Comments on: Reading Nephi – 2:8-15

By: James Olsen

James Olsen — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 15:56:27 +0000

Hmmm, I missed something in the response. Help me out. We’re in agreement about the literary parallel in this section with the Exodus. I take the establishment of the tabernacle — physically manifesting the presence of God, which in turn establishes Moses’s ongoing political and prophetic authority — as a key event. I’m claiming that the building of an altar and dwelling in a tent are Nephi’s parallel here to Moses’s building of the tabernacle (helping to establish Lehi’s prophetic/political authority). You however, think that the Exodus parallel casts doubt on the tent=tabernacle interpretation. But I’m not sure why. In other words, if you accept the Exodus parallel, why reject the tent=tabernacle parallel?

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 15:22:46 +0000

James, I think the comparisons to Exodus are quite apt. Nephi crouches the entire story of the move to America in terms of the Exodus type narrative. So I’m fine with that comparison and indeed that’s why I’m not sure the tent as temple in verse 15 makes sense. It’s much more about fleeing Egypt.

Zil, sorry for misunderstanding. Yeah. That makes much more sense.

By: James Olsen

James Olsen — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:32:20 +0000

Clark, I don’t doubt that this (verse 15) is saying something important about Lehi. Note that if we decontextualize Nephi’s constant negative commentary on Laman and Lemuel, that is, if we ignore the political narrative that this is, then Nephi comes across as obsessed with his brothers’ behavior; it looks like a kind of neurosis. But if you delete or shrink the commentary and just look at the details of the trip that Nephi gives it runs like this:

1. Lehi gets revelation
2. Lehi leads his family to leave the gold and riches and wickedness of Jerusalem
3. They travel into the Sinai
4. Lehi sets up an altar
5. Lehi worships and praises God
6. Lehi rebukes/encourages those who long to return to the old fleshpots
7. Lehi dwells in a tent

The parallels with the Exodus are conspicuous. I think that the dwelling in a tent is part of this, even though it visually appears removed because of Nephi’s inserted commentary on Laman and Lemuel. I find Nibley’s discussion of embracing at the door of the tent fascinating, but I agree with you that it’s perhaps a bit of a stretch to take it literally as what Nephi is referring to in this passage. I don’t, however, think it at all a stretch to highlight the parallels to Moses, ironically making Jerusalem the new Egypt and Laman and Lemuel the new weak Hebrews longing to return, and Lehi’s stature coming from the tabernacle. I think that’s exactly what is going on literarily in this passage.

By: Zil

Zil — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:57:29 +0000

@Clark, I’m assuming you’re commenting on the Nibley chapter – if not, sorry, I’m missing something. I wasn’t referring necessarily to these verses, but to your wondering about why Laman and Lemuel went at all or stayed with Lehi.

And I wasn’t referring to the portion you mention, but the paragraph which starts with “The character and behavior of Laman and Lemuel conform to the normal pattern. How true to the Bedouin way are their long, bitter, brooding and dangerous outbreaks!” – the reason they stayed, in addition to the strong family / tribe ties embedded in the culture, relates to the “entreaties” of their father – this, apparently, is the norm – rebellion, lecture, yielding, more rebellion. The whole section titled “Family Affairs” covers this and other ideas. While completely foreign to western culture, it seems it was Lehi’s culture.

I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but it’s a very interesting discussion of cultural norms in Lehi’s time and place…

FWIW,

Zil

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:52:23 +0000

To add there are other places where Nephi is definitely using that imagery. Here I think Nephi is telling us more about the family’s place in what is to come. That is I think he’s being non-metaphoric but relating to us something important about his father.

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:35:26 +0000

I’m fine with the metaphor the Shiek bringing people into the tent in a ritualistic embrace. I just don’t think that particular verse is dealing with that.

By: Zil

Zil — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 01:23:41 +0000

@Clark Goble: “The one thing I’ve constantly wondered, even given the strong patriarchal cultural at the time, is why Laman and Lemuel went with Lehi.”

I recommend the “Lehi in the Desert” portion of Nibley’s vol 5. It’s fabulous reading and addresses this exact question (Chapter 4, “Desert Ways and Places” specifically, but I recommend all of them – even the whole book, though the book from chapter 7 on is about the Jaredites – easy reading – I read it in a 3-day weekend whereas most Nibley books take me about a month to get through).

http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/book/lehi-in-the-desert-the-world-of-the-jaredites-there-were-jaredites/

FWIW,

Zil

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 23:29:49 +0000

I think some things can be interpreted through a ritualistic lens. I think we should be careful when we do so. I’m very skeptical this passage should be so interpreted.

By: James Olsen

James Olsen — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 21:30:48 +0000

I like to interpret it with a temple lens — this is Lehis tabernacle in the wilderness. But that’s because I like to interpret everything scriptural as a temple text. At least I find myself in good company.

By: Clark Goble

Clark Goble — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 19:21:56 +0000

The whole “And my father dwelt in a tent” has always been interesting to me. It used to be that folks made a big deal of this suggesting Lehi was a bendouin although it seems like of late people have pushed the Lehi as trader model more. It’s certainly an odd line.

The whole aside by Nephi about how bad his brothers are is interesting and perhaps due to his looking back. I wonder how much of that was true at the time.

The one thing I’ve constantly wondered, even given the strong patriarchal cultural at the time, is why Laman and Lemuel went with Lehi.