| 1 Nephi 2:11 Now this he spake because of the stiffneckedness of Laman and Lemuel; for behold they did murmur in many things against their father, because he was a visionary man, and had led them out of the land of Jerusalem, to leave the land of their inheritance, and their gold, and their silver, and their precious things, to perish in the wilderness. And this they said he had done because of the foolish imaginations of his heart. |
They were probably saying that if their father would have kept his mouth shut Lehi would not have had to flee into the desert to save his life which in turn meant that they would have to go with him. Following the commands of the head of the family was supreme. This was a strong tradition and no one would dare go against it.
In addition I’m sure that they were even more unhappy about having to leave all their property and money behind. They were looking forward to someday inheriting everything and enjoying the good life. Anyway the two older boys thought their father was out of his mind, but because of tradition, they had to go along with with their father. This meant that they had to accompany him if he commanded it.
| 1 Nephi 2:12 And thus Laman and Lemuel, being the eldest, did murmur against their father. And they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them. |
Their protesting and arguing with their father showed that they had not realized that the political situation in Jerusalem would soon be deadly for the people of Jerusalem. Since the boys had no testimony of the ability of the Lord to know what was going to happen and make adjustments, they just thought their father was foolish to say the least.
| 1 Nephi 2:13 Neither did they believe that Jerusalem, that great city, could be destroyed according to the words of the prophets. And they were like unto the Jews who were at Jerusalem, who sought to take away the life of my father. |
Laman and Lemuel both felt that Jerusalem could not possibly be destroyed as the prophets were saying. It had been saved in the past by divine intervention and people were confident that they would again have that same protection. I have wondered myself how could a large city like New York, for example, be destroyed? But the world has the technology now to do so now. Therefore no city or place is safe from destruction if the Lord withholds his protection. Laman and Lemuel did not realize this or just didn’t think it would happen. Perhaps it was more that they resented losing out on living the good life and now all they had to look forward to was living like the Bedouins of the desert.
It is an interesting question to ask ourselves. Would we be willing to leave our comfortable homes and go into the wilderness if the Lord asked us? It would sure let each of us know if we had more love for our stuff than for the Lord.
It is just hard to accept the commands of the Lord when we do not see the big picture. If Laman and Lemuel could see what was going to happen to Jerusalem, the slaughter and dispersion that would soon happen to the population of Jerusalem, they might have been a bit more cooperative with their father.
| 1 Nephi 2:14 And it came to pass that my father did speak unto them in the valley of Lemuel, with power, being filled with the Spirit, until their frames did shake before him. And he did confound them, that they durst not utter against him; wherefore, they did as he commanded them. |
Lehi seeing how bad their attitudes were to this journey spoke to them in very hard words. He could see that if they would not keep their ire to themselves, they would drag down the feeling of everyone else.
He was so forceful in his rebuff of the boys that they did not dare argue back. The effect of their being taken to task was for their bodies to shake with fear. I’m sure that Lehi did not hold back. Lehi was speaking with the power of the Spirit so they got the message. They needed to keep their mouths shut and do as they were told.
Lehi was not in the desert because of his own concerns but because the Lord told him to do get out of Jerusalem and the sooner the boys understood that the less they would question why they were there.
| 1 Nephi 2:15 And my father dwelt in a tent. |
Lehi is now living in a tent. He has given up his rich life style in the city on account of the command of the Lord and is now living in the harsh conditions of the desert.
Wondered at times why we are told this? I guess is to show that Lehi had totally given up all of his possessions and was now totally dedicated to accomplishing what the Lord was going to command him and his family next.
Since they would not return to live in the city of Jerusalem, I feel sure that he was thinking about what was to happen to his children. Would they be supplied with their own spouses so they could have families of their own? They could not just exist forever in the present situation. Lehi was not going to live forever and boys sure would be looking for mates in one way or another. He may have been praying to know how this problem was going to be solved.
