THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI
HIS REIGN AND MINISTRY
CHAPTER 5
Sariah complains against Lehi—Both rejoice over the return of their sons—They offer sacrifices—The plates of brass contain writings of Moses and the prophets—They identify Lehi as a descendant of Joseph—Lehi prophesies concerning his seed and the preservation of the plates. [Between 600 and 592 B.C.]
1 [ Nephi and his brothers had been
gone about 2 months and journeyed approximately 400 - 500 miles round
trip. I. Haven Barlow ] 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, [
How could Joseph Smith have known that this name
means: Princess of the Lord Jehovah? ] was
exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.
2 For she had supposed that we had
perished in the wilderness; [ Summertime heat reaches
120, she is worried more about the elements taking her son's than Laban,
compare with Lehi's worries in verse 5 ] 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, [ Our son's should have returned by now, and they have not so I fear for their life. ] and we perish in the wilderness.
4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; [ Or I cannot deny that I have seen visions. ] for if I had not [ If I didn't see these visions, if the Lord did not bless us so that I could. ] seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, [ I would not have know the hand of God in our lives. ] but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.
[ So if I did not see visions then we would have stayed in Jerusalem, with our friends and neighbors. With them we too would have died or been taken captive. ]
5 But behold, I have obtained a land of
promise, [ God has given us an opportunity to live, and to live in a land of great 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, [ Lehi is not worried about his son's in the wilderness but surviving the hands of Laban. He bears witness to her that it is God, it is on God's hand, that God will deliver them. Perhaps the Lord has gone so far as to show him that they will return with the plates, maybe not be either way he has the confidence that they will return. ] 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, [ The mission has been completed, and they are safely home. There is no need to trust and have faith that they wil return any longer. ] behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted. [ This is the last time I believe that she complained
about anything! ]
8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; [ How does she all of the sudden know this for surety? Was this return an answer to her prayer and as she heard them discuss what had happened to them she felt the spirit bear witness that it was the hand of the Lord acting in their lives. So up to this point Sariah did not know for herself, she was only trusting Lehi. So that may have created a little tension in the home, but now she knows why they are there. That this is God's plan for them as a family. ] 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. [ So her sons return and tell all of the miracles of their journey. Seeing an angel, slaying Laban, all that happened in order for them to be able to accomplish what the Lord had asked them to do. Hearing all of that strengthened her testimony. So the question that comes to mind is , Since the Lord knows everything. Why does he not tell Lehi to get the plates before he leaves, that would have saved a trip, oh and Bring Ismeals family as well? If that would have happened would Nephi jave learned that when he was on the Lords errand the Lord would provide, Would Lamam and Lemuel have seen how the Lords works to bring forth his work? Would Sarah have developed the testimony that she had? sometimes the Lord let's us experience things that are not fun. However; in that process we often grow the most. How would they have responded to the other challenges of the journey to the promised land without the knowledge that they developed in the trials of going back for the plates? ] And after this manner of language did she speak.
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.
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, [ What would have been on the Plates of Brass? I think that it is important to note that they were more than just the five books of Moses because of the things to which that prophets will quote from and say that it is written only to expound or quote a message that is not contained in the version of the Books of MOses that we have today.
1. A creation account like the one in the Book of Moses or the Book of Abraham,
2. The Life of Adam and Eve, most similar to the Egyptian with elements from the Armenian versions,
3. A post-garden account similar to the Second Egyptian Life of Adam and Eve or the Book of the Cave of Treasures,
4. The book of Enoch, translated through revelation by Joseph Smith in the summer of 1830,
5. A history of Abraham similar to that contained in the Book of Jasher,
6. A more detailed story of Joseph in Egypt.
] 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, [ It is from these records that many of the ancient folklore of the american indians got their roots. As the spoke of the creation and the flood. See Kingsbrough Antiquities of Mexico Vi I.Haven Barlow. ] and also of Adam [ Man or mankind – in the council in heaven we agreed using our agency to be bound by the consequences of any action of Adam who was to be our first parent – just as we are bound by any actions of any other of our parents – some are born into the church others are not… ] 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; [ So they would have included Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Dueteromy(I think that this book may be somewhat suspect as there is little to nothing that is quoted from Dueteromy in the Book of Mormon - so the fifth book may well be something else - like perhaps the Assumption of Moses(or also known as the Testament of Moses. Which consists of the last words from Moses to Joshua before he crossed the veil.)), to Jeremiah & King Zedekiah. This would be what the Jews refer to as the Tanach or the Torah, the Prophets and the Historic and other writings Nibley Since Cummorah Pg 21. ]
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.
14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; [ This would not have needed to be very long at all because the 5 Books of Moses contained the genealogy from the beginning. So Lehi just needed to get back as far as Manasseh - about 21 generations previous. ] wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt, [ So did Lehi know this for sure before he had the brass plates? It says here that as a result of the brass plates he knew. Lehi would have been a child of refugees(2 Chron. 15:9) of the Northern Kingdom. So he has escaped down to Jerusalem so it would only make sense that he might have lost knowledge of some of these things, or the proof of them at least. As we see in verse 16 he is discovering it here from the brass plates. ] and who was preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine.
15 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.
16 And thus my father, Lehi, did discover [ Is this where he first learns of his genealogy? See verse 14. ] the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, [ So we learn here that Lehi and Laban where both from Manesseh, because the genealogy from Laban was the same as it was for Lehi. Or Laban and Lehi were related. This is a good clue as to how Lehi knew that Laban had the genealogy in the first place. Scholars suggest that there was only about 6,000 people living in Jerusalem at the time. So Laban and Lehi were part of a small group that were refugees from the Northern Kingdom living now in Jerusalem. ] wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.
17 And now when my father saw all these things, he was filled with the Spirit, and began to prophesy concerning his seed—
18 That these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed.
19 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.
20 And it came to pass that thus far I and my father had kept the commandments wherewith the Lord had commanded us.
21 And we had obtained the records which the Lord had commanded us, and searched them and found that they were desirable; yea, even of great worth unto us, [ NOt only did Lehi search the records but so did Nephi, and most likely others of the family. ] , insomuch that we could preserve the commandments of the Lord unto our children.
22 Wherefore, it was wisdom in the Lord that we should carry them with us, as we journeyed in the wilderness towards the land of promise.
[ Do you suppose that there was a significants to them in carring the records with them? As they carried them they were constantly reminded of the blessings that were theirs if they kept the commandments.]