The Miracle of Obtaining the Plates

The way that Nephi was able to obtain the plates of brass from Laban was miraculous in several ways,  and the story shows the power of following the Spirit.  Yesterday I mentioned this quote from President Nelson: “When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do,” and I think that Nephi’s experience getting the plates shows exactly what President Nelson was talking about.  Nephi’s desire to actually obtain the record through the Lord’s help was so strong that nothing could stop him, and just as Elder Nelson promised he was led by the Spirit to know precisely what he needed to do. 

               The first miracle of course was that Nephi found Laban drunk on the ground.  Surely that was the hand of the Lord who had prepared the way for Nephi to obtain the record.  Because of this he was able to slay Laban and put on his garments.  His mission wasn’t accomplished, though, for he still had to figure out how to actually get the plates.  As I read the story again I realized that the next part didn’t happen quite like I thought; in the animated Living Scriptures version of this story that I used to watch as a kid, Nephi went to the treasury, knocked on the door, and got Zoram who was there to let him in.  But that’s not what happened: “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” (1 Nephi 4:20).  Nephi went towards the treasury of Laban—which apparently he knew the location of—and on the way he just happened to run into Zoram.  Not only did Nephi know who Zoram was (the Lord must have prepared Nephi in advance to know who he was), but he was able to convince Zoram to change what he was doing and go back to the treasury.  Nephi presumably couldn’t get in without the keys that Zoram had, and so it was crucial that Zoram be there to let him in.  That Nephi just happened to meet him in the streeth is pretty miraculous to me. 

                It seems to me that the whole business about the elders of the Jews was also part of the miracle of the event.  Nephi told us, “And [Zoram] spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.”  Nephi recognized that this fact gave him just the right story to tell Zoram to get him to follow him: Nephi told him he needed to take the brass plates to his “elder brethren” outside the walls of Jerusalem.  This seemed plausible to Zoram because he knew that Laban had indeed been out among brethren that evening.  Nephi commented, “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” (1 Nephi 4:22, 24, 27).  I don’t know why Zoram was so interesting in talking about the elders of the Jews, but it seems to me that it provided a rationale for Zoram to actually follow Nephi outside the city (which was crucial for the success of Nephi’s mission).  Nephi was successful that night in obtaining the plates because the Lord prepared the way before him and Nephi listened to the promptings of the Spirit.  And miracles happened because of Nephi’s faith and willingness to go forth “not knowing beforehand the things which [he] should do” (1 Nephi 4:6).