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.
Laman and Lemuel don’t seem to be too impressed by this visit from an angel. However, as before, they went to try one more time, even though they didn’t want to. Once again, they are doing the right thing, but, but for the wrong reason. This reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:1—3, where we learn that keeping the commandments does us no good if we do it with the wrong attitude. In contrast, when Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, he didn’t grumble and murmur, rather he obeyed faithfully. Brigham Young said, “It is not by words, particularly, nor by actions, that men will be judged in the great day of the Lord; but, in connection with words and actions, the sentiments and intentions of the heart will be taken, and by these will men be judged.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.273 - p.274. My emphasis.)
The whole experience didn’t seem to have much effect on Laman and Lemuel. They were still angry and reluctant about the whole thing. This is where Nephi takes charge. He now becomes the leader of the expedition. It’s like he gave Laman the first chance to lead; he couldn’t do it, so now Nephi has to take over. It’s as if the angel gave him the go-ahead to take the lead.
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