1 Nephi 4

1 Nephi 4

1 Nephi 4:  1-3

Lord is mightier......................................reminder of the omnipotence and helpfulness of God
strong like Moses............................remember the narratives,  trust them
angel hath spoken.........................recipients of an obvious spiritual manifestation, trust it
Lord about to deliver..............................call to action

To gain strength and faith for difficult situations, we need to "remember."

1 Nephi 4: 4-7

wroth, murmur.........................................the brothers complain and act in anger
hide themselves....................................if they won't help, hide them safely
I crept.............................................he has fear, but he goes
led by Spirit, not knowing...................................sometimes it's more important to show up
I went forth...............................................He did what he said he would do
found a man........................................He is led directly where he should go

The Spirit requires action.  By starting the journey, he is led, directly to the place he needed to go.  He also safely hid his less courageous brothers.

1 Nephi 4: 8-13

found Laban...............................................he recognizes the very person he needed
the sword........................................reveals Laban as a powerful military leader at his time
constrained by the spirit.......................interesting word. Nephi is required to act.  Spiritual obligation
I shrunk...........................................take courage, even when the commandment goes against core values
the Lord has delivered....................................when the Lord prepares, the servant obeys
sought thy own life....................................he tried to kill you
he would not follow commandment...............................the man has broken faith with God
taken property...........................................he is a thief
Slay him...................................................a blunt order from the Spirit.
better for one than a nation.....................................Justified death in terms of the man's treachery and evil

This section has long led to academic discussions about the ethics and appropriateness of Nephi's killing of Laban.  At least from the narrative, the killing is perfectly legal in a spiritual sense.  The Spirit has justified it.  Like the offering of Isaac on the altar, and the other ultimate tests of religious narrative, this story places Nephi in a category apart.

1 Nephi 4: 14-18

I remembered.........................................his own sermon to his brothers comes back to educate him
need the law............................................must sometimes act according to the rules of the Law of Moses, even when it is not pleasant
need the law.............................................the same expression holds for those who will receive the record
purpose of his finding of Laban......................the Spirit lets him know that this is the way to get the plates
he acts........................................the spiritual logic and impressions lead Nephi to kill Laban with his sword

Nephi acts.  The act will change the rest of his life profoundly.

1 Nephi 4: 19-27

girded in the armor.......................................his Spirit-driven continues  He is drawn to imitate Laban
went to the treasury...................Nephi goes directly to the place where he will find the record.
commanded in the voice of Laban.........................Nephi either had this talent to imitate, or Laban had a such an idiosyncratic type voice that it was easy to imitate
he supposed.................................the servant of Laban does not question Laban's identity
the conversation......................................Nephi able to have a continuing conversation with the servant without detection.
carry the engravings and follo...........................the servant actually assists in the removal of the record.  Nothing is spoken about any other removals, particularly Lehi's property

The Spirit makes it simple to obtain the record and to transfer it to Lehi's family.  The servant doesn't even question Nephi's actions.

1 Nephi 4: 28-35

reactions of the brothers..........................the imitation of Laban is so convincing that the brothers assume Nephi has been killed
calls for them.....................................they are stopped and realize the presence of Nephi
servant's reaction......................................now it is the servants turn to fear
the oath...............................................the servant is given an opportunity to join Nephi and the family.  Does he have a choice?  He is given a promise of equal status.
teaches him.........................................Nephi even gives his an opportunity to make a spiritual conversion
Zoram agrees..............................................This man, with little actual force, joins the family of Nephi

The disguise almost backfires.  However as the events continue to develop, another member of the migration is brought into play.

1 Nephi 4: 35-

tarry with us....................................he is made an honored guest.  They do not want him to return to the city.  He could be their undoing.
Zoram's oath.................................he become an integral member of their community.  They do not fear him at all
return to the tent..................................they journey home.

Zoram become a worrisome issue.  But he actually joins with them.  This brings up many questions about his motivations and his relationship to Laban.  It sounds like he was more a slave than anything else, and his emancipation offers him a far better future.

The chapter:

Nephi offers this narrative to us so that we can understand the tremendously difficult decisions that he went through to follow the dictates of the Spirit.  As he continued, he found the events fell miraculously into line, each item working to the future success of his life and to the establishing of his family in America.  He makes no apologies for his behavior.  He triumphs in accomplishing his duty.  I think that this story would become a permanent controversy concerning himself.