Laman and Lemuel's Repentance

It may be surprising to some to see how often Laman and Lemuel actually repented of their sins.  Though in the end they rejected the Lord, they did repent sincerely several times in the Book of Mormon.  After they tied Nephi  up in the wilderness on their way back from getting Ishmael’s family, they saw Nephi escape with the power of God and “they were sorrowful, because of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me” (1 Nephi 7:20).  Later on their journey after they asked some good and seemingly sincere questions to Nephi, their younger brother answered with boldness and they got upset.  But according to Nephi  after he did “exhort [them], with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord” (1 Nephi 16:4).  The next verse is surprising: “And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord.  We don’t typically ever picture Laman and Lemuel as ever humbling themselves and repenting, but here they did.  Presumably the same thing happened again in the next chapter when Nephi finally fixed his bow and was able to obtain food.  We read that he returned “bearing the beasts” for food, and the others “did humble themselves before the Lord” (1 Nephi 16:32).  It doesn’t specifically say that it was Laman and Lemuel who were humbled, but from the text it appears to be the whole family who received a course correction when the Lord miraculously provided food. 

                Another instance where Laman and Lemuel seemed to have repented was after the ship was built.  They had of course been opposed to it and mocked Nephi for trying to do it, but they couldn’t deny the incredible quality of the ship.  We read, “And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they did humble themselves again before the Lord” (1 Nephi 18:4).  Once on the ship they again returned to their wicked ways and tied up Nephi.  After being threatened with sure destruction, they finally let Nephi go and were saved.  Nephi recorded that “when they saw that they were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea they repented of the thing which they had done, insomuch that they loosed me” (1 Nephi 18:20).  So that makes five instances where Laman and Lemuel made some attempt at least to repent.  Ultimately it did them little good because it was never lastling, but perhaps we are each more like Laman and Lemuel than we thought if we find ourselves similarly seeking forgiveness.