Nephi/Laman/Lemuel: Brotherly Love and Parting of Ways

[AmyJ]

I love how Nephi still loves Laman, Lemuel, and their families. He describes the final parting of ways as “…until the time they [Laman/Lemuel and their faction] sought to take away my life.” (2 Nephi 5:19), “For behold, they [Laman/Lemuel and their faction] had hardened their hearts against him [the Lord], that they had become like unto a flint;…” (2 Nephi 5:21), concluding with “… and we had already had wars and contentions with our brethren.” (2 Nephi 5:34). The only indication we have on how difficult it was for him to forgive Laman and Lemuel for the 3rd or 4th time they tried to kill him is found in 2 Nephi 4 when he is composing the poetry of his heart. He is counseling himself “Why am I angry because of mine enemy?” (2 Nephi 4:27). In verse 29 he answers his question, “Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.” (2 Nephi 4:29). In other words, he tells himself to be at peace with his enemies, and do what he feels he needs to do even though his family problems. In 30 to 40 years, Nephi reports building a famer/herder colony that builds tools and buildings, and eventually builds a temple. It is noteworthy that Nephi had the plates of brass with him, and had re-copied verses from the plates of brass into the plates he was writing. In those same years, Laman/Lemuel and their faction focus on hunting, being tricky, and subtle. They also puff up their extreme dislike/hatred of Nephi and his faction into outright wars and loathing.

I haven’t had the extreme forgiveness experiences that Nephi has had, but I find it important that Nephi did not let his anger towards his brothers blind him from what their purposes were. Nephi recognized the brothers were rebelling against God, and acting out of anger that their expectations did not match reality. I find it interesting that as Nephi and his people were more interested in serving God according to their best understanding of how, Nephi was able to see more clearly the focus of his brothers’ anger and plan for it in wisdom.

[Anonymous]

Family feuds are tough.

In part of the BOM, it gives the Lamanites’ POV about how Nephi had stolen his brothers’ birthright and that the Lamanites had been hard done by. I forget the verses, but it rings very true for a tribal/clan society.

The Hebrew Bible/OT and Koran have a slightly different version of Abraham sacrificing his son. The OT has the son as Isaac, legendary ancestor of the Jews, and the Koran has Ishmael as the son, legendary ancestor of the Arabs…

And of course the sons of Isaac and Ishmael are still fighting it out!

[Author]

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