Tag Archives: Book of Mormon

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 4:12-20

Nephi has gone back into Jerusalem to try once again to get the brass plates from Laban. He doesn’t know exactly what he’s going to do, but the Spirit leads him to Laban, who is laying drunk in the street. The Spirit commands Nephi to slay Laban, but Nephi is struggling with the commandment, never having killed anyone before. 12. And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands; 13. Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 4:1-11

Laman and Lemuel have just been visited by an angel, who has commanded them to stop beating Nephi and Sam, and to listen to the things Nephi is telling them, for someday Nephi will be a ruler over them. As we head into chapter four, Nephi is telling his brothers why he feels it is so important for them to honor their father’s wishes in obtaining the brass plates from Laban. 1. And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the commandments … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 3:29-31

All attempts to get the brass plates from Laban have failed, and Laman is out of patience. Taking up a rod, he begins to smite Nephi and Sam, Lemuel joining him. 29. And it came to pass as they 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? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 3: 17-28

The sons of Lehi are trying to get the brass plates from Laban, but their attempts so far have been thwarted. They want to give up altogether, but Nephi speaks to them, hoping to convince them of the importance of their quest. We pick up in verse seventeen, with Nephi reminding his brothers why they left Jerusalem. In speaking of his father – 17. For he knew that Jerusalem must be destroyed, because of the wickedness of the people. 18. For behold, they have rejected the words of the prophets. Wherefore, if my father should dwell in the land after … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 3:8-16

Lehi has been commanded by the Lord to send his four sons back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates from Laban. Laman and Lemuel are murmuring about the assignment, but Nephi tells his father that he will go, and explains his belief that the Lord will never give us a commandment without preparing the way for us. 8. And it came to pass that when my father had heard these words he was exceedingly glad, for he knew that I had been blessed of the Lord. What a relief it must have been for Lehi to look upon his … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 3:1-7

When we left off, Nephi was anxious for the welfare of his brothers’ souls and the Lord told him that if Laman and Lemuel did not choose righteousness, they would be cut off. We head now into chapter three, and begin with verse one: And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father. Right off the bat, I find this intriguing. He didn’t say he was praying to the Lord, which would sound like a one-way conversation – he says he was speaking with the Lord, which means there … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 2:19-24

Nephi is concerned about his older brothers Laman and Lemuel. He sought to know the truthfulness of his father’s words and received a testimony through a heavenly visitation, and his brother Sam believes him but Laman and Lemuel will not listen. Nephi loves his brothers and wants them to taste the light of the gospel, and so he has spent much time praying for them. Verse nineteen: And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart. Right there, the … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 2:16-18

I skipped verse fifteen which perhaps I shouldn’t – it’s one that the youth love to say they’ve memorized. Okay, here it is: And my father dwelleth in a tent. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way . . . When we left off last time, we were discussing Laman and Lemuel, and how they had a hard time accepting the words of their father. They’d had every opportunity to learn the gospel the same as Nephi had, but because their hearts were not in the right place, they could not hearken to the Spirit. This caused much … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 2:8-14

Our scripture segment today is going to be a little longer than usual because I want to discuss a whole portion of story. The antagonists, if you will, are Nephi’s older brothers Laman and Lemuel, but they have only been mentioned once so far. This next portion of reading will go to illustrate a bit about them and to show us some of their character, and help us to understand some of the opposition Lehi and Nephi were up against in trying to preach the word of God and lead their family to the Promised Land. As we concluded our … Continue reading →

Scripture Study: 1 Nephi 2:5-7

Lehi was commanded by the Lord to leave Jerusalem and go into the wilderness with his family to escape the murderous plot of the Jews who wanted to kill him for preaching repentance. They left behind all their precious belongings and only took what they would need to survive in the desert. As we go into verse five, we see that their travels have just begun: And he came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea; and he traveled in the wilderness in the borders which are nearer the Red Sea; and he did travel in … Continue reading →