Nephi: A Model to Follow

It’s amazing what Nephi and Lehi had to suffer because of the wickedness of Laman and Lemuel.  It’s easy to miss in a cursory reading how precarious the situation was for Nephi and Lehi.  Laman and Lemuel were constantly trying to harm or kill either their father or Nephi.  Nephi commented early on, “And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father” (1 Nephi 2:13).  When Nephi went with them to get the plates and Nephi’s idea didn’t work out, he recorded: “And it came to pass that Laman was angry with me, and also with my father….  Wherefore Laman and Lemuel did speak many hard words unto us, their younger brothers, and they did smite us even with a rod” (1 Nephi 3:28).  It was only the arrival of an angel that could stop them.  On their next trip as they were returning from Jerusalem with Ishmael’s family they got upset with Nephi again and Nephi recounted, “They did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts” (1 Nephi 7:16).  When things were tough on their journey after the death of Ishmael, “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” (1 Nephi 16:37). 

Once they reached the land of Bountiful Nephi told his brothers about their desire to kill Lehi, “Ye also have sought to take away his life; wherefore, ye are murderers in your hearts and ye are like unto them” (1 Nephi 17:44).  This of course made them upset: “And now it came to pass that when I had spoken these words they were angry with me, and were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea” (1 Nephi 17:48).  Again it was only the power of God that could stop them from succeeding in their attempt to kill Nephi.  When they were on the boat the pattern continued again, and when Nephi called them to repentance they lost it again: “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” (1 Nephi 18:11).  It was only the thread of immediate destruction that softened the hearts of Laman and Lemuel enough to release him and spare his life. 

                Given all of this—and surely there were many other similar experiences that Nephi didn’t tell us about—it’s amazing that Nephi and his father did not suffer death at the hands of Laman and Lemuel.  And it’s no wonder that Nephi would be angry because of Laman and Lemuel!  In Nephi’s soliloquy after the death of his father, he exclaimed, “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities….  Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy? Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.  Do not anger again because of mine enemies” (2 Nephi 4:17, 27-28).  It appears to me that Nephi was so upset with himself in this chapter because of his feelings of anger towards his brethren.  What a man he was!  Given everything that Laman and Lemuel had put him and his father through, any average person would feel no remorse at being filled with absolute hate for the people who had time and time and time again tried to kill them.  But Nephi was no average man, and his greatness was in his ability to put his trust in the Lord and “frankly forgive” all that his brothers did to him.  How blessed we are to have the incredible example of Nephi as a model to follow!