LeGrand L. Baker

1 Nephi 7:1-5

1. And now I would that ye might know, that after my father, Lehi, had made an end of prophesying concerning his seed, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto him again, saying that it was not meet for him, Lehi, that he should take his family into the wilderness alone; but that his sons should take daughters to wife, that they might raise up seed unto the Lord in the land of promise.
2 And it came to pass that the Lord commanded him that I, Nephi, and my brethren, should again return unto the land of Jerusalem, and bring down Ishmael and his family into the wilderness.
3 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did again, with my brethren, go forth into the wilderness to go up to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass that we went up unto the house of Ishmael, and we did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.
5 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the heart of Ishmael, and also his household, insomuch that they took their journey with us down into the wilderness to the tent of our father (1 Nephi 7:2-7).

We know almost nothing about Ishmael except what Nephi tells us here.

The tradition that Ishmael was descended from Ephraim is based on a discourse by Apostle Erastus Snow. He said, “

The Prophet Joseph Smith informed us that the record of Lehi was contained on the 116 pages that were first translated and subsequently stolen, and of which an abridgment is given us in the First Book of Nephi, which is the record of Nephi individually, he himself being of lineage of Menasseh; but that Ishmael was of the lineage of Ephraim, and that his sons married into Lehi’s family, and Lehi’s sons married Ishmael’s daughters, thus fulfilling the words of Jacob upon and Manasseh in the 48th chapter of Genesis.{1}

The thing that seems to have been most impressive to the boy was that Ishmael would give them an audience. He says, “We did gain favor in the sight of Ishmael, insomuch that we did speak unto him the words of the Lord.” The implication seems to be that Ishmael was a man of such dignity and high standing that it was a privilege to even talk with him.

He was older than Lehi. We can know that because he had at least two sons who were old enough to be married. and Lehi’s oldest son had not yet come of age. We surmise that he had a large estate from the fact that as soon as he died his sons wanted to return home and reclaim their inheritance. We may also surmise that he and Lehi were good friends, and it is possible that they had already agreed that Lehi’s sons would marry Ishmael’s daughters.

However, this we do know: he was a man of great faith in the Lord. It is likely that he was one of the “many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed” (1 Nephi 1:4). If so, his life may have been in danger for the same reasons that the Jews sought to kill Lehi.
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FOOTNOTE

{1} Journal of Discourses, 23:184).

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1 Nephi 6:4-5  

4. For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.
5 Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world

Respect for Nephi insists that one look at this and the verses around it, and try to understand what he is saying. He is not just saying “I want people to know about God.” His words are much too formal to be mean something that casual. That phrase, “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” is not used much in the scriptures. and when it is, it is never used casually. By Nephi’s use of this very formal name of God, he is trying to call our attention to something very important.

Ultimately, the covenant the Lord made with Abraham and its attendant blessings are the great door by which we are given entrance to all of the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement. An example of the formal and important use of that phrase is:{1}

6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6).

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FOOTNOTE

{1} There are only a few other examples. They are: Genesis 26:24, 28:13, 31:42; Exodus 3:15-16, 4:5; 1 Kings 18:36; 1 Chronicles 29:18; 2 Chronicles 30:6; Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13, 7:32; 1 Nephi 6:4, 19:10; Mosiah 7:19, 23:23; Alma 29:11, 36:2; 3 Nephi 4:30; Mormon 9:11; and D&C 136:21.
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1 Nephi 5:10-13 

10 And after they had given thanks unto the God of Israel, my father, Lehi, took the records which were engraven upon the plates of brass, and he did search them from the beginning.
11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents;
12 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
13 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah.

Even though Nephi tells us something of what was on the brass plates, we still cannot be sure what else was there. It is easier to know what was not on them. The history books in our Old Testament that comprise Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles were all written or compiled after the Babylonian captivity. Second Kings ends with the story of what happened to the Jewish royal family who were captive in Babylon. Second Chronicles concludes with Cyrus’s decision to send the Jews back to their homeland. Since Lehi left before either of those events, they could not possibly have been included on the brass plates.

Of the writings in our Old Testament that we can be sure are on the brass plates, we have Moses and Isaiah, who are quoted frequently. Job is paraphrased,{1} and the Psalms are quoted and paraphrased.{2} We also know of two ancient Israelite prophets, Zenos and Zenock, who are quoted repeatedly in the Book of Mormon, but whose records are not found in our Old Testament. It is likely that there were many others, such as Neum (1 Nephi 19:10).

Another thing we do not know is what was in brass plates version of the Books of Moses. Nephi wrote that the Law and apparently all else in Moses writings was a testimony of the Savior and his mission, yet, evidence of that is hard to come by in our biblical version of the five books of Moses.

The Book of Mormon contains many references to the ancient Israelite temple services.{3} It is likely that they were a part of the original Law of Moses but were edited out of our Old Testament.{4} The Biblical books of Moses tell us what the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood holders did, but nothing about the parts played by the people, the king, or other Melchizedek priesthood holders such as the prophets. Yet, it is apparent from the psalms that they played significant roles.{5}
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FOOTNOTES

{1} Job 10:21 is found in 2 Nephi 1:14 and probably in Mosiah 3:25. Job 19:26 is in 2 Nephi 9:4.

{2} See above, 1 Nephi 2:20-22, “prosper” as a code word in the Psalms, for a discussion of the psalms in the Book of Mormon.

{3} Two examples are in Alma 12 and Moroni 10.

{4} For evidence of how severely the Bible version of the five books of Moses was edited compare Genesis 6:1-13 with Moses 8:15-30.

{5} For a discussion of ancient Jewish temple drama in the Psalms see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, all of part 1.

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1 Nephi 5:9  

9 And it came to pass that they did rejoice exceedingly, and did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings unto the Lord; and they gave thanks unto the God of Israel.

Nephi does not indicate which sacrifices and offerings were performed, but at least three would have been appropriate. A thank offering is the most obvious as a celebration that the boys had returned safely and successfully. Since Nephi had become unclean by his contact with Laban’s corpse, a “purification from sin” offering to cleanse him would have been necessary.{1} Another important sacrifice was a reaffirmation of family ties with God by symbolically sharing a family meal with him. Moses reminded the Israelites that when they entered the promised land:

7 And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee (Deuteronomy 12:7).

It is significant that Nephi writes that his parents “did offer sacrifice and burnt offerings.” Our edited version of the Law of Moses{2} suggests that only the descendants of Levi could officiate in offering sacrifices, yet elsewhere in the Old Testament we find Solomon and other kings, and Elijah and other prophets offering sacrifices. This indicates that people holding the Melchizedek Priesthood also had that authority.{3} Lehi was a prophet who had been in the presence of God,{4} so we can be sure he had the Melchizedek Priesthood, and that he performed the sacrifice and offerings by the authority of that priesthood.

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FOOTNOTES

{1} See Jacob Milgrom, “Sacrifices and offerings,” in Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Supplementary Volume (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1991), 766-67.

{2} For a discussion of ancient Jewish editors who changed the books of Moses see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, first edition, 57-74; 2011(paperback) edition, 55-65.

{3} Psalm 110 says that the anointed king was “a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Paul later quoted that and other scriptural references to kingship when he showed that the Savior was the King of Israel (Hebrews 5:6).

{4} Without the Melchizedek priesthood “no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (D&C 84:19-22).

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1 Nephi 5:1-8  

1 And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.
2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.
3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.
4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of promise, in the which things I do rejoice; yea, and I know that the Lord will deliver my sons out of the hands of Laban, and bring them down again unto us in the wilderness.
6 And after this manner of language did my father, Lehi, comfort my mother, Sariah, concerning us, while we journeyed in the wilderness up to the land of Jerusalem, to obtain the record of the Jews.
7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

The account of the conversation between Sariah and Lehi was written by Nephi, who was not there when it occurred. So, either he is describing what he remembers being told, or else he is copying from his father’s record. The latter is the more likely. If so, we are reading a segment of Lehi’s personal history.

Sariah’s concerns were those a mother would be expected to have. She cared about her home, her children, and the security of her family. Her words, as they are reported to us, seem to be a downward spiral of fretfulness. “Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.”

Lehi’s response was to acknowledge the truthfulness of her first accusation, then to assure her that everything would be all right. When the boys came home safely, all her concerns went away. That, at least, is the way the story appears to be told. However, Nephi’s choice of words may have intended to tell us a great deal more than that about his mother.

In our common language, Nephi’s statement that his mother was “comforted” is read to mean that she began to feel better. However, in the Old Testament the word means to bring about the cessation of mourning, the implication is not to end the cause of mourning but to transcend the sorrow—to empower.{1} In some scriptures “comfort” connotes an empowerment that overcomes the sorrow—suggesting the priesthood power of sacral kingship.{2}

For Sariah, to be comforted by her husband’s words and by her sons’ return was not simply a resignation that things would be all right and that her husband had been right all along, Rather, it was a spiritual empowerment, and h er words are a masterful testimony that she really knew (1 Nephi 5:7-8).
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FOOTNOTES

{1} Gary A. Anderson, A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance: The Expression of Grief and Joy in Israelite Religion (University Park, Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1991), 84-85, footnotes 74, 78.

{2} Examples are 2 Nephi 8:1-3; Isaiah 40:1-2, 51:1-3, 61:1-3; and Psalms 23:4-5. For a discussion of comfort see Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord, First edition, p. 467-71; Second edition, p. 340-42.

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1 Nephi 4:20  

20 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.

It was night, but it was light enough that Nephi could recognize Laban, kill him, remove Laban’s clothes and put them on himself, and then find Laban’s house. If Laban were as wealthy as he appears to have been, his house would have been built within or around a courtyard. In such a household, if the master is out and about, the servants do not sleep. Nephi went into the courtyard— that, by the way, presupposes that Nephi was able to get by the night-watch at Laban’s gate. It is an axiom that any servant, but more especially a slave, must learn to recognize his master at a distance, by his stature and his walk, as much as by his face. A possible scenario is that Laban’s servants had seen him drunk before, so not only did Nephi have to look and sound like Laban, he had to swagger like him as well. Nephi says he was exceedingly young, but large in stature, so if there were a close family resemblance, that might not have been too difficult.

Once in, Nephi tells us, “I went forth unto the treasury of Laban “(1 Nephi 4:20). That is significant. Nephi did not go to the residence but to the “treasury,” indicating he had a personal knowledge of where the plates were kept. Nephi was so familiar with Laban’s personal servants that he knew which one had the key to the treasury (1 Nephi 4:20). He knew who Zoram was and recognized him when he saw him. That may be more telling than it sounds. Nephi could not ask anyone how to find the treasury, or who the servant was who had the key. Once he located him, he could not say to Zoram, “I’m looking for the plates with the genealogies on it, do you know which one I mean?” He seemed perfectly confident and said something to Zoram that convinced the servant that he was Laban, that he knew precisely what he wanted, and that he knew where the plates were and what he intended to do with them.

That would have been exceedingly difficult if Nephi were a stranger to the house and to its day-to-day operations. So one is left to conclude that either Nephi did not know any of those things and everything he said and did was directed by the Holy Ghost. Or else, that Nephi had a personal knowledge of the household servants and the contents of the treasury—but he still relied heavily on help from the Spirit for instruction and assistance. The Lord usually expects us to use the information we already have, so it seems that the latter is by far the more likely.

That presents another question: How did Nephi know? No mere boy would ever be permitted to bumble about in a family’s treasury enough to become acquainted with its contents unless that boy and his father had some right to be there too.

So that brings one to the conclusion that Nephi must have been in the treasury before—not the time that he and his brothers were in the house and tried to get the plates—but that he had been there often enough that he was familiar with the layout of the house, with which servants were responsible for which duties, and that he knew something of Laban’s relationship with his servants. But more to the point, Nephi knew what he was looking for in Laban’s family vaults. If he really knew those things, then he must have had prior legitimate access to the household and the family’s affairs. That leads to this conclusion:

Laban and Lehi must have been very closely related— probably brothers. There are several reasons for believing that. We have mentioned most of them already. Lehi was privy to one of Laban’s greatest family secrets. He knew about the plates and their contents even though they had been kept safe—probably hidden—by the family through the reigns of several apostate kings. Only intimate family members could know the secrets of the family records in Laban’s vault. And even though those records contained the legitimizing official family genealogy, Lehi believed he had a reasonable claim to owning them.

When Nephi was in the house the last time, he looked enough like Laban that when he slurred his tongue as though he were drunk, he also sounded like Laban. Nephi was also knowledgeable enough about Laban’s affairs that he could talk intelligently to Zoram about Laban’s private—perhaps secret—religious doings.

After Nephi had found Zoram and had obtained the plates, he and the servant walked out together. The servant asked questions to which he expected Laban to know the answers (1 Nephi 4:26-27), and Nephi met the test—either by direct revelation or because he knew enough about Laban’s business that he also knew what the correct answers should be. The truth is probably because of both.

It would be interesting to know what Zoram was thinking as they walked. Was he just making conversation like he usually did with his master, or was he trying to calm his own fears? Since Zoram was in charge of the plates, it is probable that he was also the one who was responsible for the current history that was added to them. We are told that history included the prophecies of Jeremiah, and Jeremiah was out of political favor just then. Was Zoram afraid that when they got to the “brethren of the church,” they would examine the records and be upset with him because of that content? Or, had Nephi requested that Zoram follow him because he knew Zoram well enough to know his religious and political principles, and had decided that he wanted Zoram to be a part of Lehi’s party? The rest of the story suggests the latter may be true.

As they approached the hiding place, Nephi’s brothers thought it was Laban and they began to run. When Nephi shouted after them he also identify himself to Zoram. Now it was Zoram’s turn to run. But Nephi caught him and swore an oath to him that if he would come with them, they would make him one of them—free as they were free. The implication is that Zoram was a slave—a well educated and highly trusted slave—but a slave, nonetheless.

Zoram accepted the oath at face value. This may have been simply because of the power of the oath—because of the seriousness of the words of the oath—or it may have been that he knew Nephi and his family, and had already learned to trust them. The facts that he made no attempt to escape and return, and that he and Nephi became life-long friends, suggests that the latter may be true.

All those things come together to give strong circumstantial evidence that Laban was the head—or at least a leader—of the tribe of Manasseh, that Lehi was Laban’s brother or close relative, and that when Nephi dressed himself in Laban’s garments, he also assumed the role of prince of Manasseh, having the prerogatives of king and priest, just as the Lord had promised him that he would.

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