Return into Wilderness--Joy of Lehi and Sariah--Lehi a Visionary
Man--Sariah's Grief and Murmuring--Her Subsequent Testimony--Sacrifice
and Burnt Offerings--The Brass Plates--Their Contents--Lehi a
Descendant of Joseph--Value of These Records to his
Descendants--Another Colony of Jews--Lost Knowledge of Hebrew Language
and of God--Nephi a Great Benefactor--He and Brothers Again Required
to Visit Jerusalem--Ishmael and Family--Laman and Lemuel Stir up
Mutiny--Want to Return to Jerusalem--Bind Nephi--Intend to Leave him
to Perish--Nephi's Prayer--His Bands Burst--The Others Plead for
him--Revulsion of Feeling on Part of his Brothers--Beg his
Forgiveness--Rejoin Lehi and Sariah--Thanksgiving and Sacrifices and
Burnt Offerings.
The return of the young men to the tent of Lehi in the wilderness, was
a cause of great joy to their parents, and especially to their mother,
Sariah. She had mourned with all a mother's anxiety for them,
supposing that they had perished in the wilderness. Possessed of this
idea, and thinking doubtless of the comforts they had left at
Jerusalem, she had, while they were gone, complained against Lehi and
called him a visionary man, accused him of bringing them from their
home, and now her sons were dead, and they themselves would perish in
the wilderness. This style of talk must have been very unpleasant for
Lehi. It was bad enough to endure the taunts and persecutions of the
Jews, and the unbelief and stubbornness of his eldest sons; but how
very painful to witness the tears and deep grief of his wife, and to
hear her make such accusations as these! He did what he could to
comfort her; for, like others who yield to such a spirit--she felt as
badly over the imaginary loss of her sons and over her own and
husband's death, as if she would never see her sons alive again, and
as if she and Lehi were about to perish. He told her he knew he was a
visionary man; for if he had not seen the things of God in a vision,
he would not have known the goodness of God, but had remained in
Jerusalem and perished. Now he rejoiced in having obtained a land of
promise. As for their sons, he knew that the Lord would deliver them
from Laban, and bring them safely back to them in the wilderness.
The return of her sons comforted Sariah: she saw that her reproaches
and fears had been without cause, and she bore testimony that she knew
the Lord had commanded her husband to come into the wilderness, and
that He had also protected her sons and delivered them out of the
hands of Laban, and given them power to accomplish that which He had
commanded them. No doubt all were happy--Lehi and Sariah in having
their children restored to them alive and well, and their sons at
their escape and safe return with the brass plates for which they had
been sent, and Zoram that he was a free man. Sacrifice and burnt
offerings were offered unto the Lord by them and they gave thanks unto
Him. An examination by Lehi of the records upon the plates disclosed
their great value. They contained the five books of Moses, including
an account of the creation of the world, and of Adam and Eve, our
first parents; also a record of the Jews from the beginning to the
commencement of King Zedekiah's reign; also the prophecies of the holy
prophets during the same period, and also many prophecies which had
been spoken by Jeremiah. He also found upon them a genealogy of his
fathers. He was, as this proved, a descendant of Joseph, who was sold
by his brethren and carried as a bondman into Egypt. Laban also was of
the same descent. He and his father had kept the records, and probably
because they were an older branch of the family. While looking at
these things the spirit of prophecy rested upon Lehi concerning his
seed, and he predicted many things in relation to them; among others,
that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds,
tongues and people who were of his seed; therefore they should never
perish, nor be dimmed any more by time.
These records proved invaluable to that portion of Lehi's family who
strove to keep the commandments of the Lord; for by their means they
were kept from falling into many errors, and a knowledge of the things
of God was kept before them. Another colony of Jews left Jerusalem
eleven years after Lehi, and they were also led to this continent; but
they had no records with them. Their language became so corrupted that
when they were found by the descendants of Nephi, sometime near the
close of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century, after Lehi
left Jerusalem, they could not understand their language. Not only had
they lost the knowledge of the Hebrew language; but they had lost the
knowledge of God and denied His being. We find several allusions
throughout the Book of Mormon, by prominent men among the Nephites, to
the great value of these plates and to the benefits the records they
contained had been to the nation. Thus it is that the faith and energy
of one man has frequently been of immense importance to future
generations and peoples. To Laman and Lemuel the possession of these
plates was not worth struggling or taking any risks for; so far as
they were concerned posterity could go without them. But not so with
Nephi. His willingness to do as the Lord commanded, and his
determination not to be baffled, even though he incurred the risk of
losing his life, opened his eyes to see the importance of these
records. He was a great benefactor in this respect to his posterity,
and the descendants also of his brothers reaped many advantages from
them, and in days to come they will still prove a great blessing to
them. It is frequently the case that, by apparently small and
insignificant means, the Lord brings to pass great and important
results. The obtaining of these plates was of incalculable benefit in
maintaining and spreading the true civilization of the Nephite nation.
Shortly after the return of Nephi and his brothers to their parents,
the Lord again spoke to Lehi, and gave him a commandment that they
should proceed once more to Jerusalem and bring down Ishmael and his
family into the wilderness. The reason for this was that it was not
proper that Lehi should take his family into the wilderness alone; but
that his sons should have wives, so that they could have children in
the land of promise. Their mission was successful. They spoke the word
of the Lord unto Ishmael, and the Lord gave them favor in his sight
and softened the hearts of himself and household, and they returned
with them to Lehi's camp. We are not informed exactly what the number
of Ishmael's family was; but we are led to suppose that it consisted
of himself and wife, two sons who also had families, and five
unmarried daughters. There may have been more than these; but if so
they are not mentioned. It is believed by many, upon the authority of
a remark which the Prophet Joseph is said to have made, that Ishmael
was a descendant of Joseph. We did not hear the Prophet make this
statement, but we feel assured it is so from the testimony of Elder
Franklin D. Richards, who heard him say that such was the case. The
blood of Ephraim was thus brought to this continent.
While they were traveling from Jerusalem to where Lehi was encamped,
Laman and Lemuel had another outbreak. Who was the cause of it we are
not told; but they and two of the daughters and two of the sons of
Ishmael and the families of the latter, combined against Nephi, Sam,
Ishmael and his wife, and their three daughters. They wanted to return
to Jerusalem. Nephi, in speaking of this disturbance, calls their
conduct "rebellion." Whether Laman and Lemuel were restive and angry
because of his superiority, as they often were subsequently, or not,
we are not informed. But Nephi spoke to his brothers as though they
were the leaders in this attempt to split the company and return to
Jerusalem. He said that as his elder brothers they should not put him,
the younger, under the necessity of speaking to them as he did and
setting them an example. He appealed strongly to them, and warned them
as to what their fate would be if they should return to Jerusalem. But
his words only aroused their anger. It got to such a pitch that they
seized and tied him fast with cords, with the design to leave him in
the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.
There is no spirit so cruel and inhuman as that which prompts men to
fight against the truth. Under its influence they go to the most
extreme lengths. They will tell the most abominable lies, resort to
every kind of violence, and shed the blood of innocence, even of those
who are their nearest and best friends, and all this apparently, as
though they were doing praiseworthy acts. It was this spirit which
stirred up men in days of old to kill the prophets and to crucify the
Son of God, and it is the same spirit which has prompted men in these
days to persecute and kill the prophets and Saints of God. What an
awful act of cruelty this was which they proposed, to leave their
youngest brother, a mere boy, tied hand and foot to be devoured by
wild beasts! But their design was not to be accomplished. The Lord was
near Nephi. He cried unto Him for deliverance and asked for strength
to burst the bands with which he was fastened. He had no sooner
offered his prayer than it was granted. The bands were loosed from his
hands and feet, and he stood before them and spoke to them again.
Their anger was not appeased even at this. They tried to get hold of
him again. Then several of the company interposed. One of the girls
and her mother and also one of the sons of Ishmael pled with them on
his behalf. They succeeded in turning them from their purpose. A
revulsion of feeling followed. They became sorrowful for what they had
done, and bowed down before Nephi and begged him to forgive them; but
he told them to pray to the Lord for forgiveness. They did so, and the
journey was resumed. We may be sure that Lehi and Sariah felt very
happy to see once more their sons with their old neighbors, Ishmael,
and wife and their family, and to have such an addition to their
company. Thanks were offered unto the Lord, as well as sacrifice and
burnt offering.