1 AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of teaching my brethren, our father, Lehi, also spake many things unto them, [ Lehi begins his address his final words so to speak - usually at the time of death there is not need to speak only that which you feel is very important - the things that you want to make sure those who are close to you understand. ] and rehearsed unto them, how great things the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem.

2 And he spake unto them concerning their rebellions upon the waters, and the mercies of God in sparing their lives, that they were not swallowed up in the sea.

3 And he also spake unto them concerning the land of promise, which they had obtained—how merciful the Lord had been in warning us that we should flee out of the land of Jerusalem.

4 For, behold, said he, I have seen a vision, in which I know that Jerusalem is destroyed; and had we remained in Jerusalem we should also have perished. [ Lehi bears witness that the blessing promised under the Abrahamic covenant has been presently lost due to unwillingness of Israel to keep there part of the agreement. ]

5 But, said he, notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. [ (Orson Pratt said: “Different portions of the earth have been pointed out by the Almighty, from time to time, to His children, as their everlasting inheritance. As instances— Abraham and his posterity, that were worthy, were promised Palestine, Moab and Ammon—the children of righteous Lot—were promised a portion not far from the boundaries of the twelve tribes. The meek among the Jaredites, together with a remnant of the tribe of Joseph, were promised the great western continent…In the resurrection, the meek of all ages and nations will be restored to that portion of the earth previously promised to them. And thus, all the different portions of the earth have been and will be disposed of to the lawful heirs…” (Journal of Discourses 1:332-333 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 80)). ] Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord. [ (The Americas, both North and south, are for Mannaseh and Ephraim. At the April conference of the Church, held at Nauvoo in 1844, the Prophet Joseph Smith declared that the whole of America was Zion. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:73-74.) ]

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord. [ This land, the land upon which Lehi stood at that time. What is the promised made here. That ONLY those who were chosen by the Lord would be allowed to come here. Lehi makes it perfectly clear the Lord takes a very active hand in crafting human history as He sees fit, in so much that He controls emigration. This does not mean that everyone that is brought here is as by default for good, but they are for the purpose that God has intended. Or the Lord in in control of what will take place here. Looking back over the history of this country one can quickly see how complicated the social and political factors were resulting in the colonization of the Americas and subsequent waves of emigration. It is quite obvious that the Lord is very much "hands on" when it comes to earthly matters. People often view God as aloft and distant. How could He be when He has engineered populations so actively as to control who does and who does not emigrate to certain areas?

"(It would be hard to suppose that this statement applies to each individual that has come from the Old World to the New. It apparently refers to groups, not individuals. We know that the Jaredites, the Nephites, and the Mulekites were all brought to this land by the hand of the Lord, notwithstanding the fact that some of their number were unworthy of an inheritance in this promised land. More recent history affords Pilgrims and Puritans as illustrations. Of such the Lord approved in the collective sense but certainly not in the individual sense in all cases. The context of this phrase seems to sustain that conclusion. The preceding verse speaks of those led out of other countries “by the hand of the Lord.” The verse that follows states that the land was consecrated to those the Lord would bring. This does not appear to be inclusive; rather it suggests a selection or choosing on the Lord’s part as to those who will be his covenant people. DCBM, 1:184.)]

7 Wherefore, this land [ Again the land upon which Lehi stood. What is the associated promise given here? Well it is his land as it is consecrated to him for him to fulfill his purpose. But there are restrictions, just because the Lord brought a people here does not mean that they automatically receive all of the rewards; NO, they, the people must also serve God if they want to have liberty. ] is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. [ God is aware of their coming. So we are talking about the promised land here and those groups of people who are going to be lead by the Lord to come here to the promised land. Why? Because the land is different in its purpose under the hand of the Lord, because God has said that he is the one who is in control of this lamd and who comes here, and he tells Lehi this right at the very beginning of his tim on this land. ] And if it so be [ Prophecy is of two kinds: conditional and unconditional. ] that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; [ A promise which is completely conditional upon the righteousness of the inhabitants. The condition is that they must serve God. ] wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; [ The promise has a condition - remain righteous by serving him and keeping his commandments as outlined in the first part of this verse. ] for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, [ Or for our sakes. ] but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever. [ We can look at verses 7-22 not just as a warning for Laman and Lemuel - but as a type for any people or a person for that matter. If we dwindle in un-belief then we are subject to the chains of hell. "Mark E. Petersen “…We Americans must learn that [our nation] can continue to exist only as it aligns itself with the powers of heaven. If we turn our back upon the Almighty, even by ignoring him, we jeopardize our national future. If we deliberately oppose his purposes, we place ourselves in danger of destruction. These stern facts have been taught to Americans from the beginning of our national history, starting with our first President, George Washington. He realized and he publicly announced that we obtained our independence through an act of providence, since we were far too weak to gain it by ourselves. Knowing this, he warned that if we are to survive as a free and independent nation, we must obey the Almighty God who brought us into being. Abraham Lincoln, another inspired President, said virtually the same thing, warning that if we fail to obey the commandments of God, we shall go down to ruin….It is no imaginary ruin that faces our nation if we reject Jesus Christ, as Lincoln pointed out so dramatically. And it is possible that our greatness can be buried in profound obscurity if we refuse to turn to God.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1968, pp. 59, 61, 62 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p.81) Those desiring the protection of heaven must clothe themselves in the robes of righteousness. Where they are, the protecting hand of the Lord will be also." DCBM, 1:185))]

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land [ This happens right after they get off of the boat and step foot on the land. So one more mention of "this land", the area of land where he is standing at the time that he said these things. ] should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, [ Had the knowledge of the America been made known even a century earlier, the religion transplanted to the Western World would have been that of the Church of Europe at its lowest stage of decadence. DCBM, 1:185. ] that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; [ This is one of the main themes of the Book of Mormon and is repeated rather often so it must be important. ] and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. [ There is a reason for that as it is to be a land of their inheritance. So this land will be kept from the mass knowledge so that the people brought to this land can fulfill their purpose in the Lord. It does not say that they will be the only one's on the land, but it does say that they will be able to be there safely and not over run. ] And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.

10 But behold, when the time cometh [ It doesn’t say if, it says when; the Lord knew it was going to happen. ] that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord— [1] having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, [ referring to the Genesis account of the Creation and origin of Israel] [2] knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; [ referring to the history of the origin of Israel] [3] having power given them to do all things by faith; [ referring to the contemporary miracles performed in their very sight] [4] having all the commandments from the beginning, [ referring to the documentation of the various laws given to humans, and particularly the Law of Moses] and having [5] been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise [ compare 1 Ne.17:13 ] —behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will [6] reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, [ Think for a moment - is our nation America (not the Church) dwindling? How many of these beliefs does our nation still hold? ] their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them. [ The legal basis for the judgements of God upon the unrighteous - In this case specifically Laman and Lemuel. They have access to the Law, History, and Prophets,they have witnessed firsthand many miracles, and they have been brought to a completely different continent, and as such the evidence supporting the reality and presence of the Lord is damning. So in the end - These rebellious sons are without excuse. "(JST Genesis 14: 30 For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; 31 To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the son of God which was from before the foundation of the world. This statement restored to us in the JST was undoubtedly in the brass plates. DCBM, 1:187)' ]

11 Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten. [ review of 1 Nephi 13 ]

12 Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] unto my words.

13 O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep,[ How is sin like sleep? What is there about the condition of Laman and Lemuel that is like sleep? like a deep sleep? like the sleep of hell? What precisely does Lehi mean when he uses the words “awake” and “arise”? Lehi is certainly comparing wickedness to sleep. The comparison is intriguing. People who are in a deep sleep are hard to arouse. They are unaware of their surroundings. Danger can approach unobserved. It is impossible for them to make good decisions or to think clearly. ] yea, even from the sleep of hell, [ The fact that he calls it the sleep of hell makes it pretty clear who is dispensing the sleeping pills. ] and shake off the awful ^cchains [ those bound by the power of Satan - "bad habits Marvin J. Ashton said: “Who among us hasn’t felt the chains of bad habits? These habits may have impeded our progress, may have made us forget who we are, may have destroyed our self-image, may have put our family life in jeopardy, and may have hindered our ability to serve our fellowmen and our God. So many of us tend to say. ‘This is the way I am. I can’t change….’Lehi warned his sons to ‘shake off the chains’ because he knew that chains restrict our mobility, growth, and happiness. They cause us to become confused and less able to be guided by God’s Spirit…Samuel Johnson wisely shared, ‘The chains of habit are too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken’ (International Dictionary of Thoughts, p. 348)….Living a life of righteousness is a chainbreaker. Many of us today are shackled by the restrictive chains of poor habits. We are bound by inferior self-images created by misconduct and indifference. We are chained by an unwillingness to change for the better….Shaking off restrictive chains requires action….It requires commitment, self discipline, and work. Chains weigh heavily on troubled hearts and souls. They relegate us to lives of no purpose or light. They cause us to become confused and lose the spirit….These chains cannot be broken by those who live in lust and self-deceit. They can only be broken by people who are willing to change. We must face up to the hard reality of life that damaging chains are broken only by people of courage and commitment who are willing to struggle and weather the pain….To change or break some of our chains even in a small way means to give up some behavior of habits that have been very important to us in the past….Even if our present way of life is painful and self-destructive, some of us…become comfortable with it. Those who are committed to improvement break chains by having the courage to try.” (Ensign, Nov. 1985, pp. 13-5 as taken from Latter-day Commentary on the Book of Mormon compiled by K. Douglas Bassett, p. 83-4))"] by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, [ How does Satan bind us with his chains? As a Bishop I have come to recognize a very consistent pattern - it starts like this: someone makes a mistake; one that they can repent of; they may need to go see the bishop but don't. The first strand of chain was placed on them by themselves when they committed the sin. However; satan puts the second strand on really quickly with something like - that was just a little sin - you are ok you do not need to see the Bishop for that! It does not take long and he puts on another strand of chain further weighting the person down as satan convinces them that they are no good; then that they cannot ever get forgiven; then that nobody would ever want them after what they have done; each time putting on more chain; each time limiting what they can do - until they are weighed down and cannot move. Then Satan piles on a little more with the idea that they should now give up hope; they should despair; they should be depressed....then without hope they sink even deeper. ] that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe. [(some foolishly try and justify conduct they know is wrong with, “It’s such a little sin; it won’t matter.” While it may be true that the particular conduct is not at the top of the scale, the more dangerous part is the road that it puts you on. “Little wrongs” just seem to have a way of leading into “bigger wrongs.” The words of the American clergyman Harry Emerson Fosdick provide further instruction here: “The tragic evils of our life are so commonly unintentional. We did not start out for that poor, cheap goal. That aim was not in our minds at all. … Look to the road you are walking on! He who picks up one end of a stick picks up the other. He who chooses the beginning of a road chooses the place it leads to” (Living under Tension [1941], 110–11). W. Eugene Hansen, Ensign, May 1996, p. 39. Robert J. Matthews: As defined by Alma, the "chains of hell" are the limitations people place upon themselves because of unbelief. As a result of unbelief, the greater manifestations of the Spirit and the greater gifts of spiritual knowledge are withheld, which leaves individuals unsaved and unaware of eternal things. Alma says that in such a state people are led by the devil down to destruction (Alma 12:11). Such unbelievers are actually in a spiritual deep-freeze and are in danger of freezing to death, but don't even know that they are cold. Unless they are awakened and aroused and made to exercise, they will die spiritually. The devil slips his chains around them so subtly and carefully that he snares and binds them almost before they realize it. The Book of Mormon: Alma, the Testimony of the World, p. 53)]

14 Awake! [ If you are asleep as he has declared above then the firat step it to come out of that sleep. It requires that you go from un-conscience thought to conscience thought. That you change your state of mind - from inactive to active. ] and arise [ The second part is to get out of bed. It is not enough to wake up; to recognize that you have been asleep. Now you need to get out of bed; to start to seize the day. To do something of value. ] from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, [ Why is Lehi trembling? because it does not take much to recognize that if Laman and Lemuel do not change their ways he knows what awaits them. He trembles as any parent does who can see the misery an tragedy that are in their path without change. Tremble because can do nothing but watch. That is a frightful place in which to be. ] whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.

15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; [ His calling and election made sure? or just that he knows that he will live again? ] I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love. [ It is important to remember that paradoxical opposites exist. If we can be “encircled about eternally in the arms of [God’s] love” (⁠2 Ne. 1:15⁠), we can also be “encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction” (⁠Alma 5:7⁠). Choose wisely. The temple endowment: having been cast out, to search diligently according to the revealed path, and at last to be clasped in the arms of Jesus. Not the usual usage for the arm of the Lord which typically means judgement. Here we see the arm of God embracing Lehi in comfort, cp. Jacob 6:5, Alma 5:33, Moroni 5:11 Lehi's intent is to show the Lord is always willing to embrace and show mercy, and to get his sons to obtain it rather than be smitten by the Lord's hand. "Hugh Nibley said: “To be redeemed is to be atoned. From this it should be clear what kind of oneness is meant by the Atonement-- it is being received in a close embrace of the prodigal son, expressing not only forgiveness but oneness of heart and mind that amounts to identity, like a literal family identity as John sets it forth so vividly in chapters 14 through 17 of his Gospel…This is the imagery of the Atonement, the embrace: ‘The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love’ (2 Nephi 1:15). ‘O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies!’ (2 Nephi 4:33). ‘Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you’ (Alma 5:33).” (Approaching Zion, pp. 567, 559)" ]

16 And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning. [ or my wish since the beginning; it is only anxiety when they were not diligent to what he knew the Lord expected from them. ]

17 My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time, for I have feared, lest for the hardness of your hearts the Lord your God should come out in the fulness of his wrath upon you, that ye be cut off and destroyed forever;

18 Or, that a cursing should come upon you for the space of many generations; and ye are visited by sword, and by famine, and are hated, and are led according to the will and captivity of the devil.

19 O my sons, [ note that Lehi is giving council that it is not just Laman and Lemuel but many generations that will be effected by their decisions v18. We also have to remember a father and prophet's duty is to warn and exhort so as to release himself from the responsibility of leaving them in ignorance. Thus, Lehi is shaking the blood off his own cloak when it comes to his rebellious sons. Lehi does not explicitly state this (as his less genteel son Jacob later does, cf. Jacob 1:19), but the effect is the same nonetheless. ] that these things might not come upon you, but that ye might be a choice and a favored people of the Lord. But behold, his will be done; for his ways are righteousness forever.

20 And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; [ Those who are obedient will prosper both spiritually and temporally in the land. ] but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. [ This is a conscience act that we choose of our own will, it is not God who moves it is us that move away from him. We cut ourself off from blessing when we do not listen to the spirit, when we do not pray and study the scriptures. When we do not do anything to invite the spirit into our lives we drift, and that drift will alway be away from God not to him. In order to go to him that requires effort on our part. ]

21 And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might leave this world with gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, [ What is he saying here? The dust being the earth; so in essence he is saying shake of the carnality of your life. Arise - lift yourself above the elements of the earth the carnal and temporal things and be more. Use that spirit that is given you to improve. ] my sons, and be men, [ men of Christ ] and be determined in one mind and in one heart, [ Zion ] united in all things, [ United with whom or what? Or United with God, Salvation consists of our learning to think as Christ thinks, believe as he believes, feel as he feels, and do as he would do. Thus in Paul’s language we obtain the mind of Christ, for as the Lord said to those of our dispensation, “If ye are not one ye are not mine. D&C 38:27. DCBM, 1:189 ] that ye may not come down into captivity;

22 That ye may not be cursed with a sore cursing; [ How could Joseph Smith have known? Cognates are related words that come from the same root. For example, the English noun student is cognate to the verb study and the adjective studious. In Hebrew, a verb is sometimes followed by a noun that is a cognate, such as "wrote upon it a writing" (Exodus 39:30) and "she vowed a vow" (1 Samuel 1:11). In English, cognates are used much less often. Using such cognates is often considered an awkward or inelegant style in English. someone writing in English would be more likely to use "she vowed" or "she made a vow." Even in translation from the Hebrew, the King James Bible sometimes avoids using cognates. In Genesis 1:11, a literal translation of the Hebrew would be "Let the earth grass grass," but the English translation reads "Let the earth bring forth grass." The Book of Mormon uses cognates much more often than we would expect if the book had originally been written in English. These cognates show the Hebrew influence of the original. "cursed with a sore cursing " - instead of cursed sorely. (The Maxwell Institute - Hebrew Background of the Book Of Mormon - http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/books/?bookid=72&chapid=862) ] and also, that ye may not incur the displeasure of a just God upon you, unto the destruction, yea, the eternal destruction of both soul and body. [ How is it eternal destruction of body and soul? If the purpose of this life is to prove ourselves worthy and to return and live with God then anything short of that . destruction in a since. As the purpose would have been halted, or destroyed in the process. (“This expression does not have reference to the annihilation of the body and spirit of the wicked. Such an interpretation would contradict many passages of scripture, the better part of which have been spoken by Nephite prophets. The Book of Mormon is most emphatic that the resurrection is universal and that it consists of the inseparable union of body and spirit. (See Alma 11:44-45; Alma 40:19-23.) The body and soul could properly be thought of as having been destroyed in the sense that they come forth in some resurrection other than the first or celestial resurrection. Such was Lehi's meaning in this instance (see 1 Nephi 14:3).” (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 189)]

23 Awake, my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains [ What is required to shake off chains when one is bound? It requires a great deal of effort, they cannot just be prayed off, they require thought in order to unravel them and to work oneself free. those bound by the power of Satan. He did not start of with chains, of course. In the beginning, “he [led] them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he [bound] them with his strong cords [his chains] forever.” (2Nephi 26:22) This approach works very well because no one fears a flaxen thread. If an enemy approached with an extensive chain forged with great links, even the bravest among us would run like an antelope. But when we see that he is only carrying a small, fragile, nearly invisible thread made of weakest of all natural fibers, we hold our place and trust in our strength. We can break a flaxen thread anytime we want to. With such insignificant restraint he will never be able to take us any place we do not want to go.] with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust. [ How is sin like groveling in the dust and dirt? In a very real sense, Laman and Lemuel are babies, crawling in the dirt. They blame every-thing on somebody else. 440 years after this, their descendants will still be complaining that “they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren.” (Mosiah 10:12)]

24 Rebel no more against your brother, [ Referring to Nephi ] whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments from the time that we left Jerusalem; and who hath been an instrument in the hands of God, in bringing us forth into the land of promise; for were it not for him, we must have perished with hunger in the wilderness; [ Remember that there was a time when even Lehi had lost his confidence. ] nevertheless, ye sought to take away his life; yea, and he hath suffered much sorrow because of you.

25 And I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, lest he shall suffer again; for behold, ye have accused him that he sought power and authority over you; but I know that he hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but he hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.

26 And ye have murmured because he hath been plain unto you. Ye say that he hath used sharpness; ye say that he hath been angry with you; but behold, his sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, [ Nephi’s boldness and clarity leave Laman and Lemuel without excuse that they didn’t know. They have been given every opportunity to return to God.) ] which was in him; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which he could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.

27 And it must needs be that the power of God must be with him, even unto his commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not he, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, which opened his mouth to utterance that he could not shut it.

28 And now my son, Laman, and also Lemuel and Sam, [ Let's recap what I have asked you to do | 1) be determined (2 Nephi 1:21)   |  2) be in one mind and in one heart (2 Nephi 1:21)   |  3) put on the armor of righteousness (2 Nephi 1:23)   |  4) shake off the chains (2 Nephi 1:23)   |  5) arise from the dust (2 Nephi 1:23)   |  6) rebel no more (2 Nephi 1:24)   |  7) be an instrument in the hands of God (2 Nephi 1:24)   |  8) don’t seek for authority or power (2 Nephi 1:25)   |  9) speak plainly and truthfully (2 Nephi 1:26) ] and also my sons who are the sons of Ishmael, behold, if ye will hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] unto the voice of Nephi ye shall not perish. And if ye will hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] unto him I leave unto you a blessing, yea, even my first blessing. [ The birthright was to be automatically transferred to the eldest son. According to Hebrew law the eldest son would get a double portion, which menas that if there were 4 son's in the family the estate would be divided 5 ways with the oldest son getting 2 portions. Why is he giving the same blessing (First blessing) to both sons? Is he really talking about birthright or blessing? What is the difference between birthright and first blessing? Is the first blessing associated with doing whats right for example the Patriarch of the church is always the firstborn son? , and if he were bad he would not receive this blessing.The first blessing was the one that accompanied the birthright, sometimes called the "birthright blessing", was it entirely up to the father?, as was the case with Joseph blessing Ephraim above Manasseh. Is it a Tradition that developed such that the firstborn son received both, but that was merely a tradition. OR Is Lehi still trying as a last ditch effort to TEACH his sons that even though they are the oldest does not mean that they will just inherit the blessings, they like everyone else are required to earn them through righteousness.(The blessing and birthright were traditionally given to the oldest son under the patriarchal order. This practice was modified at times in particular situations: “A patriarch could bless his offspring by calling upon the powers of heaven. As he gave the birthright blessing to one of his sons, for instance, the keys and powers of the priesthood were extended to the next generation. In the patriarchal order, under the law of primogeniture, these priesthood rights normally were to be given to the eldest son.” (D. Ludlow, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 1138) Bruce R. McConkie said: “Lineage alone does not guarantee the receipt of whatever birthright privileges may be involved in particular cases. Worthiness, ability, and other requisites are also involved. Jacob prevailed over his older brother Esau because ‘Esau despised his birthright.’ (Gen. 25:24-34; 27; Rom. 9:10-12.) The Lord placed Ephraim (the younger) before Manasseh to fulfil his own purposes (Gen. 48); and Nephi, junior in point of birth to Laman and Lemuel, was made a ruler and a teacher over them, a circumstance that became the cause of much contention for many generations. (1 Ne. 2:22; 16:37-38; 18:10; 2 Ne. 5:3; 19; Mosiah 10:11-17.)” (Mormon Doctrine, p. 88)):]

29 But if ye will not hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] unto him I take away my first blessing, yea, even my blessing, and it shall rest upon him.

30 And now, Zoram, I speak unto you: Behold, thou art the servant of Laban; nevertheless, thou hast been brought out of the land of Jerusalem, and I know that thou art a true friend unto my son, Nephi, forever. [ Lehi isn't in the position to offer a father's blessing on Zoram, but he is the prophet and patriarch so he shows his respect for Zoram by mentioning the general blessings of righteousness which are available to him and his posterity because of his personal righteousness. Contrast this blessing with what is said of the sons of Ishmael in 4:10. There, Lehi is not recorded as blessing them because that would have been Ishmael's responsibility. However, with Zoram having nobody to bless him, Lehi goes ahead and does what he can. ]

31 Wherefore, because thou hast been faithful thy seed shall be blessed with his seed, that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face of this land; and nothing, save it shall be iniquity among them, shall harm or disturb their prosperity upon the face of this land forever.

32 Wherefore, if ye shall keep the commandments of the Lord, the Lord hath consecrated this land for the security of thy seed [ Zoram is an example of how one can inherit covenant blessings through faithfulness ] with the seed of my son.