Captivity

Captivity is a very central theme in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Searching for that particular word gives 163 results in those two volumes of scripture combined and 4 results in the rest of the standard works! No wonder, perhaps, considering the captivity in Egypt between Abraham and Moses, when the covenant people of Israel was established, as well as the Babylonian captivity after they had broken the covenant in the promised land. Jeremiah in particular talks about it a lot. He prophesied of the Babylonian captivity but also the later escape and restoration of the Jews.

Lehi was a contemporary with Jeremiah. With the imminent Babylonian captivity as backdrop, there is no wonder that this is an important theme in the Book of Mormon too. Lehi prophecied

That after they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance. (1 Nephi 10:3)

Similar to Jeremiah

And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. (Jeremiah 29:14)

It is a theme repeated time and again in the Book of Mormon, not only in remembrance of their father Lehi who escaped the Babylonian captivity. Nephi reminds his brothers of the Egyptian captivity and escape

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. (1 Nephi 4:2)

The reminder of the Egyptian captivity is repeated in the next chapter (see 1 Nephi 5:15). Eventually, the Nephites get their own captivity and escape narratives to commemorate, for instance the parallel stories of Limhi's people and Alma's people. Remembering this captivity becomes vital and is even commanded by an angel, as previously written in this post.

A peculiar addition to the captivity focus of the Book of Mormon is the Jaredite history with lots of kings living in captivity for much or all of their lives. Perhaps an expression of the Jaredite's failure to comply with the special conditions of the promised land.

Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written. (Ether 2:12)

But as mentioned before, the Book of Mormon tends to use physical phenomena and apply them spiritually. The physical captivity of their fathers becomes an analogy of the captivity of the devil. Or perhaps it is even regarded as more or less one and the same. It is interesting to note the transitions between physical and spiritual captivity in the Book of Mormon. For instance, in 2 Nephi 1, Lehi talks to his sons and repeats the promises and conditions that the Lord gave to the Jaredites

Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. (2 Nephi 1:7)

Only a few verses later, he speaks of the captivity of the devil

Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil. (2 Nephi 1:18)

It's not even easy to determine whether he talks about physical or spiritual captivity in this verse. Sword and famine are physical and "captivity of the devil" is added in that context. They go hand in hand. The same thing happens again when Lehi speaks to his son, Joseph, only two chapters later

4 For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph.

5 Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom. (2 Nephi 3)

First a reminder of Joseph's (physical) captivity in Egypt. Then a prophecy of his descendant's escape out of darkness and (spiritual) captivity. 

One final example from Alma:

5 And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also.

6 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell? (Alma 5)

God delivered their fathers out of physical captivity and bondage. He also delivered their souls from hell. Whatever type of captivity, God has the power to deliver. This is an important message from Nephite prophets. 

"Divided hither and thither" -- a sermon in a phrase, part 2

Please read part 1 of this series before reading on.

We left off with a brief discussion of several unique elements had in common among Nephi-2, Elijah, and Moses. These are the three prophets mentioned in connection with "divid[ing] hither and thither." Other details at least two of them share in common are these:

• Sealing power (Nephi-2 and Elijah)
• Power over the elements (All three)
• Dividing and crossing over water on dry ground (Moses and Elijah)
• Taken up to heaven rather than dying (All three)
• Important post-mortal responsibilities including bestowal of priesthood keys (Moses and Elijah)

Since posting the first part, I've thought more about what these three prophets have in common as well as what we're supposed to learn from all of this. The Venn diagram has expanded a little:

I'll probably dive deeper into these new additions in future posts, especially shining faces, but for now I'll just give a brief summary below.

Shining faces

A shining face is a symbol of God's favor and communion with heavenly beings. Nephi-2 is seen to have a shining face while communing with angels:

36 And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld.
37 And it came to pass that this man did cry unto the multitude, that they might turn and look. And behold, there was power given unto them that they did turn and look; and they did behold the faces of Nephi and Lehi.
38 And they said unto the man: Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it with whom these men do converse?
39 Now the man’s name was Aminadab. And Aminadab said unto them: They do converse with the angels of God. (Helaman 5)

Of course Moses' face shone after he came down from speaking with Jehovah face to face.

This symbol also points our mind to Christ, whose face shone on the Mount of Transfiguration, at which time He also spake with Moses and Elias (Elijah).

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. (Matthew 17)

Dividing the waters and Priesthood Keys

Dividing the waters is a creation reference.  At the creation, God set the bounds of the sea (a symbol of death and chaos). This comes up several times in the Old Testament.

• Job 38:10-11
• Proverbs 8:29
• Psalm 104:9
• Jeremiah 5:22

The power to divide the water and pass through on dry ground is an act of creation of sorts. 

In the case of Elijah and Nephi-2, a special sealing power is given to them by God which allows them to cause a famine in the land. This done by declaring there shall be no rain in the land. (See 1 Kings 17:1; Helaman 11:17.)  Stisa pointed out to me that this is a variation on separating water and land (and creating dry ground in a bad way).

Creation by division

Another facet of this creation symbolism embedded within dividing the waters is that in the ancient Hebrew understanding, creation happens as an act of "forming or fashioning by cutting" or "shaping." (source)  You could compare it to the process of transforming a stick into an arrow. 

Covenants are also "cut" in Hebrew. Symbolism involving cutting a covenant include circumcision, purity laws, and actual cutting of animals in half (see Genesis 15). This is completely foreign to our modern culture, but it is noteworthy that cutting plays a central role in the ancient understanding of both divine creation and covenant-making. This does not seem coincidental.

This symbol also points our minds to Christ.  Just as Nephi-2 was left alone standing in the midst of a people divided in their opinion of him, Christ's invitation to mankind creates a division between those who will humble themselves and repent/follow Him and those who will harden themselves against the word.

It seems this is the message that Mormon is uncertain we'll get, so just after the account of Nephi-2 causing and then ending the famine, Mormon inserts a long aside about human wickedness, found in Helaman 12. In this passage, Mormon directly connects covenant and creation as he compares man to dust:

6 Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.
7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.
8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God. (Helaman 12)

In the verses that follow, Mormon repeatedly states that various elements of the creation will obey the word of God (unlike man). It's a powerful connection between creation and covenant.

Conclusion -- The Deeper Message

I included "a sermon in a phrase" in the title of this series for a reason.  Identifying the connecting phrase "divided hither and thither" has opened my mind to a deeper understanding of priesthood authority and the purpose of mortality. I've also gained a deeper appreciation of Jesus Christ's role as the Creator of heaven and earth as well as the Father of our salvation.

In only four words, a connection is made between Nephi-2, Moses, and Elijah.  Connections can then be made between these three and Christ, with additional connections to shining faces, communicating directly with heavenly Beings, and priesthood power offering power over the chaos just as these prophets had power to divide the waters.

I'm grateful for so much beautiful doctrine tucked away in just a passing phrase.

"Divided hither and thither" -- a sermon in a phrase, part 1

My most recent post (re-)introduced a concept I recently learned about from Stisa which gives a name to a phenomenon I've noticed and blogged about in the past -- metalepsis.  In short, it's a technique used by ancient scribes to reference an older account by using key wording from that account as they tell a different story. I gave the example from Mormon 8:8, from which I unpacked four sermons last October. I ended the post by quoting Helaman 10:1 and hinting that a sermon is packed into words "divided hither and thither" in that verse.

Here is the whole verse:

1 And it came to pass that there arose a division among the people, insomuch that they divided hither and thither and went their ways, leaving Nephi alone, as he was standing in the midst of them. (Helaman 10)

This all began as a hunch on my part.  The initial thought was: "What a weird way to end a story!" The mental image of the people dividing into two groups and going their own way conjured an image of Moses parting the Red Sea.

Of course, Nephi had just finished teaching the people about the role of prophets, including a reference to Moses, so I went back and reviewed that passage:

11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up?
12 And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent?
13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah. (Helaman 8)

Notice the common elements between this passage and the verse above: division/parting, "one man"/"Nephi alone," two groups of people (one preserved and one destroyed)

And just before that, Mormon described how Nephi was causing two distinct reactions among the people, a group of believers and group that was hostile:

5 Therefore [the corrupt judges] did cry unto the people, saying: Why do you suffer this man to revile against us? For behold he doth condemn all this people, even unto destruction; yea, and also that these our great cities shall be taken from us, that we shall have no place in them.
6 And now we know that this is impossible, for behold, we are powerful, and our cities great, therefore our enemies can have no power over us.
7 And it came to pass that thus they did stir up the people to anger against Nephi, and raised contentions among them; for there were some who did cry out: Let this man alone, for he is a good man, and those things which he saith will surely come to pass except we repent;
8 Yea, behold, all the judgments will come upon us which he has testified unto us; for we know that he has testified aright unto us concerning our iniquities. And behold they are many, and he knoweth as well all things which shall befall us as he knoweth of our iniquities;
9 Yea, and behold, if he had not been a prophet he could not have testified concerning those things. (Helaman 8)

As I read and re-read the passage, the words "divided hither and thither" really stood out as a key connecting phrase. I looked up every instance I could find in all of the scriptures where "hither and thither" is used in connection with "divide" or something like it. Aside from the verse above (Helaman 10:1), I found four references in the Book of Mormon and two in the Old Testament. That's it. Here they are:

Old Testament

8 And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. (2 Kings 2)


14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2)

Book of Mormon

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. (1 Nephi 4)


26 Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground. (1 Nephi 17)


11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up? (Helaman 8)


8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God. (Helaman 12)

Aside from Mormon's more generic use of the phrase in Helaman 12 (which relates to the story it follows, for reasons I'll flesh out in a future post), the rest of these passages make reference to Nephi-2, Moses, or Elijah. Very interesting. As I read through these, I marveled at the connections between the three prophets being mentioned. Here's a rough draft of what was starting to take shape in my head:

All three had power over the elements. All three are associated with the sealing power.  Moses and Elijah were present at the Kirtland Temple dedication when important priesthood keys were restored.  All three had mysterious non-deaths (only according to latter-day scripture in the case of Moses).

What's the deeper message from all of this? Well, it seems to have a lot to do with priesthood authority and the purpose of mortality. "One man" is given power to cause a division by preaching the word of God. This results in the formation of a covenant people -- creation by division. We'll get into this in more depth in the next post.

More references to the creation account -- The parting of the Red Sea

I have come to realize that the creation account was very important to ancient Israelites, including the Nephites. It only covers the first two chapters of Genesis, but it is often referred to, directly or indirectly, both in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon. A few examples from the Book of Mormon are given here, here and here. As far as I understand, the reason for the frequent references to the creation is that it represented the ultimate demonstration of God's power. He spoke and the world was created. Can there be any greater power? This means that he can control all the elements, because they are all His creation. This is often used as argument that nothing is impossible to God, as we will see soon.

I was thinking about the parting of the Red Sea and how it resembles the division of water on the second and third days of the creation account. In Genesis 1:6-9, we read:

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

In Exodus 14:21, we read about the parting of the Red Sea.

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

In both cases the waters are divided and there is a separation of water and dry land. I don't think that's a coincidence. The God of Israel showed his power when he repeated some of the work of creation in front of the eyes of the Israelites. 

In recent posts, I have written about the word and its power to bring the invisible into the visible. We don't read about the word taking an active role in our version of Exodus like it does in the creation. But it seems like this is an element that has been part of Israelite tradition, nonetheless, (see this blog post). Also, in Moses 1:25, we read

Blessed art thou, Moses, for I, the Almighty, have chosen thee, and thou shalt be made stronger than many waters; for they shall obey thy command as if thou wert God.

At the parting of the Red Sea, God is lending his power and word to Moses, so he can speak and use his staff to divide the waters.

With this background, it is interesting to note that the parting of the Red Sea is referenced three times in the Book of Mormon. Each time it is used to argue that God has the power to accomplish whatever is necessary.

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. (1 Nephi 4:2)

We see the creation elements repeated: The power, the word/speaking, the division between water and dry land. Why does Nephi mention this? To argue that the Lord has power to deliver them from Laban and help them obtain the brass plates. In 1 Nephi 17, we see the same elements.

26 Now ye know that Moses was commanded of the Lord to do that great work; and ye know that by his word the waters of the Red Sea were divided hither and thither, and they passed through on dry ground.
27 But ye know that the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, who were the armies of Pharaoh.
28 And ye also know that they were fed with manna in the wilderness.
29 Yea, and ye also know that Moses, by his word according to the power of God which was in him, smote the rock, and there came forth water, that the children of Israel might quench their thirst. (1 Nephi 17)

Here, another miracle involving water in the Exodus is added too. Again, this is used as to argue that God has power to do anything, in this case instructing Nephi to build a ship. Still in chapter 17:

51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?

Many centuries later, there was another Nephi who spoke to the wicked inhabitants of Zarahemla.

11 Therefore he was constrained to speak more unto them saying: Behold, my brethren, have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea, and they parted hither and thither, insomuch that the Israelites, who were our fathers, came through upon dry ground, and the waters closed upon the armies of the Egyptians and swallowed them up?
12 And now behold, if God gave unto this man such power, then why should ye dispute among yourselves, and say that he hath given unto me no power whereby I may know concerning the judgments that shall come upon you except ye repent?
13 But, behold, ye not only deny my words, but ye also deny all the words which have been spoken by our fathers, and also the words which were spoken by this man, Moses, who had such great power given unto him, yea, the words which he hath spoken concerning the coming of the Messiah. (Helaman 8)

The same elements are repeated again and used to argue that God can give Nephi power to know of the judgments that shall come upon them. 

There seems to be a tradition among both ancient Israelites and Nephites, that God's power is demonstrated in the creation and is connected to "the word". When the Red Sea was parted, it was a redemonstration of those powers, but it also conveys another important message: God can grant his power to man. Whatever he sees fit for us to accomplish or command us to do, we can do it, because he can lend us power like He did to Moses. This power is intimately connected to His word. 

The penalty for Nephi's slaying of Laban

I came across this article from BOMC discussing the legal justification of Nephi's slaying of Laban.  The article points out that the act itself was justified by the law, due to the fact that Laban had committed three capital offenses against Nephi and his brothers (accusing them of being robbers, robbing them of their riches, and not keeping the commandments of God). Even so, there is a specific penalty for killing a man in the precise circumstances we encounter in 1 Nephi 4.

Consider these verses from Exodus:

12 ¶ He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. (Exodus 21)

Perhaps this is why Nephi goes out of his way to say:

6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. (1 Nephi 4)

Consider also the three-fold mention of the Lord delivering Laban into Nephi's hands (verses 11, 12, and 17).

This adds a clever and perhaps ironic twist to Nephi's obedience to the voice of the Lord...his "punishment" for slaying Laban and obtaining the plates was to be led to a place appointed for him by the Lord:

20 ...ye... shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands. (1 Nephi 2)

In the Old Testament context, the punishment is to be "cast off" as an exile. In Nephi's context, it meant deliverance to a promised land.

Deliverance in 1 Nephi 4

Nephi must have had significant training in a scribal tradition.  His writing is multilayered and contains interwoven messages. Consider the theme of deliverance in 1 Nephi 4.

1) Nephi reminds his brothers of the Lord's power to deliver the children of Israel. Nephi exhorts his brothers to be faithful and strong "like unto Moses" and trust the Lord to deliver them and to destroy Laban "as the Egyptians."

2) Laban is delivered to Nephi. The Lord leads Nephi by the power of the Spirit to the drunken Laban, who was "delivered...into [his] hands."

3) Nephi's posterity is delivered by Nephi's act. Slaying Laban allows Nephi to obtain the brass plates, which will bring the commandments to his posterity, allowing them to remember the source to which they could look for deliverance.

17...I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments. (1 Nephi 4)

4) Zoram is delivered. By pretending to be his master, Nephi "delivers" Zoram out of bondage and into the small group who will be led to the promised land. Zoram receives this by heeding the voice of his master and [making] an oath" to "hearken unto [Nephi's] words."

Notice how Zoram, when first recognizing the situation he is in, "began to tremble," but after making the oath he "did take courage at the words which I spake." This is very similar to the description Book of Mormon writers often give to describe conversion.

Summary of themes

Examples #1-3 present a clear past/present/future reference to consider: Just as days past, the Lord is powerful enough to deliver those who are faithful.

Example #4 plays on the theme of "see an angel, be an angel" and the idea that the Holy Land had become corrupted by wicked and false traditions. Nephi tricks Zoram into leaving the walls of the city to see the "elders of the Jews," but actually delivers him from real bondage as a result.

Moses speaking to the waters?

Nephi tries to encourage his brothers when they have failed to obtain the plates by referring to Moses and the Exodus.

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 (1 Nephi 4:1)

Nowhere in the Old Testament do we read that Moses spoke to the water. But there is an ancient Jewish oral tradition where God tells Moses to speak to the sea.

Take the rod that I gave unto thee, and go to the sea upon Mine errand, and speak thus: 'I am the messenger sent by the Creator of the world! Uncover thy paths, O sea, for My children, that they may go through the midst of thee on dry ground. (Source)

These oral traditions can often seem strange to us. In this case, for instance, the water responds by speaking back to Moses. But Jews cared more for the message than the historicity or any scientific explanation. After Moses has spoken, he also uses his rod and then the water parts.

Since Nephi explicitly stated that Moses spoke to the Red Sea and it is not found in the Old Testament, he was likely referring to this oral tradition. This may have been added to or changed over many years, but the element of speaking to the waters is there. Alternatively, the current Old Testament contains only an abbreviated version of the one found on the brass plates and the oral tradition originates from this extended version which was later partially lost.

L Tom Perry's lesson from 1 Nephi 3-4

Deceased Apostle, L. Tom Perry, reflects on the following lesson from 1 Nephi 3-4 in an adress to youth that is very applicable to adults as well.

I often think of what happened in the Book of Mormon, in 1 Nephi 3–4. Lehi sent his sons back to Jerusalem to get from Laban the record known as the brass plates. The record was important; the people needed it so they would not dwindle in unbelief.

On their first try, Lehi’s sons left getting the records to chance. They cast lots, and Laman was selected. He went to talk to Laban, and Laban was angry and cast him out of his presence. If young people leave the study of the scriptures to chance—only what they may casually absorb in Mutual, seminary, or a Sunday School class—they will not get the deep meaning that will come from studying by themselves and with their families. You cannot leave to chance a treasure as important as knowledge of the gospel.

Next Lehi’s sons tried to buy the brass plates using the things of the world. Laban sent his servants to slay them, and they escaped only by leaving their riches behind. Young people today may be tempted to seek happiness through the things of the world. Worldly ideas are presented to them all the time as they sit in front of the television or log on to the Internet. But sooner or later they will find that these ideas will not lead to the happiness they are seeking.

Finally, Nephi determined that the only way to obtain the records was by faith. When he made that decision, he was led by the Spirit to know what to do, and great blessings occurred. He obtained the scriptures, and the family of Lehi could journey in the wilderness with the sacred scriptures to guide them. In the same way, if youth will act in faith, they will receive knowledge that will guide them.

Parallels between Moses and Nephi

Nephi refers to Christ as "the Lamb of God" numerous times.  It is no wonder that in this paper, Don Bradley contends that Lehi's departure with his family from Jerusalem happened around the time of Passover.  I find the argument to be persuasive, but there isn't a way to know for sure.

A few interesting ideas spring up when you think about this. For example, if Laban was drunk following a celebration of the Passover feast, it would tie in to the death of the firstborn sons in Egypt. Bradley explains:

As we have seen, the story recounted in 1 Nephi implicitly connects Laban to both Joseph and Egypt by his inheriting the Egyptian brass plates as a descendant of Joseph of Egypt. Laban thus plays a dual role in the story as both Jew and Egyptian.
Likewise, Lehi’s exodus has the dual role of recreating yet reversing the ancient exodus, in both particular and thematic elements. The dual passing-overs that are celebrated during the holiday give parallel significance to the sequence of Lehi’s sacrifice (possibly the Passover lamb) followed several days later by Nephi comparing Laban to the Egyptians at the Red Sea and then, later that night, slaying him.

Laban’s connection with the Passover in this instance would have extended beyond it merely being an occasion for community socializing and drinking. Laban died at Passover, and this echoes the original, biblical Passover under Moses, when God destroyed those who tried to oppose his people. Laban had been celebrating with the Jerusalem elders, wearing full military dress and carrying a finely crafted sword. In the commandment in the Book of Exodus instituting the celebration of Passover, observance of the feast includes two ceremonial occasions or “holy convocations” (Ex. 12:16). One was on the first day of Passover, related to death passing over Israel’s children and landing instead on the Egyptians’ firstborn, the other was on the festival’s final day, related to passing over the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptians. If Lehi’s sacrifice before sending his sons for the plates was a Passover observance accompanying the first convocation, commemorating the deliverance of the Israelites’ firstborn, then the occasion of Laban celebrating with the elders would have been the final convocation, commemorating the Israelites’ deliverance at the Red Sea and the Egyptians’ destruction.

Lehi is leaving what was Moses' promised land to seek a new promised land. In doing so, "the law" must be obtained (presumably from the eldest son of a line of eldest sons of a lineage of Joseph). Laban died as a result.

Bradley argues that Laban's death mirrors the drowning of Pharoah's armies in the Red Sea. This is presaged by Nephi in his words to his brothers:

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. (1 Nephi 4)

I find this beautiful and deep. There's layers to this text.

The Book of Mormon proverb

20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands.
21 And inasmuch as thy brethren shall rebel against thee, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Sounds familiar? If it does, it is because it is consistently repeated throughout the pre-Christ phase of the Book of Mormon. This is from 1 Nephi 2, the first time this statement is spoken by the Lord himself to Nephi while he was in the wilderness. This is also what Nephi refers to in 1 Nephi 4 when he is back in Jerusalem to get the brass plates

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 is repeated several more times in 1st and 2nd Nephi
1 Nephi 17:13

wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land

2 Nephi 1:9

Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land

(It seems that both Nephi and Lehi had received this promise individually directly from the Lord. The "have obtained" refers to a previous occasion probably recorded on the large plates. A couple of times in Alma, this "Book of Mormon proverb" is referred to as something the Lord told Lehi.)

2 Nephi 1:20

And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. 

2 Nephi 4:4

For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.

2 Nephi 5:20

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.

Interestingly, after the books of Nephi, each of the small books contain this same statement. They write so little, yet they make sure to repeat this particular promise.

First, a variant of this spoken directly by the Lord to Enos in verse 10

I will visit thy brethren according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them this land, and it is a holy land; and I curse it not save it be for the cause of iniquity

Then a reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Jarom verse 9. We note the plural and the fact that Jarom's father, Enos, his granduncle, Nephi, and his great-grandfather, Lehi, had all received this promise individually

But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land

Another reference to what the Lord had said to "our fathers" in Omni verse 6

he would not suffer that the words should not be verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall not prosper in the land.

Over to the large plates of Nephi. I will not quote every single one but here is an overview:

• King Benjamin to his sons in Mosiah 1:7
• King Benjamin to the people in Mosiah 2:22 and 31
• Alma to the people of Ammonihah in Alma 9:13
• Alma to his son, Helaman, in Alma 36:1 and 30 (beginning and end of the chiasmus)
• Alma to his son, Helaman again in Alma 37:13
• Alma to his son, Shiblon, in Alma 38:1
• References by Mormon in his abridgment in Alma 48:15, 25 and 50:20

Altogether 20 repetitions of this promise. That is a lot! One may wonder why this is repeated so consistently from 1 Nephi through Alma and then it seems to disappear except a few possible allusions, like Helaman 12:21

And if the Lord shall say—Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence—he will cause that it shall be so.

Why this is the case, I don't know. But the rest of the Book of Mormon is a fulfillment of this promise. After the Saviour's visit in 3rd Nephi, the people keep the commandments and prosper as promised in 4th Nephi

7 And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land

Then they turn away from God, and are cut off from his presence (see for instance Mormon 1:14)

And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief.

Finally, the Nephites, as we know, are completely cut off from the land.

Chiasmus in 1 Nephi 4:5-24

Verses 5-24 contain a great example of chiasmus. Although some people dismiss the entire notion of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon as no big deal, I believe there are several solid examples in which the structure of the words add to the poetic effect and help emphasize the central purpose of the passage. This is one of those examples:

The basic overview is as follows:
A v. 5 The brothers hide outside the walls. 
B v. 5 Nephi went forth towards the house of Laban and sees Laban.
C v. 9 Nephi holds Laban's sword 
D v. 10 Nephi is constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban 
E v. 12 "the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands" 
F v. 14-15 "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. 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." 
E' v. 17 "I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands" 
D' v. 18 Nephi obeys the voice of the Spirit 
C' v. 18-19 Nephi kills Laban with his sword. 
B' v. 20-21 Nephi went forth unto the treasury of Laban and Zoram believes he sees Laban. 
A' v. 24 Nephi and Zoram carry the plates to his brothers outside the walls.

Nephi teaches us the importance of keeping the commandments of the Lord by placing that concept at the apex of a chiasm detailing how he obtained the plates of brass through obedience.