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1 And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear. 1 Nephi 16:2 2 And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. 1 Nephi 16:3 3 And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.
Nephi recognizes their declaration of hard things for precisely what it was, the effect of the Spirit touching their hearts with the recognition of their need for repentance, to which Nephi exhorts them.
4 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did exhort my brethren, with all diligence, to keep the commandments of the Lord. 1 Nephi 16:5 5 And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord; insomuch that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness.
Because we know the future history of Laman and Lemuel we also know that a period of true repentance is no guarantee of future humility before the Lord. Our ability to enjoy the fruit of the tree of life depends upon our enduring to the end, and not trusting that a single bite of the fruit will suffice. Remember that in the dream there were many who tasted and yet fell away. While in Lehi's dream Laman and Lemuel do not even approach the tree, it is clear that this was the license of vision, for they did have some periods when they were able to be humble and enjoy the blessings of the Spirit. The next lesson is the great joy that those who love us feel when we return to the proper path. Joy is truly great for those who accept the returning prodigal sons. The last lesson is perhaps the saddest. Nephi preached with power to his brothers, and they felt it. They humbled themselves before the Lord, to the point that Nephi proclaims: "that I had joy and great hopes of them, that they would walk in the paths of righteousness" (verse 5). For all of the power of the prophetic vision Nephi had so recently experienced, for all of his obvious connection to the Spirit, for all of his righteous hopes and desires, he nevertheless did not know the future of his brothers, and at this point was able to take joy in their temporary conversion, at the time unaware of their eventual separation, not only from the rest of the family, but from the Lord.
6 Now, all these things were said and done as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel.
At this point in the narrative Nephi needs a transition from the spiritual to the mundane, from prophetic future history to a more common travel narrative. The device he uses is to return to a theme, a place, and a symbolic meaning. He notes that these things were done "as my father dwelt in a tent in the valley which he called Lemuel." This simple sentence puts closure on the prophetic section by clearly indicating that this narrative is over. It also returns the reader to the time and place before this long narrative began. From a literary standpoint, he neatly returns to a statement made before launching this exegetical narrative: "1 Nephi 9:1 And all these things did my father see, and hear, and speak, as he dwelt in a tent, in the valley of Lemuel, and also a great many more things, which cannot be written upon these plates." When Nephi finishes with his father's vision, he ties it to time and place. When he finishes with the narration of his own vision, he similarly ties it to time and place, and thus prepares the reader for the return to more mundane aspects of the story of Lehi's family exodus.
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, took one of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also, my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife; and also Zoram took the eldest daughter of Ishmael to wife.
Zoram marries the eldest of the five daughters of Ishmael, and may therefore be presumed to be older than the sons of Lehi (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p.211). As for the marriages between Ishamael's daughters and Lehi's sons, Nibley suggests that these intermarriages might be following established custom: "Lehi himself is of Manasseh. The rule among these people is that you must marry your bint amm, paternal uncle. Every girl must marry the brother of her father. It's very likely that Lehi and Ishmael were brothers because they were both of the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh was the desert tribe (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p.167.) The suggestion that they were brothers of the same tribe does not fit, however, with the statement of Elder Erastus Snow:
The known makeup of the group traveling together at this time consists of Lehi and Sariah, Ishmael and his wife, the two sons and five daughters of Ishmael, the four sons of Lehi, and Zoram. With the marriages indicated here, we have the four sons of Lehi married to four of the daughters of Ishmael, and the fifth as the bride of Zoram. The sons of Ishmael were already married and brought their families with them (1 Nephi 7:6).
8 And thus my father had fulfilled all the commandments of the Lord which had been given unto him. And also, I, Nephi, had been blessed of the Lord exceedingly.
While all three verses are clearly commandments which are fulfilled, verse 8 appears to have relevance specifically to the command in 1 Nephi 7:2 to return for Ishmael. Following on the heels of the marriages in verse 7, verse 8 begins with "and thus." The marriages are therefore seen as a direct example of the fulfilment of a commandment. While the recorded commandment in 1 Nephi 7:2 does not specifically mention that they should bring Ismael's family and marry the daughters, there must of been that clear implication.
9 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord spake unto my father by night, and commanded him that on the morrow he should take his journey into the wilderness.
10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness.
Physical analysis: Notwithstanding the miraculous appearance of the Liahona, the substance of which it was made was sufficiently normal that it is noted as fine brass, not an unknown material. Of the construction we are informed only that it was of "curious workmanship." Nephi does not explain why the workmanship was "curious" but it may be supposed that the term was used to indicate that the workmanship was not familiar to them, and therefore "curious." The shape and making of the Liahona was apparently not an item which was part of their cultural catalog. Nevertheless, while being of a foreign origin, it was nevertheless fairly readily discerned that one of the two spindles would provide direction for them. As this is a point in the history of the world when magnetic compasses were quite rare, if extant, it is not likely that the groups knowledge of how to use the Liahona derived from a model of a magnetic compass. It is more likely that the words which appeared on the spindles were there clues to its purpose (1 Nephi 16:26 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written). It is interesting that while modern LDS know the Liahona quite well by name, that name appears only once in the Book of Mormon, and much later than Nephi's text. The only occurrence of Liahona is found in Alma 37:38 "And now, my son, I have somewhat to say concerning the thing which our fathers call a ball, or director--or our fathers called it Liahona, which is, being interpreted, a compass; and the Lord prepared it. 39 And behold, there cannot any man work after the manner of so curious a workmanship. And behold, it was prepared to show unto our fathers the course which they should travel in the wilderness." Alma indicates that the name Liahona "being interpreted" is compass. This is an interesting passage because of the "being interpreted" phrase, and the indication that it was a compass. In terms of "being interpreted," the indication is that this is a name which is not current among the Nephites at the time of Alma. In other words, the word itself might have meaning in a different language, but does not in the language of Alma. It is therefore uncertain where the name came from, as it is not clearly Hebrew (which would have been understood by the highly educated Nephites, if by none else - based on the fact that Mormon knew the difference between his version of Hebrew and the earlier version - see Mormon 9:33). In this light, it is also interesting that the Liahona is not referred to by name in Nephi's account, being simply called "the ball." Perhaps the name Liahona was given to the sphere after the arrival in the New World, which would allow it to have received a name which might not derive from the Near Eastern tradition. Nevertheless, there have been many attempts to discover the meaning of Liahona in Hebrew. Nibley notes the following two possibilities:
While tentative in this citation, he appears to have liked the definition: "And, of course, the name Liahona is very interesting, "to God is the direction, to God is the leading." It's recognition, praise, and direction. It means all those things" (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 2, p.464). Where he began tentatively, he was much firmer in later attestations. The second interesting part of Alma's description is that the Liahona is a compass. At times, this phrase has been used as an anachronism in the text, as the magnetic compass would not have been known then. This makes to great a presumption on the word "compass" and imputes too much of our own culture on it. Whether nor not the magnetic principles of a compass are understood, it is nevertheless a means for showing direction, and in that context the Liahona fully qualifies as a "compass."
While the failure of the Liahona to work in the absence of faith diminishes the prospect that it functioned on magnetic principles, the above cited article notes:
One of the more extensive discussions of the possible functioning of the Liahona is found in Nibley's writings: Listing the salient features of the report we get the following:
. . . But it is time to turn to Mr. Fahd's study of belomancy in the ancient Near East. Belomancy is the practice of divination by shooting, tossing, shaking, or otherwise manipulating rods, darts, pointers, or other sticks, all originally derived from arrows. . . Fahd begins by pointing out that the "arrows" used in divination, called qidh or zalam, were devoid of heads and feathers, being mere shafts or pointers. Since Lane has given a fuller description of these objects from the sources, we can do no better than quote his quotations:
Historical analysis: As with attempts to discover the meaning of the name Liahona, there have been various attempts to find clouded references to the Liahona in the literature of the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas. While the arguments have some interest, they are best seen as possibilities rather than remembrances. Diane Wirth has suggested that the Liahona might be related to a sacred object mentioned in both the Popol Vuh and the Title of the Lords of Totonicapan: "The Popol Vuh, which contains a sacred history of the Quiche Maya of te Guatemalan highlands, and which was written from earlier sources shortly after the Spanish conquest, speaks of just such an object as the Liahona. In describing the migrations of their ancestor, the Maya claim that Balam-Quitze "left [them] the symbol of his being' and further instructed them that this object would be a source of power for their use. This symbol, or object, belonging to the ancestors of the Maya, was called the Pizon-Gagal. (Diane Wirth A Challenge to Critics. 1986, p.118). She also notes a similar item among the Cackchiquel Maya, with the name Giron-Gagal, and "referred to as a 'sacred bundle'" (Wirth 1986, p. 119). The relevant passage from the Popol Vuh (Dennis Tedlock's translation) is:
The tradition of a sacred bundle, and very specifically a god-bundle, is quite widespread in Mesoamerica. It is the sacred representation of the deity, and one is carried during the migrations of the Mexica. As can be seen neither the translated name "bundle of flames," nor the description of a wrapped bundle which is never opened fit the description of the Liahona. While both provide guidance through faith, the sacred bundles were the means of oracles and visions, and are only in the remotest sense related to the functioning of the spindles on the Liahona. David Palmer uses the same evidence from the Popol Vuh and the Title of the Lords of Totonicapan to link the bundles and the Liahona (David Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, Horizon Publishers, 1981, p. 157). He adds evidence from a drawing which depicts the "presentation to the group leader of a ball suspended from a chain" (Palmer, 1981, p. 156). The drawing is printing in the book, and is quite clearly in the Spanish style. It is therefore quite difficult to make a real determination of the nature of the object (which can only said to be round) based on the late interpretation of native texts. While the ball might be of significance, it is virtually impossible to discover without better uninfluenced texts. The Liahona was an important symbol for the Nephites, but it must be remembered that it remained as symbol only in the sacred cache of the rulers of the Nephites. It was no longer functional, and therefore remembered in its religious and perhaps regnal contexts. With such a limited meaning base, it would be somewhat surprising if the memory of that object would have carried to foreign cultures (whose ancestors never saw the object work) and distant times after the demise of the Nephites. With the passing of the Nephite culture, it is doubtful that an object of unknown sacred power would become a viable image in other cultures, although it would not be surprising for the object itself to have been preserved for a time.
11 And it came to pass that we did gather together whatsoever things we should carry into the wilderness, and all the remainder of our provisions which the Lord had given unto us; and we did take seed of every kind that we might carry into the wilderness.
They are now preparing to leave the valley of Lemuel, which some writers have tentatively identified as Wadi El Atal on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea (Joseph L. Allen. Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon. SA Publishers, 1989, p. 264). If this were the location of the valley of Lemuel, they would have been approximately 200 miles from Jerusalem during their stay. When they ready themselves to leave, they gather "seed of every kind." It is not certain where the seed came from. It may be that they had brought seed from Jerusalem, but it appears that they gathered seed from some location relatively close by the valley of Lemuel, as Nephi notes that they gathered the seed. From the time of the command to leave and the departure, there is clearly no time available for a quick trip back to Jerusalem. They took what they currently had, or could find in the vicinity, and prepared themselves for a long journey and permanent relocation.
12 And it came to pass that we did take our tents and depart into the wilderness, across the river Laman.
Given the logical path of the family along the Eastern borders of the Red Sea a Wadi would be created when the water ran from the higher level to the lower level, which of course is the Red Sea. From the topography of the area, it is far more likely that a river would run in an approximately perpendicular course to the Red Sea, and thus create a temporary barrier to their crossing. They crossed the River Laman because there was no other way. The crossing of the river also tells us just a little more about the nature of the river. We know that "rivers" in that area are seasonal, and that in the season of their arrival water was coursing down the wadi. Since there is no mention of building a bridge, it may be assumed that fording the river was no task of great consequence, and therefore may be assumed to be shallow, and at the time of their crossing, not overly swift. This description also fits a river which would be created from large and sudden sources of water, which might begin quickly, and then slow and begin to fade. It is also possible that the river was coursing much deeper and faster when they arrived. Of course this brings up Lehi's poetic comparison of the river and his son: "1 Nephi 2:9 And when my father saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness!" If the river was indeed the periodic rivers which flashed down the wadi's, why does Lehi use the term "continually running into the fountain...." First, the term "fountain" is used in Lehi's vocabulary to mean a standing body of water, which in the case of the concrete example was the Red Sea, and in the case of the gospel image, the gospel itself. In both cases the "fountain" is a constant, and is always there. How is it that the river is "continually running?" Whether or not water is present, the water course is set. The wadi which delivers the water to the Red Sea is the low point into which water naturally flows. It is the permanent conduit of the river. It is not improbable in the world to find rivers which periodically do not flow, but which are yet known and named during the dry periods. There are parts of the Rio Grande in the United States which may be dry at times, but the course is know as the Rio Grande, whether or not the water is present. It is the river course that channels the water which is continually running. As long as water is present, the water will run to the "fountain."
13 And it came to pass that we traveled for the space of four days, nearly a south-southeast direction, and we did pitch our tents again; and we did call the name of the place Shazer.
Reynolds and Sjodahl give a different possibility for the name "Shazer. This name may have been, originally, the Hebrew chazer (or chazier), "grass" (Ps. 104:14) (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1., p.166). It took them four days to arrive at this location. It is not known precisely how far they were able to travel in a day's time. John Sorenson has done some research on the distances that various peoples might travel in a day:
Based on estimates of travel, we might assume that the party traveled perhaps up to 25 miles per day, making the distance from Lemuel to Shazer between 60-100 miles. One suggestion for a possible location of Shazer has been Al Azlan (Allen, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, p. 264).
14 And it came to pass that we did take our bows and our arrows, and go forth into the wilderness to slay food for our families; and after we had slain food for our families we did return again to our families in the wilderness, to the place of Shazer. And we did go forth again in the wilderness, following the same direction, keeping in the most fertile parts of the wilderness, which were in the borders near the Red Sea. 1 Nephi 16:15 15 And it came to pass that we did travel for the space of many days, slaying food by the way, with our bows and our arrows and our stones and our slings.
The group is embarking on a long journey, and it is clear to them that it is impossible to survive on any foodstuffs they brought with them. Therefore they not only hunt for food, but make sure that their travels are in the "most fertile parts of the wilderness" where they might find food. It is not known what they shot with the bows and arrows, but the general area would be more likely to provide smaller game than larger, requiring a fairly large quantity to feed the group.
16 And we did follow the directions of the ball, which led us in the more fertile parts of the wilderness.
17 And after we had traveled for the space of many days, we did pitch our tents for the space of a time, that we might again rest ourselves and obtain food for our families.
The implication of the stop for the "space of a time" is that the family would store up provisions, and then travel for several days. This is consistent with the less than abundant area through which they were traveling. With stored food they might survive for several days, but upon arriving at a location where the collection of foodstuffs was more favorable, they would "pitch our tents" and make a longer camp. As indicated in verse 17, this would be for the specific purpose of rest and gathering food. The Hilton's reconstruction of the trail of the family places this stopping place near the ancient port of Jeddah (Allen, Joseph. Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon. S.A. Publishers, 1989, p. 265).
18 And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food.
A second point of interest is the bow itself. Why would a bow be made of steel? Were such things part of the cultural inventory of the ancient world? Nibley indicates that the common bow in Palestine was a composite bow with a handle of ivory or wood, with a reverse curve in the bow itself. There were metal parts, with either bronze or steel (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p.217). It might appear then, that the bow was not entirely of metal, but was rather composed of different materials, metal ir "steel" being one of them. The third point is the mention of steel. The use of the word "steel" in the Book of Mormon has long been a cause for derision on the part of those who assume the word to be an anachronism. What might we understand about steel in the Book of Mormon? As with many such issues, there are many possible answers. One of the problems is the terminology itself. As John Sorenson notes: "the King James translators were unclear on the point; several places where they put "steel" now would be translated "bronze." even experts have a problem, as suggested by a recent technical article entitled "Steel in Antiquity : A Problem in Terminology." (Sorenson, John. An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon. FARMS 1985, p. 286). Reynolds and Sjodahl elaborate: "It is true enough that in most, if not in all, of the passages in the Old Testament where the English version has "steel" the original has a word that means "copper." But in Jeremiah 15:12, where the Prophet asks: "Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?" scholars have suggested that "the northern iron" may mean steel, while the "steel" mentioned is copper. In Nahum 2:4, where the prophet speaks of raging chariots that seem like "torches," the word translated "torches" (paldab) should be rendered "steel." (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1., p.38) Nibley suggests that the picture is complicated even more by the presence of real steel in antiquity: "Just in recent years it has been discovered that steel is as early known as anything at all--for obvious reasons. Steel is a mixture of iron and carbon. If you are using coal or wood or anything else and you have to get an awfully high temperature, you are going to get carbon mixed in with it. It won't make inferior iron; sometimes it will make good steel. But anyway, we know they had it. We have those [p.218] pictures of King Tut's beautiful steel dagger from seven hundred years before (Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1, p.217). Reynolds and Sjodahl concur: "And weapons of "steel" are said to be found in ancient tombs in Egypt, which statement can well be credited, for steel is not a new invention or discovery. Only the modern way of making it is new. Ancient ironmasters, we are told, obtained iron and steel by simply a hearth or fireplace in which the ore and the charcoal were mixed and a blast applied to obtain the necessary high temperature (Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 1., p.38).
19 And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food. 1 Nephi 16:20 20 And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord.
While we cannot really know Lehi's mind, we can speculate as to some of the reason. Lehi knows that the Lord has led them, and knows that they have done all that was asked. Nevertheless, they now find themselves in dire straits, and Lehi is at a loss to solve the problem. Lehi is not a hunter, not the provider of food. Lehi has clearly had no revelation from the Lord to solve the problem. Lehi sees the desperation of their plight, and has no answer for it. His frustration is understandable. Why should the prophet of the Lord be so left in the dark about the way in which salvation will come? Because it will not come through him. Very clearly the story of the Lehite exodus is one of the development of Nephi as the leader of the group. This is not Lehi's problem to solve, but one which the Lord gives to Nephi.
21 Now it came to pass that I, Nephi, having been afflicted with my brethren because of the loss of my bow, and their bows having lost their springs, it began to be exceedingly difficult, yea, insomuch that we could obtain no food.
The family had brought their bows with them, and they were bows which had seen use for years. Unfortunately for the family, they "loose their springs" just around the time that Nephi's bow breaks. This appears to have been the last of the functioning bows.
22 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did speak much unto my brethren, because they had hardened their hearts again, even unto complaining against the Lord their God.
23 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food?
Nephi is not only in a place where he might hunt, he is in a place where wood for bows might be obtained. He makes a bow. Notice, however, that he also makes an arrow. David S. Fox suggests: An examination of Nephi's account shows that whoever wrote that account was familiar in some detail with the field of archery. Consider what happens to an arrow at the instant the string is released: the full force of the drawn string is applied to the end of the arrow, trying to accelerate it, but also tending to bend or buckle the arrow. If the bow's draw weight and the arrow's stiffness are not perfectly matched, the arrow will stray off the intended course or fall short of the mark. An arrow that is too flexible will leave the bow with a vibration that can cause the arrow to behave erratically. On the other hand, an arrow that is too stiff is probably too heavy for the bow. Nephi's steel bow likely used heavier, stiffer arrows than his simply fashioned wooden bow could handle. Nephi was physically large (see ! Nephi 2:16; 4:31), and he would have had little reason to use a bow made from metal if he did not have considerable strength. The arrows to match the steel bow used by such a man would undoubtedly have been quite heavy in order for them to be of adequate stiffness. One experienced archer reports, "The arrows from the steel bow when shot from the wooden bow would be like shooting telephone poles." Hence, it is accurate that Nephi should mention, in one and the same breath, the fact that he made an arrow as well as a bow. Bow wood and arrow wood from the same tree or area could be matched as well." ("Nephi's Bows and Arrows", in Reexploring the Book of Mormon. FARMS 1992, pp. 41-42). It is interesting, in addition, that while Nephi made a new bow and arrows, he was also armed with a sling and stones. He is preparing for this important task as well as possible, and taking all possible weapons for obtaining food. He knows he cannot fail. Scriptural analysis: After Nephi makes his bow and arrow, he goes to his father to ask where to go. On the one hand, this may be seen as respect for elders, or respect for the designated priesthood leader. On the other, given Lehi's murmurings, it is also a very gentle and kind call to repentance - through appropriate action. Nephi restores his father's place at the head of the family, restores Lehi's place as the prophet of their family's exodus, and restores his father's confidence - all by the simple act of asking for guidance. The murmurings of Lehi I have suggested indicate that the Lord held back the solution to the problem in favor of Nephi finding the solution, which he did. Nephi is being prepared to be the prophet and leader in the New World, and this experience places him in a critical position, where the welfare of his own is at risk, and he must find a solution. Nephi understands that the solution lies in two locations, the strength of his hands (by which he forms a bow and arrow) and the strength of his spirit (through which he seeks the counsel of the Lord for the location of the hunt).
24 And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.
It is not far beyond our experience that our own ability to feel the influence of the Spirit is often related to the circumstances we are in, and when we are among others who are receptive to the Spirit, it is easier for us to be.
25 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came unto my father; and he was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow.
26 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord said unto him: Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written. 1 Nephi 16:27 27 And it came to pass that when my father beheld the things which were written upon the ball, he did fear and tremble exceedingly, and also my brethren and the sons of Ishmael and our wives. 1 Nephi 16:28 28 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them. 1 Nephi 16:29 29 And there was also written upon them a new writing, which was plain to be read, which did give us understanding concerning the ways of the Lord; and it was written and changed from time to time, according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
In the original discovery of the Liahona, the sudden appearance is miraculous, and the ball is of curious workmanship, but at least in Nephi's report, what the ball did was quite easily understood and stated: "1 Nephi 16:10 And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness." All we are told at the beginning is that there are two spindles, and one of the two points the way. Nothing appears particularly exciting about this, and the family simply sets of as directed. In this occasion, however, the nature of the Liahona appears to change. No longer is it a mundane (though admittedly special) compass, but an instrument of revelation. The surprise of the family noted in verse 27 is explained in verse 29. New writing has appeared on the ball. Verse 29 is clearly written from a perspective long after the finding of the ball, and it might blur the true nature of the event Nephi is describing. While Nephi knows from the intervening years that the ball would operate according to their faith, and that the writing might change from time to time, it is certain that he is describing at this time the very first instance where the ball showed itself to be more than a simple compass. There is no other explanation for the astonishment at seeing that the writing had changed unless this were the very first time that had happened. Nephi's explanation that this continued to happen is an emendation based on his later experiences. Verse 28 contains Nephi's conclusion that the ball operated according to their faith. This appears to have been an astute deduction on his part, if this is the first time that the Liahona had given such specific instructions. Given Nephi's growing spiritual perspicacity, this is not a far stretch. Nephi sees the changes in the ball, and comprehends the implications that their own actions have upon it. He contrasts their formerly forlorn state with the functioning of the ball after the general repentance and humbling of his father and brothers. His presumption will hold true. Verse 29 also includes Nephi's homiletic conclusion: "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." Of all of the lessons Nephi might have derived from this incident, he presents this one. He does not wax eloquent about faith (clearly an appropriate topic here), nor about the effect of our pride upon the ability of the Lord to present us with his will. Instead, Nephi suggests that the Lord is able to use small means to bring about great things. The "small means" was the revelation through the Liahona. While that kind of remarkable transformation of an inanimate object into a communicative one is quite miraculous to us, Nephi nevertheless lists it as "small means." Nibley has used this passage to suggest that the Liahona worked in ways not unexpected (Nibley, Hugh _Since Cumorah_. Deseret Book. 1970, p. 287). This initial passage suggests that while the basic mechanism might have been more common, this incident clearly was not. Against what are the "small means" contrasted? In the text it is "great things." What were those "great things"? In the context of this event only, the "great things" would have been telling Nephi where to go to hunt. At the very moment of the instruction, however, even that might not have seemed so great - at least until Nephi returned with food. Does that yet qualify for "great things"? I would suggest that the "great things" refers to all of the results of following the ball, which is a transparent metaphor for following the will of the Lord. In the Lehite saga, the great things accumulated into the entire marvelous experience of their removal to the New World. In a larger sense, and certainly one implicitly understood by Nephi, our spiritual exaltation is the ultimate definition of those "great things" which may turn on small things, such as listening to a particular simple instrument of God, whether it be a ball or a still, small, voice.
30 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball. 1 Nephi 16:31 31 And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families. 1 Nephi 16:32 32 And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him.
33 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey, traveling nearly the same course as in the beginning; and after we had traveled for the space of many days we did pitch our tents again, that we might tarry for the space of a time. 1 Nephi 16:34 34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom. 1 Nephi 16:35 35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of their afflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.
Using the possible Hebrew roots NH.M and NHM, they find:
While the etymology is interesting, it is coincidental at best, since they make a point of noting that the name was probably present prior to the Lehite band arriving there (Aston and Aston, 1994, p. 10). Thus the actions of Ishmael's daughters might be appropriate and serendipitous, but could not be seen as causative had the place been named as Lehi named other locations. In the Aston's descriptions, this differentiation between the location of the mourning and the location of a place of burial provides their answer. They note that the Book of Mormon does not state that Ishmael died there, but that he was buried there (Aston and Aston, 1994, p. 13). Thus the burial in a place called Nahom would be appropriate, and the mournings and murmurings poetically justified. In that sense, the name of the place and the events do take on the symbolic associations. The Astons locate Nahom (Nehem) as tribal lands outside of modern Sana'a. "Since the Book of Mormon Nahom was a burial ground, we were excited to discover on a later visit to Sana'a that an ancient burial ground had recently been located in the hills of Nehem itself." (Aston and Aston, 1994, p. 19).
36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me; and they were desirous to return again to Jerusalem. 1 Nephi 16:37 37 And Laman said unto Lemuel and also unto the sons of Ishmael: Behold, let us slay our father, and also our brother Nephi, who has taken it upon him to be our ruler and our teacher, who are his elder brethren.
While the daughters and sons of Ishmael were the most logical ones to murmur at the death of their father, Laman and Lemuel are also swayed by the occasion. This is likely partly due to their marriage to the daughters of Ishmael so that they would sympathize with their loss, but cannot be the only reasons, and Nephi was also wed to a daughter of Ishmael. The leadership of Laman and Lemuel in the opposition clearly must be laid at their own feet, and rooted in their own dissatisfactions and dissensions. That the idea of resolving their plight by patricide and fratricide indicate the appalling depths to which their hearts could turn.
38 Now, he says that the Lord has talked with him, and also that angels have ministered unto him. But behold, we know that he lies unto us; and he tells us these things, and he worketh many things by his cunning arts, that he may deceive our eyes, thinking, perhaps, that he may lead us away into some strange wilderness; and after he has led us away, he has thought to make himself a king and a ruler over us, that he may do with us according to his will and pleasure. And after this manner did my brother Laman stir up their hearts to anger.
39 And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did chasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.
Nephi says only that they were chastened of the Lord. It appears that the Lord did so directly, but there is still room to see that as the words of the Lord through a mouthpiece. Regardless, they were sufficiently chastised. The final verse provides a little more information that might be lost in the murmurings and plottings. Once again hunger may have had some play, as their repentance leads directly to "the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish." Perhaps this outbreak, while initiated through the death of Ishmael, was exacerbated by the lack of food after the journeying, precisely as was the murmuring of the last stop. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998 |
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