Difference between revisions of "First Nephi"

From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Nephi's reign and ministry: minor edits)
m (Minor tweaks)
Line 73: Line 73:
 
=== Editorial comment ===
 
=== Editorial comment ===
  
*Nephi several times directly addresses the reader or expressly draws a conclusion for the reader. These are points that Nephi makes sure cannot be overlooked, and these points should therefore have a significant influence on the interpretation of the entire book of First Nephi.
+
Nephi several times directly addresses the reader or expressly draws a conclusion for the reader. These are points that Nephi makes sure cannot be overlooked, and these points should therefore have a significant influence on the interpretation of the entire book of First Nephi.
  
# [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1.1?lang=eng 1 Ne 1:1] -  
+
* [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1.1?lang=eng 1 Ne 1:1] -  
# [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1.20?lang=eng#19 1 Ne 1:20] - Nephi tells us that he will show us in the remainder of his book that the Lord delivers those who come unto him.
+
* [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/1.20?lang=eng#19 1 Ne 1:20] - Nephi tells us that he will show us in the remainder of his book that the Lord delivers those who come unto him.
# [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/17.3?lang=eng#2 1 Ne 17:3] - At the conclusion of the land journey Nephi tells us that we can see, from their travels in the wilderness, that God always provides a way for people to accomplish his commandments (compare [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/3.7?lang=eng#6 1 Ne 3:7]).
+
* [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/17.3?lang=eng#2 1 Ne 17:3] - At the conclusion of the land journey Nephi tells us that we can see, from their travels in the wilderness, that God always provides a way for people to accomplish his commandments (compare [http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/3.7?lang=eng#6 1 Ne 3:7]).
  
 
<div id="reign-and-ministry"></div>
 
<div id="reign-and-ministry"></div>

Revision as of 19:08, 27 October 2015

Home > The Book of Mormon > First Nephi

Subpages: Chapters 1-2 Chapters 3-7 Chapters 8-9 Chapters 10-15 Chapters 16-18 Chapters 19-22

                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-2


This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.


Summary

This heading should be very brief. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Relationship to Book of Mormon. First Nephi is the first book in the Book of Mormon. It tells how the founders of the Lamanite and Nephite nations left Jerusalem and traveled to America. The relationship of First Nephi to the Book of Mormon as a whole is discussed at Book of Mormon: Unities.

Story. First Nephi consists of six major sections:

  • Chapters 1-2: Two witnesses: Lehi and Nephi both stand as witnesses of the Lord, Lehi preaching to the Jews at Jerusalem, and Nephi preaching to his brothers. Both are rejected by most of their audience. Nephi states his thesis that the Lord delivers those who come unto him.
  • Chapters 3-7: Three narrative stories: (1) returning to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates; (2) Lehi and Sariah in the wilderness; and (3) returning to Jerusalem to obtain wives. These stories feature a steel sword and the brass plates. In the last story Laman and Lemuel bind Nephi to kill him, but other members of the group persuade them to relent.
  • Chapters 8-9 and Chapters 10-15: Two witnesses: Lehi and Nephi again stand as two witnesses, this time of the same vision of the tree of life. The account of Lehi's vision emphasizes its application to individuals, while Nephi's account explains its application to large historical groups.
  • Chapters 16-18: Three more narrative stories: (1) the land journey across the wilderness; (2) building the boat; and (3) the water journey across the ocean. These stories feature a steel bow and the brass Liahona. In the last story Laman and Lemuel again bind Nephi to kill him, and now they relent only when faced with imminent destruction.
  • Chapters 19-22: Two more witnesses: Nephi quotes prophets from the brass plates as a means to persuade his audience to believe in Christ, relying principally upon the two witnesses of Zenos and Isaiah.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in First Nephi include:

  • Deliverance. Nephi states at the end of Chapter 1 that he will show in the rest the book that the Lord delivers those who come unto him.
  • Brass and steel. Nephi juxtaposes two steel objects (Laban's sword, Nephi's bow) whose great military strength is unable to save their owners with two objects made of soft brass (brass plates, Liahona) that do have the power to save but because they convey the word of the Lord.
  • Faith and faithfulness. Nephi does not talk much in his preaching about how a nonbeliever can obtain a testimony of truth. Rather, Nephi's exhortations typically assume that the listener already has enough faith to know what the next step is and needs only to be persuaded to be faithful enough to take that next step.
  • Law of witnesses. In accordance with the law of witnesses, Nephi repeatedly calls upon pairs of two witnesses to prove the truth of his words.
  • Large and small plates. Nephi explicitly compares and contrasts his large and small plates and thus explains what promotes spiritual teaching and what does not.
  • Succession. First Nephi explains why Nephi, who is younger than Laman and Lemuel, is nevertheless the rightful leader of the House of Lehi.
  • The Lord's covenant with Nephi.

Historical setting

This heading should be brief and explain facts about the historical setting that will help a reader to understand the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Babylon invaded Judah three times over the course of about twenty years. First Nephi begins in about 597 BC soon after the second of those three invasions.

In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the combined armies of Assyria and Egypt and then succeeded his father as king. Later that year he also invaded Judah for the first time and besieged Jerusalem. The Jewish king Jehoiakim (r. 609-598 BC) submitted. (2 Kgs. 24:1). That same year Jeremiah prophesied that Judah would serve Babylon for 70 years. (Jer. 25:1, 11-12). In February 604 BC Nebuchadnezzar returned home to Babylon with Jewish captives, probably including Daniel and his friends. (Dan. 1:1-3, 6; 2:1).[1]

Within a few years king Jehoiakim rebelled, and Babylon invaded a second time. Babylon conquered Jerusalem on 16 March 597 BC and then installed Zedekiah (r. 597-587 BC) as the new Jewish king. Following this second invasion, most of the Jewish elites were carried off and resettled elsewhere. (2 Kgs. 24:1-17).[2] Lehi, Ishmael, and Laban were among those who did remain in or near Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon begins at Jerusalem during the first year of the new king Zedekiah's reign as many prophets warn that the city will be destroyed if the people do not repent. (1 Ne. 1:4). We do not know how long Lehi preached in Jerusalem before being warned to flee; it could have been as little as a few days or at most eight years.

By August 594 BC king Zedekiah was plotting to rebel against Babylon (2 Kgs. 24:20), contrary to the counsel of Jeremiah (Jer. 27:12-22) and Ezekiel (Ezek. 17:13-16). So in 589 BC, eight years after Zedekiah became king, Babylon invaded Judah a third time and again laid siege to Jerusalem. (2 Kgs. 24:20). After a brutal two and a half year siege the Babylonians again conquered Jerusalem. This time they destroyed the Temple of Solomon on 28 August 587 BC and carried away the inhabitants of the city. (2 Kgs. 25:1-17).[3]

A broader treatment of the history of ancient Israel is found at Old Testament: Historical Overview.

Lehi's group must have left Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah, which began in 597 BC, but before the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which began in 589 BC. Choosing 597 BC, the date closest to 600 BC, minimizes chronological difficulties and is therefore the most likely. This would put all of First Nephi 1-15 in about 597 BC. If the statement that Nephi was at this time very young but large of stature (1 Ne. 2:16; 4:19, 31) places his age at about 13, then he would have been born about 610 BC, about five years after Daniel.

The Lehites spent eight years in the wilderness. (First Nephi 16; 1 Ne. 17:4). This would put their arrival at Bountiful on the coast of the Arabian peninsula at about the same time that the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem began in 589 BC. We do not know how long it took the Lehites to build the boat and travel across the ocean to the west coast of America (First Nephi 17-18), but it seems reasonable to guess that this stage of the journey took about another year, which would bring the story to 588 BC.

After arriving in America, Nephi was commanded to make the large plates upon which he recorded his lengthy comprehensive history. (1 Ne 19:1-6). The best that we can do to date the preaching and blessings in First Nephi 19-Second Nephi 4 is to place them somewhere between ten and thirty years after leaving Jerusalem. After arriving in America, Lehi referred to the destruction of Jerusalem (which occurred in 587 BC) as an accomplished fact. (2 Ne. 1:4). In Second Nephi 5 we are told that the Nephites fled from the Lamanites to establish their own people, planted crops, made swords, and built a temple, all before the passage of thirty years from the time that the Lehites left Jerusalem (2 Ne. 5:28). These events thus occurred during about 587-567 BC.

At some point during the next ten years (2 Ne. 5:34), or during 567-557 BC, Nephi received the commandment to make the small plates upon which he made the shorter record of his religious ministry that eventually made its way into the Book of Mormon as First and Second Nephi. (2 Ne. 5:30-31).

Nephi gave the small plates to Jacob 55 years after the Lehites left Jerusalem, or about 542 BC. (Jacob 1:1). Nephi then died. (Jacob 1:12).

A broader treatment of the history of the Nephites is found at Book of Mormon: History.

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Editorial comment

Nephi several times directly addresses the reader or expressly draws a conclusion for the reader. These are points that Nephi makes sure cannot be overlooked, and these points should therefore have a significant influence on the interpretation of the entire book of First Nephi.

  • 1 Ne 1:1 -
  • 1 Ne 1:20 - Nephi tells us that he will show us in the remainder of his book that the Lord delivers those who come unto him.
  • 1 Ne 17:3 - At the conclusion of the land journey Nephi tells us that we can see, from their travels in the wilderness, that God always provides a way for people to accomplish his commandments (compare 1 Ne 3:7).

Nephi's reign and ministry

  • There is great significance in Nephi's choice of subtitle for the book of First Nephi as 'his reign and ministry.' (Nephi's Introduction to First Nephi). The Book of Mormon is heavily influenced by the Abrahamic Covenant. (discussion at Abr. 2:8-11). But in addition to the Abrahamic Covenant, or as an interpretation or application of that covenant to the specific circumstances of Lehi's family, Nephi also receives the Covenant with Nephi. (discussion at 1 Ne. 2:19-24). One of the promises in this covenant is that 'inasmuch as thou [Nephi] shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren.' (1 Ne. 2:22). Nephi later makes a point of explicitly recognizing the fulfillment of this promise. (2 Ne. 5:19).
The two key words here are "ruler," which correspond to Nephi's "reign," and "teacher," which correspond to Nephi's "ministry." What kings and other rulers do is govern. (See the discussion of the religious significance of governing at Gen 3:19). What priests do is bring people to God. They do this in two ways, through teaching (which requires revelation) and through administering ordinances (which requires authority). Teaching is thus one of the two roles of a priest. Being a "ruler and a teacher" is thus very close to being "a king and a priest" or a "queen and a priestess."
This mirrors the attention paid in the Book of Mormon to the two social institutions of church and state. (See the discussion of these two principles and their relation to free agency at ____). Agency is one of the things that distinguishes mortal humans from all the rest of God's creation.
Nephi's choice of subtitle "his reign and ministry" thus invokes several key ideas. It refers to the fulfillment of the additions to the Abrahamic Covenant that were made in the Covenant with Nephi. It describes Nephi in the religiously significant terms of a "priest and king." It refers to the protection and exercise of agency, the key gift from God. And it assumes Nephi's legitimacy.

Nephi's legitimacy as ruler

  • First Nephi explains why Nephi, who is younger than Laman and Lemuel, is nevertheless the rightful leader of the House of Lehi. Laman fails to obtain the plates and flees from Laban, but Nephi does retrieve the plates and also overcomes Laban. Nephi receives a vision and instruction from God while Laman and Lemuel's hearts are hardened against the Lord. Nephi saves the group after his bow breaks in the wilderness, Nephi builds the boat that carries the group to the promised land, and Nephi saves the group again while crossing the ocean.
  • "His reign and ministry": Nephi's rule as king of his people may represent half of the subtitle of this book, but it receives little mention in this spiritual account. For more details, see 2 Ne 5:18, 2 Ne 6:2 and 1 Ne 10:1.

Brass and steel

  • In Nephi's day, the best military weapons were made of steel. Yet Nephi's bow proves unreliable, and Laban's own sword is turned upon him. Neither is able to save or deliver its owner. Brass is much softer than steel and would not be prized in battle. Paradoxically, both the brass plates and the brass Liahona are able to deliver people. This is because they do not rely upon the strength of man, the "arm of flesh," but are channels for the word of the Lord.

Law of witnesses

  • In accordance with the law of witnesses, Nephi repeatedly calls upon pairs of witnesses to prove the truth of his words.

Faith and faithfulness

  • Unlike Mosiah and Alma, Nephi does not talk much about how a nonbeliever can obtain a testimony of truth. Rather, Nephi's exhortations typically assume that the listener already knows what is right and merely needs to be persuaded to "just do it."

Large and small plates

  • Nephi compares and contrasts the brass plates, his own large plates, and his small plates, in four places: 1 Ne. 5:10-16; 6:1-6; 9:2-6; 19:1-6. In chapter 5 Nephi tells us that the Brass Plates contain two types of information: more secular matters such as histories (1 Ne. 5:11-12) and genealogies (1 Ne. 5:14-16), and matters relating to a more spiritual ministry such as prophecies (1 Ne. 5:13) and commandments (1 Ne. 5:21-22). Throughout the course of First Nephi he then tells us that his large plates also contain histories and genealogies (1 Ne. 19:2, 4), while his small plates do not (1 Ne. 6:1-2; 9:2, 4), because the small plates are limited to matters of his ministry (1 Ne. 6:3-5; 9:3-4; 19:3) specifically including prophecies (1 Ne. 19:3).

Complete outline and page map

This heading contains an outline for the entire book. Items in blue or purple text indicate hyperlinked pages that address specific portions of the book. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

I. Two witnesses: Lehi and Nephi (First Nephi 1-2)

● Lehi receives two visions and preaches at Jerusalem (Chapter 1)
- purpose, explanation, and preaching narrative (1:1-4)
• Nephi knows the goodness of God and therefore writes (1:1)
  • explaining the small plates (1:2-3)
    • prophets preach at Jerusalem (1:4)
- Lehi's two visions (1:5-15)
• short vision with images (1:5-6)
• long vision with explanation: God will not suffer his followers to perish (1:7-15)
- explanation, preaching narrative, and purpose (1:16-20)
  • explaining the small plates (1:16-17)
    • Lehi's preaching at Jerusalem is rejected (1:18-20a)
• Nephi's writing will show that the Lord delivers the faithful (1:20b)
● Lehi and Nephi testify in the wilderness (First Nephi 2)
• Lehi's family departs into the wilderness (2:1-5)
• Lehi exhorts Laman and Lemuel, who do not believe him (2:6-15)
• Sam believes Nephi's witness, but Laman and Lemuel do not (2:16-24)

II. Three narrative episodes (First Nephi 3-7)

A. Returning to Jerusalem for the brass plates (Chapter 3-4)
a. Lehi instructs his sons to return to Jerusalem and obtain the plates (3:1-8)
c. Laman fails to obtain the plates from Laban (3:9-14)
a. Nephi persuades his brothers to purchase the plates (3:15-21)
c. the brothers fail to obtain the plates from Laban (3.22-27)
a. an angel instructs the brothers to make a third attempt (3:28-4:3)
b. Nephi slays Laban (4:4-19)
c. Nephi obtains the plates (4:20-29)
b. Nephi persuades Zoram to leave Jerusalem (4:30-38)
B. The value of the brass plates (Chapter 5-6)
• Lehi and Saria discuss retrieving the brass plates (5:1-9)
■ Lehi reads the brass plates, their contents (5:10-16)
• Lehi prophesies about the brass plates (5:17-22)
■ the small plates explained in contrast to the brass plates (6:1-6)
A. Returning to Jerusalem for wives (Chapter 7)
• the instruction, journey, and Ishmael persuaded (7:1-5)
• Laman & co want to return to Jerusalem, Nephi preaches to them (7:6-15)
• Laman & co bind Nephi, hearts softened (7:16-8:1)

III. Lehi's dream (First Nephi 8-9)

• the dark and dreary wilderness (8:2-9)
• the tree with desirable fruit (8:10-18)
• the iron rod, mist of darkness, and spacious building (8:19-28)
• two groups who seek after the tree and the building (8:29-35)
• Lehi exhorts Laman and Lemuel (8:36-9:1)
■ the small plates explained in contrast to the brass plates (9:2-6)


"And now I, Nephi, proceed to give an account upon these plates of my proceedings and my reign and ministry" (10:1)

III. Nephi's vision (First Nephi 10-15)

A. Lehi's explanation prompts Nephi to seek his own revelation (Chapter 10)
• Jews will return from Babylon, Christ's ministry at Jerusalem (10:1-10)
• Jews will then be scattered and in last days be gathered (10:11-16)
• Nephi desires to know for himself, those who seek shall find, the wicked shall suffer judgment (10:17-22)
B. Vision: Christ's ministry at Jerusalem (Chapter 11)
• Nephi receives a vision, sees the tree of life (11:1-11)
• Christ's birth at Jerusalem (11:12-23)
• Christ's ministry and apostles (11:24-36)
B. Vision: Nephite history (Chapter 12)
• Christ visits Nephites (12:1-12)
a. Nephites and Lamanites gathered to battle (12:1-3)
b. physical destructions at time of Christ's death (12:4-5)
c. three generations pass away in righteousness (12:6-12)
• final Nephite destruction (12:13-23)
a. Nephites and Lamanites gathered to battle (12:13-15)
b. spiritual apostasy (12:16-18)
c. Nephites destroyed and Lamanites dwindle in unbelief (12:19-22)
B. Vision: Gentile history (Chapter 13-14)
• the great and abominable church (13:1-9)
• gentile colonists scatter Lamanites and prosper (13:10-19)
• Bible circulates among gentiles after parts of gospel and covenants removed (13:20-29)
• Book of Mormon, restoration of the gospel, House of Israel in last days (13:30-14:17)
• John will write the remainder of the vision (14:18-30)
A. Nephi's explanation prompts brothers to repent (Chapter 15)
• brothers do not understand prophecy because they do not ask in prayer or obey commandments (15:1-11)
• olive tree: scattering and gathering (15:12-20)
• tree of life: individual salvation and judgment (15:21-36)
• brothers repent, marriages, blessing (16:1-8)

II. Three narrative episodes (First Nephi 16-18)

A. The land journey (Chapter 16)
• the Liahona, leaving the Valley of Lemuel (16:9-16)
• Nephi's bow breaks (16:17-32)
• Ishmael dies (16:33-39)
• blessings in the wilderness and arrival in Bountiful (17:1-6)
B. Building the boat (Chapter 17)
• Nephi instructed to build a boat (17:7-16)
• brothers complain (17:17-22)
• Nephi's speech (17:23-47)
• brothers confounded (17:48-55)
• the boat is built (18:1-4)
A. The water journey (Chapter 18)
• departing in the boat (18:5-8)
• brothers bind Nephi until threatened by storm (18:9-16)
• brothers ignore parents until threatened by storm (18:17-21)
• arriving at the promised land (18:22-25)

I. Two witnesses: Zenos and Isaiah (First Nephi 19-22)

■ The small plates explained in contrast to the brass plates (19:1-6)
• Nephi quotes prophets, mostly Zenos (19:7-24)
• Nephi quotes Isaiah (20:1-21:26)
• Nephi explains the prophecies (22:1-31)

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the link above and to the right to edit or add content to this heading. →

Previous editions.

  • The original 1830 edition of First Nephi was divided into only seven chapters (I-VII). For the 1879 edition Parley Pratt further divided those seven into the twenty two chapters (1-22) still used today. • I: 1-5 • II: 6-9 • III: 10-14 • IV: 15 • V: ch.16-19:21 • VI: 19:22-ch.21 • VII: 22

Related passages that interpret or shed light on First Nephi.

References cited on this page.

  • Finegan, Jack. Handbook of Biblical Chronology: Principles of Time Reckoning in the Ancient World and and Problems of Chronology in the Bible, revised ed. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Pub., 1998. (ISBN 1565631439). BS637.2 .F5 1998. One of the two standard references for assigning specific dates to Old Testament events.
  • Steinmann. Andrew E. From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011. (ISBN 0758627998). BS637.3 .S74 2011.

Other resources.

  • Welch, John W., David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann Seely, eds. Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Provo: Neil A. Maxwell Institute, 2004. (ISBN 978-0934893749). A collection of articles on Jerusalem at the time of Lehi's departure, providing insights into the culture out of which Lehi and Nephi came, and explaining possible grounds for sincere conflict between Lehi and Nephi on the one hand and Laman and Lemuel on the other hand.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

  1. Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 141, 158-59.
  2. Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology, 257-58, 264; Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 141, 162, 167.
  3. The consensus date for the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple has been 17 August 586 BC. Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology, 258-59. Steinmann builds upon that earlier work to propose a date one year earlier, 28 August 587 BC, relying especially Ezek. 26:1-2. Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul, 136-38, 159-69, 174.

                                                                 Next page: Chapters 1-2