Why Was Laban Drunk and Unguarded?

In one section of my book "Nephi's Journey: The Lord Prepares a Way," I ask this simple question: Why was Laban drunk and unguarded? 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.

Why Was Laban Drunk and Unguarded?

To me, the answer to this question seems quite simple: Laban was drunk because he was celebrating his newly stolen possessions. He had just robbed Nephi and Lehi of all their earthly possessions, and was therefore quite delighted to revel in his evil acquisitions.

Why was Laban unguarded? Where were his servants? Those fifty guards that Laman and Lemuel were so concerned about? They were probably still out searching for Nephi and his brothers. No wonder Nephi had been commanded to return to Jerusalem right away. Could there have been any other time when Laban was both drunk and unguarded, rendering him completely defenseless?

Were there other times when Laban was passed out from drunkenness? Almost certainly. Were there other times when Laban was unguarded? Perhaps. But how often was Laban both drunk and unguarded? And passed out in the middle of a public place no less! What if the group had decided to heed Laman and Lemuel’s murmurings and delay in returning to Jerusalem? How long were Laban’s guards going to stay out looking for them?

The Lord knows what He is doing. He always prepares a way for us to keep His commandments. Nephi did everything in his power to obtain the brass plates, but failed. After Nephi did all he could, the Lord intervened. But the Lord purposely used Nephi’s efforts to accomplish His work. If Nephi had not foolishly lost their treasures, Laban would not have been passed out from drunkenness that night. Nephi’s meager efforts to obtain the plates were not a waste. The Lord, in mercy, used those efforts to accomplish His will. So it is with us.

To conclude, consider also this question: Why was Nephi willing to give away all of Lehi’s possessions to obtain the brass plates? Why didn’t Nephi offer only some of those possessions? It is because Nephi knew that these possessions were meaningless now. His group was going to travel to the promised land. Laman and Lemuel likely did not know this yet. Lehi’s possessions still held great meaning to them. They coveted these things greatly, and that is why they were so furious when they lost those possessions to Laban.

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.

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[Footnote] In his book The Lost 116 Pages, Don Bradley suggests that Laban was drunk because this event took place at Passover season, and the Passover involved wine. This seems quite likely, given the evidence that Bradley presents. However, does this explain why Laban was so drunk that he was passed out? There is nothing incongruous between Bradley’s theory and my own. To the contrary. They actually coincide quite nicely. Laban had something exciting to celebrate in his newly stolen treasures, and he had easy access to wine at the Passover season.