1 Nephi 5:20–22

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, 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.

These verses talk about the value of scripture preservation. This is how we learn the mind and will of God. Later we will learn other benefits of carrying scriptures with them, but these verses focus on preserving the word of the Lord.

1 Nephi 5:17–19

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.

Lehi makes an interesting prophecy about the brass plates going to “all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who were of his seed.” I believe this has reference to the gathering of Israel in the last days. Lehi’s descendants probably are not the main people of every nation on earth, nor are they the only ones receiving the Book of Mormon, which contains the record of the brass plates. But that is not what Lehi said in his prophecy, or at least I can see a different understanding. Lehi is of the seed of Joseph, which he discovered from the plates. Probably about 95% of people who get their patriarchal blessings are of the tribe of Joseph, mostly Ephraim. Those who receive their patriarchal blessings are members of the Church who have received the Book of Mormon. This verse could also refer to how Lehi’s descendants who may be found throughout the world will accept the Book.

1 Nephi 5:16

16 And thus my father, Lehi, did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers had kept the records.

I wonder how much Lehi knew about his genealogy before he read the brass plates. When he first told Nephi about them (1 Nephi 3:3–6) he said “Laban hath the record of the Jews, and also a record of my forefathers,” which could have been a reference to Jacob, which would have been a general record of the forefathers of all the tribes of Israel. It makes sense to me that “the record of the Jews” would reside with the tribe of Joseph, due to Joseph’s birthright. But this language makes it sound as if Lehi didn’t know why his genealogy should also be on these records, nor did he realize what he would find. Once the brass plates were brought back and Lehi had a chance to look them over, he found a “genealogy of his fathers; wherefore (for this reason) he knew that he was a descendent of Joseph.” (vs. 14) The word “wherefore” means “because of” or “therefore.” In other words, it seems that this record is the means of Lehi learning of his royal lineage, and maybe he didn’t know it before. This verse says that “thus…Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers.” So it seems he didn’t know that a) he was descended from the royal or birthright line of Joseph, and b)that he was related to Laban. Laban must have known, having access to the record, unless he just wasn’t aware that he had any living relatives. It is possible that this is another reason for him not wanting Lehi to have the record. If someone else were known to have the royal bloodline, it would weaken his political position.

1 Nephi 5:15

15 And they were also led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt, by that same God who had preserved them.

The whole experience of the Israelites being led out of captivity from Egypt is such a pivotal and defining event for the House of Israel that it is referred to time and again. References to it and the miraculous way the deliverance was accomplished can be found in every book of scripture (except Pearl of Great Price, maybe) from the Old Testament to the Doctrine and Covenants. Because it is simply a matter of history and so undeniably evidence of the Lord having a direct interest in His covenant people, Nephi and other prophets refer to it even to non-believers as a common point they can start from. That whole deliverance story also serves as a great type of how the Lord can miraculously deliver us from the bondage of sin.

1 Nephi 5:14

14 And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; 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, 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.

This verse verifies that Lehi is descended from Joseph, who was sold into Egypt. It also shows that The Book of Mormon fulfills Ezekiel’s prophecy in Ezekiel 37 about combining the records of the house of Judah (Bible) and of Joseph (Book of Mormon) and using both records together.

• Ezekiel 37: 16–17
• 1 Chronicles 9:3

1 Nephi 5:11–13

11 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam 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;

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.

These brass plates, in many ways, were similar to our Old Testament. They contained the books of Moses, which is something each tribe of probably had a record of, as well as a history of the Jews and prophesies and writings of the prophets. My guess is that each tribe of Israel kept an official record, each one containing these items. The things that would differ between the tribes is which prophets to include. They probably kept the record of the main prophet plus any others that pertained to that tribe specifically. In verse 14 we’ll see that the plates also contained a genealogy of the tribe of Joseph, which means that if my theory is right, each tribe also kept a genealogy of its own. It would be impossible to keep everybody’s genealogy on one official record, so it’s probably a royal genealogy, which would indicate that Lehi was in the royal line.

• 1 Nephi 19:23

1 Nephi 5:10

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, and he did search them from the beginning.

It is generally understood that the brass plates were made of a copper and tin alloy. Although, technically that would make bronze. True brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and there is some discussion of whether the ancients had the recipe for brass or not. I tend to side with the record the way it was written, and believe the brass plates were brass, not bronze. (www.learnthebible.org/straining-at-brass.htm)

1 Nephi 5:9

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.

Under the Law of Moses, sacrificial offerings were a common way of showing gratitude to the Lord. This particular offering would have probably been a peace offering, which “presupposed that the sacrificer was at peace with God; they were offered for the further realization and enjoyment of that peace. The characteristic rite was the sacrificial meal. A feast symbolized fellowship and friendship among all its partakers and providers, and also a state of joy and gladness.” (Bible Dictionary, p. 766, “Sacrifices”)

1 Nephi 5:8

8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath commanded my husband to flee into the wilderness; 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. And after this manner of language did she speak.

I am sure that Sariah was well aware of the dangers of her sons’ mission. They were returning to Jerusalem, where Lehi was a wanted man. They were crossing harsh wilderness country full of dangerous animals and men both. I’m sure that after they returned safely and told their story of miraculous deliverance, with Zoram as evidence of their truth, Sariah’s testimony of Lehi’s visions only increased. She may not have seen any direct evidence that this was the Lord’s mission for Lehi, but rather she was accepting it on faith. Now here were her sons giving evidence, tangible evidence, that this mission really was from God.

• 1 Nephi 3:7

1 Nephi 5:7

7 And when we had returned to the tent of my father, behold their joy was full, and my mother was comforted.

Imagine the joy and relief our Heavenly Parents must feel when we return from our earthly missions spiritually safe.

1 Nephi 5:5–6

5 But behold, I have obtained a land of 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, 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.

Lehi shows a lot of faith here in the promise he received from the Lord of giving him a land of his own for his inheritance. He uses his own great faith to strengthen Sariah, telling her that the Lord had brought them this far and He would continue to take care of them. This is not all. As I indicated in my notes for 1 Nephi 2:20, this Promised Land seems to be more than just dirt and plants. It seems to be symbolic of a more spiritual or eternal inheritance. After all, Lehi did not live long after they arrived in the Promised Land to enjoy it. And although he couldn’t know about that at this point in the narration, I’m sure Lehi was aware of the more spiritual inheritance. Sariah, at this time however, was concerned for the lives of her sons, so that is what Lehi appropriately focused on: their temporal promise and safety.

• Hebrews 11:16

1 Nephi 5:4

4 And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.

Lehi’s response is not a rebuke to his wife, nor is it even an expression of anger or frustration. He freely admits to being a visionary man. Unlike those who complain against visions, though, Lehi sees it as a good thing that saved him and his family from certain destruction had they stayed in Jerusalem. Besides, to deny that you had seen the Lord in a vision would not be a good thing. Joseph Smith was right on when he said, “who am I to withstand God? I had seen a vision; I knew it and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (JS-H 1:25)

Lehi was looking at a real, physical manifestation of the Proverb that tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” (PRO 29:18) This is true on several levels, not just the physical sense, as it seems Lehi refers to here. A careful reading shows the most important way visions can help us: to know the goodness of God. Once we know that, we can leave the “world” or worldly attitudes that would cause us to perish spiritually.

• Joseph Smith—History 1:24–25
• Proverbs 29:18

1 Nephi 5:2–3

2 For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; 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, and we perish in the wilderness.

3 And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

Even good, faithful people, such as Sariah, struggle sometimes with things they do not understand. Here Sariah has been worried sick about her sons who have gone on such a dangerous mission that they may not return alive. Who knows what delays they may have experienced beyond what was described. Apparently they did not return in the amount of time they agreed upon. That is hard on a worrying parent. She starts second guessing herself, and maybe, as in this case, takes her worries out on her husband. This is not to justify murmuring or complaining; it is just a recognition of how that murmuring could be a temptation in some cases. On the other hand, murmuring and complaining could lead to mocking and eventually to apostasy. It needs to be taken seriously and avoided. I think it would be a mistake to assume from these verses that Sariah’s faith was lacking. We all have our moments of weakness, even the best among us.

1 Nephi 5:1

1 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, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.

I suppose this joy that Lehi and Sariah felt over the safe return of their sons is in a small measure what our Heavenly Father must feel when one of us returns safely (in a spiritual sense) from our mission to earth. The love and concern of a mother for her children is legendary; it’s throughout the scriptures as well. And yet, it’s interesting to note that the love of a Heavenly Mother is not mentioned. If these traits or tendencies of greater love for her children than even a loving father shows holds true, how great must our Heavenly Mother’s joy be when we return safely and with honor after this earth life is over.

1 Nephi 5 Overview

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.

In this chapter we get a look at Nephi’s mother, Sariah. We also, through Lehi and Nephi’s eyes, get a look at the brass plates. The way this is written makes it sound like this is the first time Lehi had seen the plates, that he only had a general idea about what he would find on them. I find it interesting that he seems to be surprised, or at least did not expect to see his genealogy on the plates, along with other things.