Book of Mormon Commentary CofC - Odessa, Missouri Community ...

Book of Mormon Commentary
1 Nephi Chapter 1
1:149 Lehi's faith remained strong, and he tried to comfort his wife. As the mother of four grown
sons, she had reached the age where this pioneer life was a trial to her. To her credit it should be
said that this is the only recorded instance of her complaining. She gained confidence in Lehi's
dreams (1:60) and visions (1:7,15), and faith in God.
LEHI SEARCHES THE PLATES OF BRASS, VER. 153-174
1 Ne 1:155 Yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them
out of the hands of Laban, and gave them power whereby they could accomplish the thing which the
Lord hath commanded them.
1:155 Sariah received the confirmation she needed most when her sons returned with the plates of
brass. She rejoiced exceedingly and they climaxed the occasion with "burnt offer- ings unto the
Lord."
1 Ne 1:159 And he beheld that they did contain the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the
creation of the world;
1:159 It was not the genealogy which received the first attention, but the Books of the Law. These
are called the Torah by the Jews, but are better known by modern scholars as the Pentateuch. This
word means literally five-fifths. "Some Jewish writers call them the Five-fifths of the law."
1 Ne 1:161 And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the
reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah;
1:161 From this they could trace their progenitors from Adam and Eve on down to the present. It
is hard for modern man to appreciate the significance the Jews attached to lineage. After the
Exodus, Canaan was divided among the twelve tribes which were descendants of the sons of
Jacob. From this record Lehi learned that both he and Laban were descendants of Joseph who was
sold into Egypt (1:165, 168), and were the rightful custodians of the record (1 Chron. 5:1).
1 Ne 1:162 And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the
commencement of the reign of Zedekiah;
1:162 The third thing mentioned by Lehi, as Nephi records it, was the books of the prophets. He
particularly mentions the prophecies of Jeremiah, who was a contemporary of Lehi and still active.
Lord Kingsborough, in Antiquities of Mexico, 1848, said, "It is unnecessary to attempt in this
place to trace out any further scriptural analogies in the traditions and mythology of the New
World, since the coincidences which have been already mentioned are sufficiently strong to
warrant the conclusion that the Indians, at a period long antecedent to the arrival of the Spaniards
in America, were acquainted with a portion at least of the Old Testament”.
1 Ne 1:169 And now when my father saw all these things he was filled with the Spirit, and began to
prophesy concerning his seed; that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds,
tongues and people, who were of his seed.