4:1 And it came to pass that I spake unto my brethren, saying: Let us
go up again unto Jerusalem, and let us be faithful in keeping the
commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth,
then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his
tens of thousands?
4:2 Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses; for he
truly spake unto the waters of the Red Sea and they divided hither and
thither, and our fathers came through, out of captivity, on dry ground,
and the armies of Pharaoh did follow and were drowned in the waters of
the Red Sea.
4:3 Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an
angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the
Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban,
even as the Egyptians.
4:4 Now when I had spoken these words, they were yet wroth, and did
still continue to murmur; nevertheless they did follow me up until we
came without the walls of Jerusalem.
4:5 And it was by night; and I caused that they should hide themselves
without the walls. And after they had hid themselves, I, Nephi, crept
into the city and went forth towards the house of Laban.
4:6 And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things
which I should do.
4:7 Nevertheless I went forth, and as I came near unto the house of
Laban I beheld a man, and he had fallen to the earth before me, for he
was drunken with wine.
4:8 And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.
4:9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath
thereof; and the hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship
thereof was exceedingly fine, and I saw that the blade thereof was of
the most precious steel.
4:10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I
should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I
shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay
him.
4:11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered
him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had sought to take
away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments
of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property.
4:12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him,
for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
4:13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous
purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation
should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
4:14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the
words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying
that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall
prosper in the land of promise.
4:15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments
of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the
law.
4:16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of
brass.
4:17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands
for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his
commandments.
4:18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by
the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
4:19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took
the garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every
whit; and I did gird on his armor about my loins.
4:20 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.
4:21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the
garments and also the sword girded about my loins.
4:22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing
that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.
4:23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.
4:24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings,
which were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were
without the walls.
4:25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.
4:26 And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and
that I was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow
me.
4:27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews,
as I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.
4:28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly
frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my
presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and
had sought to take away their lives also.
4:29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear
me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.
4:30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my
brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and
return to the city of Jerusalem.
4:31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having
received much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize upon the
servant of Laban, and held him, that he should not flee.
4:32 And it came to pass that I spake with him, that if he would
hearken unto my words, as the Lord liveth, and as I live, even so that
if he would hearken unto our words, we would spare his life.
4:33 And I spake unto him, even with an oath, that he need not fear;
that he should be a free man like unto us if he would go down in the
wilderness with us.
4:34 And I also spake unto him, saying: Surely the Lord hath commanded
us to do this thing; and shall we not be diligent in keeping the
commandments of the Lord? Therefore, if thou wilt go down into the
wilderness to my father thou shalt have place with us.
4:35 And it came to pass that Zoram did take courage at the words which
I spake. Now Zoram was the name of the servant; and he promised that he
would go down into the wilderness unto our father. Yea, and he also
made an oath unto us that he would tarry with us from that time forth.
4:36 Now we were desirous that he should tarry with us for this cause,
that the Jews might not know concerning our flight into the wilderness,
lest they should pursue us and destroy us.
4:37 And it came to pass that when Zoram had made an oath unto us, our
fears did cease concerning him.
4:38 And it came to pass that we took the plates of brass and the
servant of Laban, and departed into the wilderness, and journeyed unto
the tent of our father.