Did Nephi Know Before Lehi?

When Did Lehi Know?

In my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," I ask the reader to challenge some of their assumptions about the first book of Nephi. For example, when did Lehi first learn that his group would be traveling to "the promised land?" Did Nephi learn this information before Lehi? For simplicity, I will dive right into the message of this post, but for more background on these events, feel free to visit the About Page.

When Lehi first fled Jerusalem, did he know that he and his family would be traveling to the American continent? Did he know that Jerusalem’s destruction was still roughly a decade away? The Lord simply said: "Get out of Jerusalem." And so, Lehi got out of Jerusalem. Perhaps Lehi even thought he would be able to return to Jerusalem someday. Laman and Lemuel certainly hoped they would.

Nephi Now Knows

After traveling three days into the wilderness, Lehi found a suitable living spot which he named the valley of Lemuel. Soon after arriving, Nephi prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told Nephi: "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall … be led to a land of promise" (1 Nephi 2:20). Thus, it appears that Nephi learned about the promised land before Lehi.

Later on, while tarrying in the valley of Lemuel, Lehi preemptively declared to his wife Sariah: "I have obtained a land of promise" (1 Nephi 5:5). Lehi assumed that his group had already arrived at their final destination, and that they had obtained the land of promise. This supposed land of promise was conveniently situated near their past lives in Jerusalem. Obtaining this land of promise had required very little of the group.

The Lord’s revelations regarding the land of promise had not yet fully dawned upon Lehi. He did not yet have the same clarity of vision regarding the land of promise that Nephi had. He did not yet know that a great journey still lay ahead of them. By studying the brass plates, Lehi was able to gain greater perspective regarding these things.

Lehi Now Knows

As part of their time in the valley of Lemuel, the group obtained an ancient record called the brass plates. Upon searching the brass plates, Lehi discovered that he was a descendant of Joseph of Egypt. Because Lehi learned this important truth, he also learned that the promises made to Joseph applied directly to him; he learned that "Joseph is a fruitful bough … whose branches run over the wall" of the Old World, and runneth all the way "unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills" of the New World (see Genesis 49:22, 26).

Lehi realized that just as Joseph was removed from Canaan and "preserved by the hand of the Lord, that he might preserve his father, Jacob, and all his household from perishing with famine," so also Lehi and Nephi—a remnant of the seed of Joseph—should be removed from Jerusalem in order to preserve the children of Jacob from perishing from the scattering of Israel, and from the famine of hearing the word of the Lord during the Apostasy. Lehi realized that just as Israel had been "led out of captivity and out of the land of Egypt," so also he and his family should be led to the promised land (1 Nephi 5:14–15; see also Ether 13:7).

Lehi could now see what Nephi saw. He could see that his group was about to embark on a great journey to a promised land far away. By reading the scriptures, Lehi's vision of what the Lord was trying to accomplish became far more clear. So it is with us. Revelations gained through scripture study will help us see where God is leading us in the future.

One Lesson, Many Methods

Nephi learned that the group would be traveling to the promised land through prayer; Lehi learned through scripture study; Sariah learned through trial.

Person	Vision	Means	Level of Murmuring
Nephi	Gained the vision early	Through prayer	Never murmured
Sam	Gained the vision early	Through Nephi’s words and example	Never murmured
Lehi	Gained the vision fairly early	Through scripture study (the brass plates)	Murmured once after gaining the vision
Sariah	Gained the vision fairly early	Through trial	Murmured once before gaining the vision
Laman and Lemuel	Never fully gained the vision	Despite abundant prayer, study, example, and trial	Only had one period of life where they did not murmur

Just because one person murmured and another did not is not sufficient reason to assume that one was more righteous than another. Rather, Nephi uses these things to powerfully illustrate why we murmur, and how we can avoid murmuring through trusting in the Lord’s vision for our lives.

For more thoughts on these things, pick up a copy of my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," available in both printed and eBook editions from Amazon. Thanks for reading.