Laman and Lemuel

Instances of the spoken word

1 Nephi 16:1 Laman and Lemuel respond to Nephi (dialogue)

1 Nephi 16: 2-3 Nephi responds to brethren (dialogue/sermon)

1 Nephi 16: 23 Nephi asks father where to go to find food (dialogue)

vs. 26 Voice of the Lord to Lehi (instruction/dialogue)

vs. 35 Daughters of Ishmael murmur to Nephi and Lehi(dialogue)

vs. 37-38 Laman talks to Lemuel and sons of Ishmael to slay Nephi and Lehi (dialogue)

vs. 39 Voice of Lord chastens Laman, Lemuel, sons of Ishmael (dialogue)

1 Nephi 17:1-9 Lord and Nephi (dialogue)

vs. 17-22 Brethren murmur against Nephi (dialogue)

vs. 23-47 Nephi responds with doctrine (sermon)

vs 48-51 Nephi commands brothers (dialogue)

vs. 53 Lord speaks to Nephi to shock brothers (dialogue)

vs. 55 Laman and Lemuel  say they feel the power of Lord (dialogue)

vs. 56 Nephi asks brothers not to worship him but God (sermon/dialogue)

1 Nephi 19 vs 11-17 Words of Zenos (sermon)

vs 24 Nephi introduces Isaiah to Laman and Lemuel (dialogue)

1 Nephi 22 vs 1-31 Nephi teaches brethren (sermon)                                                           

I chose to analyze 1 Nephi 17: 17-22 as Laman and Lemuel murmur against Nephi. In this section Laman and Lemuel show their true character. They see Nephi struggling to follow the commands that the Lord has given him and they take advantage of the situation. I think it is interesting that Laman and Lemuel make themselves out to be the good guys who are thinking about their families and the hardship they have had to go through compared to Nephi who does not care who suffers. If we just read Laman and Lemuel’s part of the story we would probably sympathized with them, giving them pathos. They do not understand the will of the Lord so from their perspective Nephi is in the wrong. This passage is not a conversation but in the next couple of verses after this Nephi responds with intense doctrine. From this passage we can clearly see the emotional appeal and the brothers trying to convince Nephi to give up. Fortunately they underestimated the character of Nephi.

17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.

 18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

 19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

 20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

 21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him