0 SABoM 1 Nephi 4

And it came to pass ... after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations. 12:23

Trivia: How did Nephi kill Laban?

The First Book of Nephi

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4 Nephi makes a speech--They return to Jerusalem--Nephi's brothers hide while Nephi is led by the Spirit to Laban's house--The Spirit leads Nathan to Laban who is passed out on the ground--The Spirit tells Nephi to kill Laban--Nephi cuts off Laban head with Laban's own steel sword and steals the brass plates--Nephi puts on Laban's clothes and speaks with the Laban's voice--Nephi's disguise fools Laban's servant (Zoram)--Nephi's brothers are also fooled by Nephi's disguise--Zoram decides to join up with Lehi's sons--They all walk back 400 km to Lephi's tent. (600-592 BCE) Previous chapter | Next chapter

Better for one man to die than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief
ScienceInjusticeCrueltyAbsurdityPlagiarism 1-38

1And 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 of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?

2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground, and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea.

3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.

I said to my brothers, "Let's go back to Jerusalem."

4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we came without the walls of Jerusalem.

"Okay," they said, though they still murmured a bit.

5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.

6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

When we got to Jerusalem, my brothers hid outside the gates while I was led by the Spirit to Laban's house.

7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he was drunken with wine.

8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.

When I got there I found Laban, who had passed out from drinking too much wine.

9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.

He had a sword of the most precious steel, with a handle of pure gold.

10And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.

The Spirit tried to force me to kill Laban, but I didn't want to do it. [1]

11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.

The Spirit said to me,

The Lord has delivered him into your hands.

12And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;

Kill him.

13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.

It's better for one man to die than a whole nation dwindle in unbelief. [2]

15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.

16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause -- that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.

Then I realized why I had to kill Laban.

The law of Moses was written on the plates, and we wouldn't know the law if we didn't have them. [3]

18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.

So I obeyed the Spirit by grabbing Laban by the hair and chopping off his head with his own sword.

19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.

20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go with me into the treasury.

Then I put on his clothes, "gird on his armor about my loins," went to the treasury of Laban and commanded (with the voice of Laban) Laban's servant to follow me. [4]

21And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments and also the sword girded about my loins.

22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.

And it worked perfectly! I looked and sounded just like Laban, so it completely fooled his servant.

23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.

24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.

25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.

I chatted with him for a while, as though I were Laban.

Then I told him to take the brass plates to my brothers who were waiting outside the city gates.

And I asked him to follow me.

26 And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.

27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.

He thought I was a member of his church [5], so he followed me.

28And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also.

When my brothers saw us coming, they were frightened since they thought I was Laban, too!

29And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.

30And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.

31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.

32And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.

33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear; that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the wilderness with us.

34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.

35And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.

36 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause, that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness, lest they should pursue us and destroy us.

37And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our fears did cease concerning him.

But then they heard my voice and knew it was me.

38And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto the tent of our father.

I talked Laban's servant (Zoram) into joining us, and we packed up the brass plates and returned to the wilderness and traveled back to my father's tent.

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