1 Nephi 3:7

7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

Any good employer will provide resources enough to accomplish an assigned task. The Lord is no different. When He gives us a commandment, He also provides a way for us to accomplish the task or keep the commandment. We still have to actually follow through, however, not only for the sake of accomplishing the task, but also for our own growth and progress. It takes faith in the Lord and in this principle to attempt something the Lord wants us to do that is difficult or even seems to be impossible. Nephi had no idea how to get these plates. He just had faith in the Lord and in his prophet. The Lord could have spirited those plates away to Lehi, but Nephi and his brothers needed to have the opportunity to grow through obedience. The Lord was preparing a prophet as much as He was retrieving brass plates. Nephi was up to the challenge, as will be seen in later verses.

One thing to remember is that we need to do our part in order for the Lord to bless us in this manner. Matthew 19:26 says that “with God all things are Possible.” The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) clarifies that and puts some conditions on it. The JST says, “if they will forsake all things for my sake, with God whatsoever things I speak are possible.” There aren’t any free rides. The Lord gives us what we need, but He doesn’t step in and take over. If we aren’t giving our all, why should He? Indeed, how can he?

• Matthew 5:48; 19:26 (JST)
• 1 Nephi 9:6
• D&C 3:1, 3

1 Nephi 3:6

6 Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured.

This verse talks about going beyond mere obedience. We are blessed according to our obedience, but being favored goes beyond that. Remember that Laman and Lemuel obeyed. They came on the journey. They went back with Nephi for the plates and the wives. They helped build the ship. And they were blessed for all of that, even though they may not have totally appreciated that blessing. But the difference between them and Nephi is attitude. Nephi didn’t complain, and these brothers did. Therefore, Nephi was favored over Laman and Lemuel. This goes back to conversion vs. testimony. Someone with a testimony will keep the commandments, but they may struggle with their attitude about it. Someone who is converted keeps the commandments willingly, cheerfully, and without regrets. The converted person is favored over the person who stops at a testimony. James said that, “the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) Often, when Christ cast out unclean spirits from people, they would confess Him as God. (See Mark 1:23—25 for example) They have a testimony, but they are not converted.

1 Nephi 3:5

5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.

Laman and Lemuel are still murmuring over every commandment they get from their prophet/father. They apparently can’t see past his role as father to accept him as prophet. Not that they would have accepted him as a prophet even if he wasn’t their father, but this seems to be an added challenge for them. Even Christ got no respect in his hometown, among his own people (Matthew 13:57—58). I need to be able to respect the calling regardless of who holds it, and I can’t get hung up on the humans the Lord calls to fulfill His purposes here on earth. If they are good enough for God, they should be good enough for me.

• Matthew 13:57
• 1 Nephi 2:14
• D&C 1:38

1 Nephi 3:1-4

1 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, returned from speaking with the Lord, to the tent of my father.

2 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, saying: Behold I have dreamed a dream, in the which the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brethren shall return to Jerusalem.

3 For behold, Laban hath the record of the Jews and also a genealogy of my forefathers, and they are engraven upon plates of brass.

4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness.

After Nephi’s profound experience of talking with the Lord, he returns and tells his father, the prophet, who is no doubt very happy and gratified for Nephi’s experience, both as his father and as prophet. Lehi then tells Nephi of a vision where he was commanded to send his sons back to Jerusalem (a distance of probably over 200 miles, according to the Book of Mormon study manual for Institutes) to obtain some very important records. Laban seems to be well known, but there’s no indication, or at least no strong indication, that Lehi knew he was related to Laban. Why would Laban have a genealogy of Lehi’s forefathers if they were not related? This appears to be the official record of the family, which would seem to indicate royalty. But according to the genealogy, they were descended from Joseph through Manasseh. By this time the other tribes of Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians. So how did the official records of the tribe of Joseph get to Jerusalem?

1 Nephi Chapter 3 Overview

Lehi’s sons return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass—Laban refuses to give them up—Nephi exhorts and encourages his brethren—Laban steals their property and attempts to slay them—Laman and Lemuel smite Nephi and are reproved by an angel. Between 600 and 592 B.C.

In this chapter, Lehi is told in a vision that his sons were to return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass from Laban. These plates were apparently more than merely a genealogy or record of the Jews, because I’m sure they could have found other records someplace. Who was Laban, that he should keep these records? It almost sounds as if Lehi was not aware of either the record’s existence, or his claim to them, seeing that they contained his genealogy, as the Lord told him. There are some great lessons in this story, as well as some mystery relative to Lehi’s relationship to Laban, the record, etc.

1 Nephi 2:24

24 And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance.

I originally thought the focus of this verse was punishment, as in Mormon 4:5, where we read clearly that the wicked punish the wicked. But upon further reflection, I think it has more to do with the value of opposition, as in 2 Nephi 2:11, where we read that there must be opposition in all things. The Lord purposely allows opposition to remain for our benefit. He did the same thing for the Children of Israel when they came to their Promised Land. These oppositions or weaknesses are given to us to keep us humble, as it tells us in Ether 12:27. This was the purpose of the Lamanites. They helped the Nephites get back in line when they (the Nephites) strayed from righteousness. As much as we would like wickedness to be removed from the world, as much as we would like to not be tempted, these things play an important role in our lives. The Lord will not remove these things without our efforts. We need to do our part so He can strengthen us against opposition. If we are able, with the Lord’s help, to remove opposition, it will be when we are truly converted. When Satan is bound in the Millennium, it will be because we bind him through our righteous desires. That’s why he will have no influence over us, because we won’t allow it. I don’t think it will be because the Lord physically removes him from our presence (although that is also possible). I think we’ll be humble and righteous even without the “Lamanites” to keep us in line.

• Mormon 4:5; 8:7–8
• Ether 12:27
• 1 Nephi 12:2–3
• Joshua 23:12–13

1 Nephi 2:23

23 For behold, in that day that they shall rebel against me, I will curse them even with a sore curse, and they shall have no power over thy seed except they shall rebel against me also.

It helps to know who all the antecedents are in this verse; there are a lot of pronouns.

“For behold, in that day that they [thy brethren] shall rebel against me, I will curse them [thy brethren and their seed, the Lamanites] even with a sore curse, and they [the Lamanites] shall have no power over thy seed [Nephites] except they [Nephites] shall rebel against me also.”

What does it take to rebel against the Lord? Consider the Lamanites, Laman and Lemuel in particular. As their story unfolds, we see them do some pretty bad things that would seem to indicate rebellion: beating up on Nephi several times, tying him up while crossing the ocean, trying to kill their father, the prophet. Verse 13 in this chapter says they were “like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of [Lehi].” This all seems pretty rebellious. And yet, in verse 23 the Lord says he will curse them “in that day they that they shall rebel against [Him].” The Lamanites weren’t cursed, at least not outwardly with the dark skin, until it got so bad that Nephi had to leave with his people. (2 Nephi 5) I think at this point they were so far gone that there was no way they were repenting. So finally, the Lord cursed them. They got a lot of chances up until then, though. Clearly He keeps His own counsel to forgive often, as state in Matthew 18:21–22. The Lord expects more from those who covenant with Him.