1 Nephi 3:29-31 Part 2

[HoosierGuy]

1 Nephi 3:29-31

29 And it came to pass as they smote us with a rod, behold, an angel of the Lord came and stood before them, and he spake unto them, saying: Why do ye smite your younger brother with a rod? Know ye not that the Lord hath chosen him to be a ruler over you, and this because of your iniquities? Behold ye shall go up to Jerusalem again, and the Lord will deliver Laban into your hands.

30 And after the angel had spoken unto us, he departed.

31 And after the angel had departed, Laman and Lemuel again began to murmur, saying: How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?

QUOTES FOR DISCUSSION

Several decisions faced these young men as they approached Laban to ask for the records. It’s most interesting to me to note the process by which they made those decisions. First, the decision was to leave it to chance. And they cast lots, and the lot fell to Laman….Laban was not too pleased with this request….He said, “Behold thou art a robber, and I will slay thee” (1 Ne. 3:13). That was enough for Laman; he fled and came back and reported to his brothers that leaving the assignment to chance did not work.

So they approached the house of Laban and displayed the gold and silver and offered to trade these precious things for the plates of brass. When Laban saw the property and that it was exceedingly great, he did lust after it….He sent his servants after the boys to slay them, and they had to flee, leaving their property behind. Things of the world did not produce the records.

So by night Nephi led his brothers outside the wall of Jerusalem. He crept inside into towards the house of Laban, this time not leaving it to chance or to worldly things, but going by faith. He said, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do” (1 Ne. 4:6)….

As he came to the house of Laban, he found a man fallen to the earth, drunken with wine. On coming closer, he discovered it was Laban. Laban had been delivered into his hands. The Lord had opened the way to obtain the record. Making the decision to place his trust in the Lord produced the results.
L. Tom Perry, “Making the Right Decisions,” Ensign, November 1979, p. 35



Kirtland history is filled with examples of Saints who willingly sacrificed their worldly possessions to gather to Kirtland. Three families, the Millets, the Tanners, and the Huntingtons, exemplify how sacrifice and spiritual commitment overshadowed worldly concerns.

The Millet Family

Artemus Millet was a wealthy builder in Canada at the time he and his wife learned of the restored gospel in late 1832. A family history tells the story:

Brigham Young was given a special mission [by the Prophet Joseph Smith] to go to Canada and baptize Brother Artemus Millet,…which call resulted from a consultation held at Kirtland respecting the building of the Temple there, and as to who they could get that was capable of taking charge of the work. When Elder Lorenzo Young exclaimed to the Prophet “I know the very man who is capable of doing this work,” “Who is he?” asked the Prophet. Lorenzo replied [“It] is Artemus Millet.” The Prophet turned to Brigham and said, “I give you a mission to go to Canada and baptize Brother Artemus Millet, and bring him here. Tell him to bring a thousand dollars with him.” Artemus was much surprised when Brigham announced his mission to him and [he] asked “What kind of a church is that?” Then Brigham explained the principles of the Gospel to him and he accepted and was baptized.

Artemus, obedient to the Prophet’s call, left his family and went immediately to Kirtland, where he selected stone for the temple foundation. He later returned to Canada, disposed of his property on credit (which became difficult to collect), and took his family to Kirtland to supervise the masonry work on the temple. He deposited money in the Kirtland Safety Society Bank and loaned money to the Church that he never collected. Despite his financial sacrifices, however, Artemus Millet maintained his testimony. He later immigrated with his family to Utah, where his large posterity now enjoy the blessings of the gospel.
Karl Ricks Anderson, Joseph Smith's Kirtland, p.15-16