Remembering how much God loves all his children, this chapter has a special poignancy. Once again, we find Nephi in dialogue with his brothers Laman and Lemuel (possibly Sam as well, because the generic word “brethren” is used). Once again the familiar pattern emerges. Nephi is perceptive and self-reliant in his knowledge of key aspects of the Lord’s plan, while his brothers find themselves behind the learning curve.
As time goes on, we’re seeing a gradual distancing between Nephi and his brothers. The things that Nephi has seen and heard because of his own willingness to go directly to the Lord and ask, and his further willingness to do those things that he realizes are necessary actions as a result of what he learns, are changing him into a more capable person. Someone who no longer depends on his parents for sustenance or his father for his spiritual well-being.
Sadly, we can’t say the same for Laman and Lemuel. The poignancy of the chapter comes from the fact that we and Nephi both see that there is still a part of them that really does want to know about God’s plan and their place in it. Despite their past mistakes, and the concerns forecast for them in the future, there is plenty of good in them.
And even now, if they were to act on those desires to know more, it is clear that they are in a place where they could be of great service as the Lord’s disciples. This strikes me as very similar to observing groups of young men and women from the ages of about 18 to 25. They often start out with much the same in terms of talents and opportunities, but as time wears on, you start to see the different trajectories of those who are committed to accomplishing important objectives (Nephi), and those who are struggling to find the animating purpose in their lives (Laman and Lemuel).
Ultimately, we are witnesses to the many chances Laman and Lemuel have to turn things around. Their father and now their brother are literally begging them to take some initiative and go straight to God for the knowledge that He is anxious to give them. Throughout the chapter, having been engaged in disputes about the meaning of their father’s different visions, the brothers ask Nephi about different aspects of the visions of the olive tree (the scattering and regathering of different “branches” of the house of Israel) and the tree of life.
The following passage (verses 8-11) leaves Nephi dumbfounded at the opportunities he can sense Laman and Lemuel are throwing away:
8 And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
9 And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
10 Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
11 Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.
Why did Nephi see this episode in his family’s history as especially important to share with us? I’m pretty sure it has less to do with setting the record straight between him and his brothers than it has to do with us. Nephi is trying to tell us that even if Laman and Lemuel missed their opportunities, we don’t have to miss ours. It’s a classic prophetic warning and invitation, radiating God’s love all around it. In essence, Nephi is saying:
“My friends, please, please heed this cautionary tale. Don’t become like my brothers. Ask and ye shall receive. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. Seek and ye shall find. You might think, like they did, ‘Oh, we’re not spiritual like Nephi. That’s just not us. Plus, it’s too late for us.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone may have different spiritual gifts and starting points, but the Lord teaches that he is always seeking to communicate directly with us and can give us what we need to grow and face the challenges of our lives. It is a universal promise. Best to act now, but it’s never too late.”
At the end of the chapter, we find that Nephi’s visions have given him a pretty detailed understanding of how God’s justice works. He shares with Laman and Lemuel that because actions have consequences, one has to be clean (from sin) to dwell with God. Nephi also reveals that one can feel the pain of separation from God (often referred to as hell) both in this life and in the next. The idea of how our choices in this life affect our eternal destiny is central to religious belief. There are other scriptures where this is explained more fully, but for our purposes here, the important takeaway is that we need not be intimidated by what Nephi shares. A just and merciful God will make sure that nothing will rob us of the ability to repent and enjoy a happy existence if we act on the truth revealed to us.
You can read the chapter at this link: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/15?lang=eng
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