1 Nephi 2

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father…” (1 Nephi 2:16)

v. 1-3: For Lehi to be faithful and to testify against the people would also have put his family at risk. Until Lehi received word that his family was to flee he must have assumed that causing the people to repent would be the only way to save his family, and would have provided a strong motivation to face danger. I think it safe to assume that almost all of the prophets in the Bible and the Book of Mormon had families, which are after all, pretty much the whole point of the gospel. But rarely do we read about their lives, their experiences. This story is one of those few glimpses we get into the family life of an ancient prophet.

v. 4: Here’s an example of sacrifice: Lehi knows that Jerusalem will be destroyed, yet he takes nothing with him but what is necessary to provide for his family. This verse implies that it was a big deal for Lehi to leave his lands and his wealth behind, implying that he was wealthy.

v. 5: We learn in 2 Nephi 5:6 that Nephi also had sisters (this is by the way the one and only mention of any kind of sister in the Book of Mormon). Unless sister as mentioned later implies sister-in-law I do not know why they would not have been listed here. However, it was common in Old Testament times for a family to be counted by only a man, his wife, and his sons. Often, slaves, servants, children, and relatives are implied, but not directly counted. Lehi’s family company may have included many more souls than those here, accounting for the rapid growth of the Nephite nation.

v. 6: The phrase “a river of water” is one of the most fun evidences for the fact that the Book of Mormon was indeed translated by the gift and power of God, not invented by the mind of Joseph Smith. Because of the arid conditions of the Middle East, rivers were not filled with water year-round, thus the distinction between “a river” and “a river of water.” (This phrase “river of water” appears multiple times in the Old Testament). Were Joseph simply inventing his own story, he would have simply called it “a river” because what river in the Eastern United States doesn’t have water?

v. 7: This is one of only four times an alter is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, (although more are certainly implied because of their following the Law of Moses and animal sacrifice). In the wilderness, deprived of his home and possessions, with two murderous sons, Lehi feels the need to give thanks unto the Lord.

v. 11-13: The phrase “a visionary man” is only applied to Lehi, and appears three times in the Book of Mormon. It appears to be a phrase used sarcastically by Laman and Lemuel, yet literally true. It is clear that Laman and Lemuel did not have a testimony of the gospel, specifically that they had not read the scriptures, otherwise they would have known “the dealings of that God who had created them.” Not only that, they did not believe that Jerusalem could be destroyed. This is a classic example of choosing to believe what you want to believe, the scriptures and secular history contained numerous examples of cities that were destroyed.

v. 14: Now Laman and Lemuel literally wanted to murder their father over this! So, for them to do as Lehi commanded and not dare “utter against him” speaks to the amazing power of the spirit that they must have been willfully ignoring and resisting.

v. 16-24: Nephi makes a point of saying that he was “exceedingly young.” I would not be surprised for him to be in his early teenage years during this time. Nephi prayed to know the truth and the Lord visited him and softened his heart so that he would believe. Nephi may not have believed from the beginning, but when his testimony came he did not look back. Even at this early age Nephi is made aware of many of the blessings and opportunities the Lord has in store for him.