Comments on: Why try to kill Nephi? https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/ Thought-provoking commentary on life, politics, religion and social issues. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:32:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: ltbugaf https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-46738 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:32:13 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-46738 I’ve just been reading the story of Joseph in Genesis. I can’t see any more justification for his brothers wanting to kill him. But I can see the very same motivations and sources of anger.

]]> By: ltbugaf https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-45800 Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:24:26 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-45800 Nikki, though I don’t dispute your main point, I’m not so sure we can concloude that Nephi was good-looking. As for well-spoken, I’d say the evidence is ambiguous. His writing seems eloquent to us sometimes, in the English translation (or whatever other language you’re reading translated from the English), but I’m not sure how eloquent he was in speaking to others back when the events were taking place (rather than much later in life, when he wrote a record of them).

Just food for thought.

]]> By: Nikki https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44945 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:31:49 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44945 Why try to kill Nephi?

Definitely wasn’t to make Dad happy. Though having a good looking, well spoken, opinionated, prophetic brother doesn’t seem like the recipe for murder, people have killed one another for less.

]]> By: Dave https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44654 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:03:13 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44654 I second the thoughts of ProudDaughterofEve and alea:

Misunderstanding of cultural practices regarding family, tribe, and individual autonomy of the time and people.

Only having the recorded story from Nephi’s perspective.

]]> By: alea https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44608 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:54:37 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44608 Whenever I wonder about Laman and Lemuel, I remember that we’ve only got Nephi’s side of the story. For instance, did they actually want to kill him or do they just make threats which Nephi took seriously?

I really have to think that the two of them believed their father to some extent. Really, 1st and 2nd Nephi is much more of an interesting story about family dynamics than it is about righteousness and wickedness (mostly because there’s no gray to the tale as Nephi tells it).

]]> By: Kim Siever https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44549 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:35:21 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44549 I think birthright may have played into it, having just read 2 Ne. 1:28-29.

]]> By: Proud Daughter of Eve https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44540 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:55:39 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44540 I think you’re perhaps underestimating the importance of family at the time. Not family in the “nuclear family” sense but in the “tribe or clan” sense. Theirs was leaving and for many emotional and practical reasons they had to go too. They didn’t have to like it but they did have to go.

]]> By: Jonathan Mahoney https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44537 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:31:31 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44537 Very interesting points raised by both Kim and Bookslinger. Thanks. Sorry I don’t really know what to say about it all. :-P

]]> By: Kim Siever https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44444 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:20:13 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44444 t think they had riches left in Jerusalem, except prehaps the home. Laban stole all the goodies from them when they tried to bribe him with the gold/silver/stuff to get the plates.</p> </blockquote> <p>Those riches were what I was referring to. Had they gone back before Nephi went back for the plates, they could have used those riches.</p> <blockquote> <p>Another reason they couldn’t go back is that they (the 4 sons of Lehi) would have been the prime suspects in Laban’s murder</p> </blockquote> <p>Unless the went back before then.</p> <blockquote> <p>I’ve often asked myself why the Lord more or less forced them to go along, why not leave them in Jerusalem, to be conquered by the Babylonians?</p> </blockquote> <p>I don't know that he did. He may have "forced" them to stay with everyone, but I don't get the impression they were "forced" at the start.</p> <blockquote> <p>The answer is that the Lord needed the Lamanites, as a people, to scourge the Nephites and stir them up to remembrance</p> </blockquote> <p>He could have used the people who were already here.</p> ]]>

I don’t think they had riches left in Jerusalem, except prehaps the home. Laban stole all the goodies from them when they tried to bribe him with the gold/silver/stuff to get the plates.

Those riches were what I was referring to. Had they gone back before Nephi went back for the plates, they could have used those riches.

Another reason they couldn’t go back is that they (the 4 sons of Lehi) would have been the prime suspects in Laban’s murder

Unless the went back before then.

I’ve often asked myself why the Lord more or less forced them to go along, why not leave them in Jerusalem, to be conquered by the Babylonians?

I don’t know that he did. He may have “forced” them to stay with everyone, but I don’t get the impression they were “forced” at the start.

The answer is that the Lord needed the Lamanites, as a people, to scourge the Nephites and stir them up to remembrance

He could have used the people who were already here.

]]> By: Bookslinger https://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/comment-page-1/#comment-44443 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:14:04 +0000 http://www.ourthoughts.ca/2008/02/27/why-try-to-kill-nephi/#comment-44443 I don’t think they had riches left in Jerusalem, except prehaps the home. Laban stole all the goodies from them when they tried to bribe him with the gold/silver/stuff to get the plates.

Another reason they couldn’t go back is that they (the 4 sons of Lehi) would have been the prime suspects in Laban’s murder, having asked for the plates, having tried to bribe for the plates, having their stuff stolen, having been chased by the servants of Laban who tried to kill them. And then, poof, the plates turn up missing, and at the same time Laban turns up dead, and Zoram is missing too. Hmmm, who would have motivation to kill Laban and take the brass plates, and possibly kill off one of Laban’s servants?

I think one of the reasons that the Lord had in assigning Nephi to kill Laban was to make sure Laman and Lemuel couldn’t go back and resume their previous life.

What puzzles me is that they did go back for Ishmael, but that may have been in secret, not publicly. Or Ishmael may have lived on the outskits of Jerusalem and they could have easily gotten to Ishmael’s house without being seen by others.

1st Nephi is only a brief summary. We don’t have the whole story.

Also, Laman and Lemuel pretty much had their arm twisted. First, they were berated by an angel. Second, they actually heard the voice of the Lord at some point (I just finished reading that in 2nd Nephi somewhere.) And third, Nephi was able to exert some kind of supernatural power over them (to cause them to shake or quake) in order to pretty much force them to labor to build the ship. Plus the Liahona ball/director also made things kind of obvious.

So in their rebellions, L & L were pretty much “sinning against the light”. They were essentially reprobates.

I’ve often asked myself why the Lord more or less forced them to go along, why not leave them in Jerusalem, to be conquered by the Babylonians? The answer is that the Lord needed the Lamanites, as a people, to scourge the Nephites and stir them up to remembrance, and to fulfill other latter-day prophecies/needs.

Anyway, that’s my take.

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