The Book of the Law and the Plates of Brass

I have written before about the fact that Lehi and Sariah were in Jerusalem at the time of Josiah’s reforms around 622 BC. Hilkiah found the book of the law in the temple during Josiah’s reign, and it was read to the king: “And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11). He was upset because they were not living according to the words of the law, and so he wanted to ensure that all of his people understood the law: “And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:23). Lehi and Sariah were likely there when this reading took place and a covenant was made by the king to keep the law, and this fact highlights why it was so important for Lehi to obtain the brass plates. The Lord commanded him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to obtain the records from Laban, and just as finding the book of the law changed everything for Josiah, having the holy scriptures would make all the difference for Lehi’s posterity. Lehi knew the corruption that had come among the Jews because they had forgotten the book of the law, and perhaps he was pondering how Josiah had found that record when he declared, “Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimmed any more by time. And he prophesied many things concerning his seed” (1 Nephi 5:19). In other words, Lehi prophesied that these holy records would never be lost; they would continually guide his posterity and not be physically lost like the book of the law had been before the time of Josiah. Lehi knew that those plates were essential for the spiritual safety of his descendants and was reassured by the Lord that they would not be lost.

            The brass plates were indeed preserved from generation to generation among the Nephites. Nephi took them with him when he separated from his brothers, and even Laman and Lemuel understood their importance because they were upset: “And again, they were wroth with him because he departed into the wilderness as the Lord had commanded him, and took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, for they said that he robbed them” (Mosiah 10:16). When King Mosiah led the righteous out of the land of Nephi to Zarahemla, he had the brass plates with him: “The Lord had sent the people of Mosiah with the plates of brass which contained the record of the Jews” (Omni 1:14). A generation later his son Benjamin spoke of them to his sons: “And he also taught them concerning the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, saying: My sons, I would that ye should remember that were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God.” This was over 400 years after Lehi had made his prophecy, and clearly the plates were still preserved and readable, for King Benjamin said to his sons, “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct” (Mosiah 1:3, 5).

The plates of brass continued to be passed on among the Nephite faithful. They were given to Mosiah from King Benjamin who then gave them to Alma (Mosiah 28:20). Alma taught of their importance to his son Helaman who also received them: “And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon” (Alma 37:3-4). The last time they are mentioned in the Book of Mormon is in 3^rd Nephi. Nephi the great-grandson of Helaman received them from his father Nephi, and when Christ came Mormon mentioned them one more time in his commentary: “Behold, our father Jacob also testified concerning a remnant of the seed of Joseph. And behold, are not we a remnant of the seed of Joseph? And these things which testify of us, are they not written upon the plates of brass which our father Lehi brought out of Jerusalem?” (3 Nephi 1:2, 10:17) Presumably they were kept and passed down all the way to Moroni, lasting a full 1000 years from the time of Lehi. They were essential for the preservation of the Nephite faith, just as Josiah’s book of the law enabled the king of Judah to restore true Israelite worship. These stories should encourage us to make sure the scriptures we have are not just preserved but that they don’t lose their “brightness” for us personally as we continually turn to them for direction (Alma 37:5).