anger again

because of mine enemies. 

     Do not slacken my strength

because of mine afflictions.

30 Rejoice, O my heart,

and cry unto the Lord, and say:

     O Lord,

I will praise thee forever;

yea, my soul

     will rejoice in thee,

     my God,

and the rock of my salvation.

                                                      (2 Nephi 4:28 - 30)

Having anguished over his sins, Nephi then rejoices in the Lord.  Matthew Nickerson observes:

“Anger is one of the negative effects of sin listed along with several others: remorse, sorrow, ill health, moral weakness, agitation, and waning strength. To single out anger as [Nephi’s sin] seems unwarranted. Anger concludes the list but is not set apart nor made more prominent than any other in the list. Answering his own questions, Nephi expresses trust in the Lord's redemptive powers. He is confident that the Lord's mercies are sufficient to save him from these distressing symptoms of sin…

“As described earlier, omitting the specifics of the Psalmist's transgression is an important characteristic of classic individual laments and one I believe that Nephi adheres to. This is a good example of how recognizing the poetic form as it appears in the Book of Mormon can aid our understanding of these passages.”^[1]

He tells himself to be angry no longer because of his enemies.  Who are his enemies?  John S. Tanner writes:

“Before Lehi's death, Nephi had foreseen in revelation the tragic division between Lamanites and Nephites (see 1 Nephi 12:22-23). When Lehi died, Nephi must have known that the long-dreaded crisis was now both inevitable and near. With no father to turn to but his Heavenly Father, Nephi cries for strength: so lonely is his new burden of leadership, so dangerous his enemies, and so strong the temptation to be angry ‘because of [his] enemies’ (2 Nephi 4:29)—meaning, I suppose, his brothers.”^[2]

He cries out to the Lord, praising Him forever.  He will rejoice in the Lord, “the rock of my salvation” (2 Nephi 4:30).

Nephi asks the Lord for redemption and asks Him to watch over him.

31 O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? 

     Wilt thou deliver me

out of the hands

of mine enemies? 

     Wilt thou make me

that I may shake

     at the appearance of sin?

32 May the gates of hell

be shut continually

     before me,

because that my heart

     is broken

and my spirit

     is contrite! 

     O Lord,

wilt thou not shut

     the gates of thy righteousness

          before me,

that I may walk

     in the path

     of the low valley,

that I may be strict

     in the plain road!

                                        (2 Nephi 4::31 – 32)

Nephi asks the Lord to redeem his soul and deliver him from his enemies.  He asked Him that he would “shake at the appearance of sin” (2 Nephi 4:31).

He was approaching the Lord with a broken heart and contrite spirit.  He asks Him to open the gates of righteousness and walk in the correct path. 

33 O Lord,

wilt thou

encircle me around

     in the robe

of thy righteousness! 

     O Lord,

wilt thou

make a way

     for mine escape

     before mine enemies! 

Wilt thou

     make my path straight

before me! 

Wilt thou

     not place

a stumbling block

in my way—

but that thou wouldst

     clear my way

     before me,

     and hedge not

up my way,

but the ways

     of mine enemy.

34 O Lord,  

     I have trusted in thee,

     and I will trust

in thee forever. 

     I will not put

     my trust

in the arm of flesh;

     for I know

that cursed is he

that putteth his trust

     in the arm of flesh. 

     Yea, cursed is he

that putteth his trust

in man or

     maketh flesh his arm.

                                                (2 Nephi 4:33 - 34)

Nephi asks the Lord to encircle him in a robe of righteousness.  Richard Rust looks at how the word “encircle” is used in the Book of Mormon.

Heaven and hell both encircle. Lehi declares to his family, "I am encircled about eternally in the arms of [the Lord's] love" (2 Nephi 1:15); Nephi pleads for the Lord to "encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness" (2 Nephi 4:33); and Amulek teaches that mercy "encircles [the penitent] in the arms of safety" (Alma 34:16). Conversely, before being spiritually delivered, the fathers "were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell" (Alma 5:7); Zeezrom is "encircled about by the pains of hell" (Alma 14:6); and Ammon testifies that his Lamanite brethren were formerly "encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction" (Alma 26:15). These are part of the larger Book of Mormon circles that either save or damn.

“Put another way, humanity, the Book of Mormon says, is either encircled and lifted up through mercy or encircled by chains and brought down to hell. This movement, rising and falling, or ascent and descent, develops a way to see the book as a whole as the story of mankind's journey through life, fall, and redemption.”^[3]

He asks the Lord for a straight path to escape from his enemies.  As with “encircled,” straight has different meanings in the Book of Mormon.  John Welch explains:

“Straight can mean more than ‘in a straight line.’ It can mean ‘direct.’ In fact, that is a good meaning as applied to define course or path. Nephi's poetic prayer for redemption in 2 Nephi 4:33 includes the plea ‘Wilt thou make my path straight.’ This is one of a number of scriptural images of the path (course) to salvation (eternal bliss, promised land, the way to the keeper of the gate) being a straight (direct) route (see also 2 Nephi 9:41; Alma 37:44). When a mother says, ‘After school, you come straight home,’ it means by either the shortest, quickest, safest, or easiest route, as the child has been given to understand. In the case of directions given by the Liahona (see Alma 37:44), a straight or direct course probably connoted ‘expeditious’ or ‘best.’ Thus we should be open to more possibilities than one might ordinarily think of.”^[4]

Nephi has put his trust in the Lord and will do so forever.  He refuses to put his trust in the arm of flesh because “cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh … cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm” (2 Nephi 4:34).

Hugh Nibley writes:

“The great man in his old age still speaks the language of the desert: ‘I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road’ (2 Nephi 4:32—33) is the purest Bedouin talk for ‘May I stick to thewady and not get off the clearly marked mainline that everyone follows!’ One hears the echo of innumerable old desert inscriptions in his prayer: ‘O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy’ (2 Nephi 4:33). The immemorial desert custom which required a sheikh to place the edge of his robe (kuffah) over the back of anyone seeking his protection is clearly recalled in Nephi's cry: ‘O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!’ (2 Nephi 4:33).”^[5]

Nephi ends his Psalm.

35 Yea, I know that God

will give liberally to him

     that asketh. 

     Yea, my God will give me,

if I ask not amiss;

     therefore I will lift up my voice

unto thee;

      yea, I will cry

unto thee,

     my God,

the rock of my righteousness. 

     Behold, my voice shall

     forever ascend up

unto thee,

my rock

     and mine everlasting God. 

     Amen.

             (2 Nephi 4:35)

I close with an observation from Richard Rust.

“The power of Nephi's words is most apparent when the passage is read aloud and also when it is recognized as poetry with its primary appeal to feeling. I discovered this quality through my own experience: when my family and I read the Book of Mormon together each morning, I recognized the intense nature of passages such as Nephi's psalm. Later, when I searched the Book of Mormon for its poetry, I better understood why I was responding with my feelings to these passages.”^[6] 

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[1] Nephi's Psalm: 2 Nephi 4:16–35 in the Light of Form-Critical Analysis, Matthew Nickerson, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[2] Jacob and His Descendants as Authors, John S. Tanner, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[3] "At the Judgment-Seat of Christ" - Larger Perspectives, Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[4] Straight (Not Strait) and Narrow, John S. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[5] Lehi and the Arabs, Hugh Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

[6] "To Come Forth in Due Time" – Introduction. Richard Dilworth Rust, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.