Why did Nephi have to kill Laban?


Sunday21
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Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

To prove his loyalty to God?

As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

To underscore to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. Why?

 

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First, I don't know that it's our business to understand why the Lord commanded the death of Laban in this way.

Second, if there is understanding to be had, we must first remember / recognize things like our eternal nature, that God is omniscient and just, that Laban was deserving of death under the law of the place and time, etc.  (In other words, we have to get past our modernism and discomfort with someone getting their head chopped off / stop viewing that act as universally unacceptable.)

Third, I think at least one answer to your questions about Nephi killing Laban and about faithful members enduring trials can be found in Abraham 3:25:

Quote

25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

The difficult part is that eventually, whatever it takes, all those who intend to enter the celestial kingdom will have to demonstrate that they are willing to obey all God's commands, no matter what - and it's that "no matter what" that the trials teach us.

IMO, your question is essentially the same as the age-old "Why does God allow suffering?" question.

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The short answer is because the the Lord said to do so. The more lengthy answer was because the Lord required Nephi and his posterity to have the brass plates to preserve their knowledge of the Lord so that they didn't dwindle in unbelief. This term is very significant. Anyway, everyone's life at Jerusalem, including Laban's was forfeit. They were about to be destroyed by Babylon. Laban was an evil fruit good for nothing but to be cast into the fire. Furthermore, Laban had cast out Nephi and his brothers three times, having sent his servants to slay them unjustly while robbing the four brothers of their family inheritance. Laban had broken the laws of God and of the land. Nephi was not only commanded by the Lord slay Laban, but was justified. Had Nephi declined to do so, one of the consequences might be that Laban would have sent his armies to find Nephi and his family after having taken the record anyway, ending Lehi's journey to the promised land. Another scenario is Laban losing his life to the Babylonian armies when they came to destroy Jerusalem. The bottom line is Laban's life was forfeited. Nephi, having inherited the tokens of kingship (genealogy/brass plates, sword, Liahona, Laban's clothes), he became the ruler and teacher of his family just as the Lord had prophesied. Had Laban been righteous, he would have been the rightful heir to that role, being the sole guardian of the record of Joseph. 

 

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I'm not sure if we need anything further than the reasons Nephi has already given:

11  And the Spirit said unto me again: (1) Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that (2) he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and (3) he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and (4) he also had taken away our property.
12  And it came to pass that (5) the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13  Behold the (6) Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.  (7) It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.
14  And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.
15  Yea, and I also thought that (8)  they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.
16  And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.

17  And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for this cause—that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
18  Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
 

Its not hard to quickly see 8 good reasons why it was necessary to obtain the plates. Once it becomes clear that the death of Laban is necessary in order to obtain the plates, then it becomes a question of what is the most useful manner in which this death can be brought about. I'm guessing that a simple accident was not the most useful manner, and that the manner of death most likely to produce the kind of benefits and consequences that were most needed at the time was for Nephi to kill Laban.

I'm also not sure how much of a substantive difference there is between this divinely ordered death, and the many many other divinely ordered deaths we read of in the scriptures.

As Job said : "the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." The Lord gave Laban his life, and it was the Lord's to take. I believe it was the will of the Lord that Laban should die, and we are blessed when the Lord gives us an opportunity to carry out His will even when it might be unpleasant to do so.

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As to the value of the records that Nephi obtained by killing Laban, and the purposes for which they were used see Alma 37: 3 - 10, particularly verse 9

 

3  And these plates of brass, which contain these engravings, which have the records of the holy scriptures upon them, which have the genealogy of our forefathers, even from the beginning—
4  Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon.
5  And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness; yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ.
6  Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
7  And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
8  And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls.
9  Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer.
10  And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
 

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46 minutes ago, Sunday21 said:

God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness.

I perceive that while most responses thus far do provide an applicable answer, they might not address what you are actually seeking to know.  Here is my perspective on the matter:

The reality is that, yes, as you posited, God 'could' have disposed of Laban some other way.  However, there is an important principle at play: God works within the bounds of the agency of man.  While He often influences men, sometimes even in very direct or extreme ways, such as with Paul, Alma the younger, etc, whenever possible, He will allow men, using their agency, to fulfill His purposes for Him.  God knew where Laban would be, why he would be there, where Zoram would be, what their states of mind would be, etc, etc, etc.  With that knowledge, He could guide Nephi by the Spirit to where Laban would be, have him kill Laban, impersonate Laban to coerce Zoram who would lead him directly to the plates, and then return safely back to his brothers.   Not only did this accomplish the goals the Lord had in mind, it also enabled the salvation of Zoram (who would likely not have received this opportunity any other way), who was a friend to Nephi from that time forward.

Additionally, in regard to the killing of Laban, not only are the words the Spirit spoke to Nephi applicable, as well as what @zil pointed out in her reference to Abraham 3:25, but it is also important to realize that mortality is relatively insignificant to the Lord, who has a truly eternal perspective.  Regardless of the possibly many lives impacted, murder is wrong mostly because it removes an individuals opportunity to repent.  God, however, has a perfect plan that accounts to provide every one of His children  the opportunity to repent.  In the end, those who would have received the gospel in this life may inherit every blessing as those of us who do.

It is clear that not only Laban, but also his forefathers were the keepers of the plates.  He would have had the opportunity to read them, study them, and have the knowledge of the truth.  Since Zoram perceived it as normal for Laban to present the plates to the elders, it is apparent that he may have done so on occasion.  Regardless, however, the Lord knows and knew Laban's heart.  Laban was living a life of wickedness, it is highly doubtful that the Lord would end his life if he knew he would repent and become righteous.  Was Laban not aware of the many prophets, including Lehi, who had prophesied?  Even so, as @skalenfehl pointed out, Jerusalem was on the brink of destruction and captivity, and Laban's days were likely numbered anyway.

If God had disposed of Laban via different means, how much more difficult might it have been for Nephi to procure the plates?  Would they have been in the same location? Would Nephi still have been able to successfully impersonate Laban?  Would the Lord just as easily have been able to allow for the freedom and salvation of Zoram?  My assumption is that while obviously all things are possible to God, such an interference, would have required additional interference to play out as needed.  There are many additional historical occurrences of God allowing men (both righteous and wicked) to use agency to bring about his purposes.  Some examples include Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit to induce the fall, the many many times the Israelites and Nephites were captive to incite them to the remembrance of the Lord, and even the Crucifixion of his own Son by His children acting in ignorance and wickedness.

In regard to your other questions there was no need to prove Nephi's loyalty, it is clear that once he had a sufficient withness of the Spirit, he acted swiftly and decisively.  It is unlikely that any transformation occurred for Nephi aside from the strengthening of his testimony, because once he knew of a surety that the direction to kill Laban came from the Lord, he would never at any point in his life have reason to look back on his decision with remorse or regret.  The rules had not changed for Nephi, only the Lord can command to kill with a perfect knowledge of the repercussions, Nephi's witness of the Spirit would also lead him to know that should such action be required again, he would be able to recognize whether it were of God or not.  It was obvious from Nephi's previous experiences that he knew he could not return to Jerusalem, this event/action would not have been related.  Nephi was being tested, but only in the same way each of us are tested in our trials and through our spiritual experiences and personal revelations.  Notice that Nephi's initial reservation was not that it was a terrible thing to take Laban's life, but that he had never taken a life previously; he was likely shocked that he himself would be commanded to do such a thing, which normally is a grave sin, but might not have been as shocked that Lord would use this method to achieve his purposes.

So now we come full circle and can piece together these ideas to reasonably conclude, that God, using and allowing for the agency of man, and acting in use of his foreknowledge of individuals and events, called one of His children to take a seemingly very serious action that would ultimately be of little significance in the eternal perspective, but which would enable blessings and opportunities of extreme significance to His great plan.  Thus He declared, "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."

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Q1. Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

This is an interesting question that brings back to my remembrance Israel's deliverance from Pharoah through Moses. Why did the first born have to die due to Pharaoh's hardened heart? Pharaoh could have been convinced by some other means, right? Pharaoh could have been easily removed by an angel (think of Balaam) or some sickness or by some accident, and another ruler could have been more easily convinced regarding the release of the children of Israel.

Nephi did not have to kill Laban. I believe that is important to remember. It wasn't until after Laban's decisions that killing Laban resulted in a commandment. @person0 highlighted some possible outcomes if Laban wasn't the owner of the plates and had died by some other means.

As @skalenfehl mentioned, through more than one witness Nephi received the honor of "ruler" as given by the Lord, which Laman & Lemuel hardened their heart believing he sought leadership over them not recognizing their rebellion, like Laban, lost them their reward. The Lord gave multiple opportunities for Laman to become ruler and leader, but he chose otherwise and was more concerned with saving his life, than loosing it.

I am reminded of a talk I once heard that induced the same question in reference to Abraham and Isaac. Why was Abraham commanded to sacrifice Isaac? The Jewish minister responded with these words, "Abraham needed to know something about Abraham." Nephi needed to know something about Nephi. I am fond of the answer given by the Jewish minister (Rabbi, if I am remembering the tape recording correctly I listened to).

Q2. To prove his loyalty to God?

Loyalty was already being proven when Nephi prayed to know the words of his father were true. The determination of receiving the plates, and the killing of Laban were testimonies, witnesses, that Nephi was honest when he said, "The Lord giveth no commandment save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." The trial of faith, witnessed received. The moment Nephi was commanded to kill Laban, yes, loyalty and faithfulness were once again being proven. As @zil mentioned (Abraham 3:25)

Q3. As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

I don't know, but this question bring the words of Paul to my heart and mind, Romans 5: 1-5

Q4. To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

I don't believe so, the rules haven't changed and these rules still remain for you and I. To whom much is given much is required, and Nephi was required much, and received much.

Q5. To under score to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

No, Nephi already knew he could not return for he received witness from the Lord that Jerusalem was wicked and that they would be destroyed. Nephi was already of one heart and one mind, with his father, in traveling to the promised land.

Q6. To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

There is truth to this question. Isn't this what we are all striving to do, or the idea of becoming close to God means having a mind and heart like him, which can only be accomplished through close, exact, obedience to God. Romans 5: 1-5 seems to follow suit with this question, and Abraham 3:25.

Q7. Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

They all fit the case, and as with most gospel experiences and stories this leaves us with more questions :)

Q8. Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. WHy?

Half, if not more, of what we experience would not occur if the sons and daughters of God had been obeying God's commandments. God is fair. Humans are not, even temple covenant members who have covenanted with the Lord.

I think it human to wonder what is going on (I know I do). I think it godly to move forward in faith when answers do not come, and when "what appears" to be very unfair doesn't change. Some members of the Church seem to be handed everything in this life, with very little struggle, while others fight just to survive. Outside of the Church we see similar experiences. Some are handed everything. Some merely survive.

Some will say there success is a direct result of, "I work hard," while not meaning to but the statement implies for those that are not success, "they don't work hard." The scriptures carry statements of "favor" and "riches" and how God gives this to his sons and daughters. Even Satan recognized the hand of the Lord with Job, and yet we see also a different favor withe Joseph in Egypt. Joseph was favored of the Lord and his father. Yet, he was surely given a bitter taste of life, and then eventually became one of the greatest rulers during that time. Note, becoming a slave, and being thrown into prison for something you did not do, and the scriptures testify Joseph was favored of God. Joseph was also obedient to God in all these trials.

We have temple covenant members causing these great trials for other members. I remember the story of @Dark_Jedi and what he experienced, and I hope he is doing well. This though is one aspect of life that burns me. One day we will see with spiritual eyes. I look forward to that time, but right now, it creates more questions.

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7 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

To prove his loyalty to God?

As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

To under score to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. WHy?

 

Not really sure what Nephi and getting the brass plates has to do with your faithful saints friends who are undergoing extreme trials.

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1 hour ago, Rob Osborn said:

Not really sure what Nephi and getting the brass plates has to do with your faithful saints friends who are undergoing extreme trials.

Well I think being commanded to kill someone counts as a severe trial. I would be enrolling in counselling after that one! but I am not a 'make my day' kind of person. I concede that for some this would not be a trial. 

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Thank you very much everyone ! I need to reread these response several times and ponder. 

Thank you also for your straightforward replies. I find the 'trials' thing very difficult to understand.

i want to be moved to a more remedial life experience track! Where is lds lite? 

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Well in regards to the trials aspect, I read a thing on facebook once where a man was walking with and talking to heavenly father and asking why He wasnt there for him during crucial moments in his life. He listed different situations like his car breaking down when he needed to get to a job interview. And the Lord responded by saying something along the lines of something dangerous being on the road ahead of him at that time; his car breaking down although seen from his human perspective was harsh and unfair actually saved him from greater danger. Same with the job interview being missed that there was a better opportunity in store for him. 

Despite being a "facebook post" i truly believe in Heavenly father having our best interests in mind even if we sometimes feel like things are hurtful or harmful to us. In this way being children of God could not be more apt because of our immaturity in relation to him, it reminds me sometimes of when I was little and how devastating it was to not get candy at the checkout when i wanted it.  My perspective back then was of frustration at my helplessness and not understanding why my parents would not want my happiness in regards to a treat i loved, that they designed to keep it from me out of a lack of care for me. But now I see the wisdom of a lot of their decisions that were almost always in my best interest from their capabilities. 

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2 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

I concede that for some this would not be a trial.

I doubt that.  Even for Nephi, it was a trial, and he lived in a world where this could be far more easily justified.  I doubt he walked away from it and never thought of it again.  The trial would be different for each person, but anyone for whom it is not a trial is a true sociopath.

2 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Thank you also for your straightforward replies. I find the 'trials' thing very difficult to understand.

i want to be moved to a more remedial life experience track! Where is lds lite? 

From what you've said before, I can understand these feelings.  I know with absolute certainty they are not unique to you (or me, or anyone else).  Sometimes trials are a simple consequence of natural phenomena and the agency of others (e.g. there aren't a lot of active members in your area so the burden on those who are active is increased - simple math).  Other times, the Lord allows us to endure trials rather than relieve our suffering (I think of sickness especially here) because the trial will teach us more quickly than any other method.  Part of me thinks one way to avoid trials is to learn the lessons without them; another part of me thinks that if we manage that, the trials will still come and teach us whatever the next lesson is. ;)

At the end of the day, the one thing I'm certain of is that life is better when we do (as well as we are able) what the Lord asks us to do.

PS: It's possible that "LDS lite" is also a trial, just of a different kind.

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4 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Well I think being commanded to kill someone counts as a severe trial. I would be enrolling in counselling after that one! but I am not a 'make my day' kind of person. I concede that for some this would not be a trial. 

Did your friends get asked by the Lord to do something they did not initially want to do?

Im having a hard time relating how these two scenerios are severe trials. I dont think Nephi saw it as a severe trial.

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14 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

To prove his loyalty to God?

As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

To under score to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. WHy?

 

Doesn't fully answer it, but it helped me with the reconciliation of the whole thing. Take a look at the possible symbolism of the whole story.

Nephi = Christ

Laban = Man's Fallen State

Zoram = Us

Nephi kills Laban and frees Zoram. OR Christ kills the Fallen Man inside of us and frees us.

Full MormonHub Article: https://mormonhub.com/blog/faith/gospel-doctrine/nephi-and-laban/

other aspects to maybe look at:

Sword- Authority

Did Nephi hesitate because he thought it went against commandments or because he was nervous? Did Nephi understand something we don't?

The spirit had to deliberately tell Nephi to do this and didn't leave it up to him. It shows that this was an acception to the commandment "thou shalt not kill". (Just a thought... may not be doctrinal).

 

ALSO:

God doesn't give trials to help us be faithful, he gives us trials to help us grow. We will be progressing forever and it will never end. Those who feel they are faithful enough and don't need trials anymore will likely receive trials to humble them.

I  also dont believe we are st liberty to suggest others don't need trials. That is suggesting that we know more or maybe are more loving than Heavenly Father.

I for one am greatful for my financial struggles. If I were wealthy, I would be leaning in my wealth to get me through school, my upcoming wedding and other financial responsibilities. But instead, my fiancé and I are constantly telling ourselves "God will provide a way". 

Every trial is another opportunity to take a long stride toward Heavenly Father :)

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3 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

Did your friends get asked by the Lord to do something they did not initially want to do?

Im having a hard time relating how these two scenerios are severe trials. I dont think Nephi saw it as a severe trial.

I have a friend going blind. I have a friend with some very severe health problems. She is now using a walker. Her two sons have severe health problems and can no longer work. So generally we are sad little pin cushions of fate! We had about 45 adults at service today. Our numbers are falling! We are sad little puddles. ?

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16 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

To prove his loyalty to God?

As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

To underscore to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. Why?

I think your friends (and all of us), like Nephi, often struggle while being constrained by the Spirit because it is about entering new and frightening territory. As Nephi said, "Never at any time have I [been asked to do something so against the grain]. And I shrunk and would that I might not [do something so against the grain]."

I think as you pointed out, the Lord's reasons for constraining us to do His will are as important as His reasons for doing the deed in the first place. I think it is telling that He would trust someone enough to constrain him. I think "constrain" does not mean to force by compulsion, but to put significant pressure on someone who is typically not so resistant to His voice.

God's particular reasons a for getting things done a certain way (in this instance, preserving a nation's faith) are not always evident, but I'm sure Nephi was happy he obeyed in the end, which is consistent with his character. He seemed satisfied with the Lord's simple explanation.

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18 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

Why did Nephi have to kill Laban? God could have disposed of Laban at the hands of an enemy or through an accident or illness. Why was Nephi required to kill him? 

To prove his loyalty to God?

As a transformative experience for Nephi? To prove to Nephi that he was tough enough to handle more difficult tasks?

To symbolically indicate to Nephi that he was now living under a different, tougher set of rules than previously?

To underscore to Nephi that he could not return to Jerusalem?

To cause Nephi to accept a life of close obedience God?

Do any of the above seem to fit the case? DId I miss anything?

Sometimes I wonder what is going on. A number of very faithful saints in my ward are undergoing extreme trials and I wonder what is the point of testing people who have been so faithful for decades. Why?

 

To keep a record of both the gospel, law, and lineage for his descendants. Probably a bit of what you said as well. God has to tell nephi to do it more than once, at how reluctant nephi is to take another life, and then proceeds to tell him why. 

Yes it is also test, one that prepares nephi for the journey ahead.

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2 hours ago, Sunday21 said:

I have a friend going blind. I have a friend with some very severe health problems. She is now using a walker. Her two sons have severe health problems and can no longer work. So generally we are sad little pin cushions of fate! We had about 45 adults at service today. Our numbers are falling! We are sad little puddles. ?

Okay, very sad. But, I dont see how this relates to Nephi killing Laban.

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Wouldnt of even thought twice about it, I would of taken his hair and swiped his head off just as Nephi did. No trial at all. Trials that effect personal life such as bad health, sickness, disease, etc, are indeed truly saddening, but lopping off the head of a cankerous individual is like get er done, move on, whats next? Travel in the desert? No problem, Build a ship? No problem. Of course there are trials on the way but they happen, you move on to the next.

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2 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

Wouldnt of even thought twice about it, I would of taken his hair and swiped his head off just as Nephi did. No trial at all. . . lopping off the head of a cankerous individual is like get er done, move on, whats next? Travel in the desert? No problem, Build a ship? No problem. . .

I'm sure you were being serious, but my wife and I couldn't help but laugh in enjoyment of your use of words.  :)

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11 hours ago, person0 said:

I'm sure you were being serious, but my wife and I couldn't help but laugh in enjoyment of your use of words.  :)

I guess I should have used a more humble approach. I ultimately believe that people make too big a deal out of Nephi killing Laban. Ever since I was little we read the Book of Mormon and Nephi killing Laban was always one of my favorite good guy/ bad guy stories. Nearly four decades later it saddens me to see people troubled by this story, saying it has effected their testimony or been the tipping point in leaving the church. I just dont get it, bad guy trys to kill good guy, good guy kills bad guy, good guy does what the Lord commands...what more could one want in a good story?

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23 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

Im having a hard time relating how these two scenerios are severe trials. I dont think Nephi saw it as a severe trial.

14 hours ago, Rob Osborn said:

Wouldnt of even thought twice about it, I would of taken his hair and swiped his head off just as Nephi did. No trial at all. Trials that effect personal life such as bad health, sickness, disease, etc, are indeed truly saddening, but lopping off the head of a cankerous individual is like get er done, move on, whats next? Travel in the desert? No problem, Build a ship? No problem. Of course there are trials on the way but they happen, you move on to the next.

12 minutes ago, Rob Osborn said:

I guess I should have used a more humble approach. I ultimately believe that people make too big a deal out of Nephi killing Laban. Ever since I was little we read the Book of Mormon and Nephi killing Laban was always one of my favorite good guy/ bad guy stories. Nearly four decades later it saddens me to see people troubled by this story, saying it has effected their testimony or been the tipping point in leaving the church. I just dont get it, bad guy trys to kill good guy, good guy kills bad guy, good guy does what the Lord commands...what more could one want in a good story?

I don't believe the scriptures support your interpretation that Nephi did not see killing Laban as a severe trial. Nephi tells us that he debated within himself about killing Laban, "but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him" (1 Ne 4:10). This man of courage and of a burning desire to follow the Lord questioned in his heart. This is the same man who said, "for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey" (2 Ne 33:15). He did not say, "should obey", he did not say "might obey" he did not even say "will obey" he said "must obey". This same man questioned the Lord when commanded to kill Laban. This was a trial indeed. 

 

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