If this is the case (and again this is very speculative) then there was a group passing around texts, literate, and very, very familiar with the geopolitics of the situation with Babylon, Egypt and Zedekiah. In this case Nephi probably already knew who Zoram was. (Especially if there’s some unspoken conflict over who is allowed to see the main scriptures due to disputes among religious groups)

What I find interesting about Nephi’s mentioning of Zoram bringing up the elders of the Jews is that Nephi has enough knowledge to maintain a credible conversation about the elders of the Jews. To me, this also tells something of Zoram’s role here. Common guards don’t need to have knowledge of the leaders of the community or of the church. I suspect Zoram’s role is more record keeper / scribe. I think there’s more in Zoram’s contribution to the story in this chapter as well as in the Book of Mormon narrative as a whole, but I need to think through that more.

Thus I think there’s familiarity among these families. Evidently it’s not close family relations, as chapter 5 suggests Lehi wasn’t completely aware of his genealogy until he reads the brass plates. But I think this passage deserves continued close reading.

The issue of genealogy seems very weird to me. It must be something in their plates different from our plates. Even though (as anyone who’s tried to read the Torah knows) genealogy was important for them. It pops up in very weird places. I don’t think we have enough information to know why this was such a big deal for them.

N.W. Clerk: I’ll admit, I chuckled at your comment. In all seriousness, however, it was difficult to decide to post these entries. I didn’t craft them with an agenda for self-representation, but there’s no question that they reveal a great deal about me—about what strikes me as salient, what I value, my personal struggles and weaknesses, etc. Because they were written as a journal, I’m fairly candid. And as you hint, even that which I’m not candid about is vulnerable to analysis.

I think this is a function of all good scripture when we approach it as scripture: it opens us up and acquaints us with ourselves—as well as with God.

Clark: I’m glad you brought up the deception—I have a similar discomfort with the facts as portrayed. I don’t see a clear way out. Zoram did in fact take Nephi to get the plates and did join their venture, and Nephi does seem to have been wearing Laban’s clothes. But it’s almost a childish sort of deception story. If we bracket the possibility that the deception was miraculous, I’m not sure what to do.

And I tend to think Dave’s right about marriage—the classic means of reconciliation and political binding.

David: Yes, I think Nephi’s clearly drawing on the verses in Exodus and Deuteronomy—but this is the older Nephi. I think it more likely that he had never heard these verses before obtaining the brass plates (and who knows how long it was before he was genuinely familiar with them). Again, I think all of this argues for a very carefully crafted narrative, in response to the then current (i.e., older-Nephi timeframe) criticism.

Incidentally, this is also another FARMS-style evidence of historicity; it strikes me as hugely implausible that Joseph Smith would’ve been familiar with these passages and so able to carefully craft a literary narrative built on them (I can’t remember if Welch makes that point or not).

Clark: as noted in other posts, I think they had to have another genealogy than Genesis in mind—it’s conspicuous that this is Lehi’s originally articulated reason for obtaining the plates, and it’s also the first thing he searches the plates for—to get an accurate view of his own lineage.

Also, while we don’t have solid evidence, the idea that Lehi considered himself part of the Moshivites seems more plausible than not (given his initial criticalness, willingness to leave Jerusalem, and immediately build an altar; plus the fact that we know he’s descended from Joseph not Aaron, Judah or Benjamin).

I think part of the oath Zoram makes is to tarry with them from that time forth and in return he gets to ride with Lehis club on safari across the desert. Sounds like a blast to me. I honestly feel like Zoram felt liberated and thus drawn to Nephi.

The killing of Laban is a test of faith for Nephi.Nephi passed the test.

We all enjoy different things, but I would strongly recommend anyone interested in the topic of Nephi killing Laban to re-read (or read for the first time) the article.

Let me do just this much of a spoiler, Nephi likely knew this verse:

Exodus 21:13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

In Nephi’s case, it turns out that the place to which he could flee was the New World.

Rob (12), you don’t think God could have asked Nephi to do something against the law and punishable by death? I think one can think it was illegal yet still just.

I’m certainly attempting to draw a distinction in my mind between “murder” as a sin and “murder” as a crime under the applicable legal system in Jerusalem circa 600 BC. I get the sense that you are not trying to draw that distinction. One problem for me is that there is substantial overlap at that time and place between God’s law and man’s law, since the Law of Moses was basically both. I am more comfortable with Nephi’s actions from a “sin” perspective then I am from a “legal” perspective. I still think it’s worth noting that we are taking Nephi’s word for this (he has no witnesses) and this is a fact pattern where most of us would immediately condemn the writer if we weren’t already heavily invested in believing his overall narrative.

Setting all of that aside, I do think it’s possible to read the part about Zoram as follows, Zoram first met Nephi as follows: Nephi was impersonating Laban and wearing Laban’s bloody clothes and as soon as Zoram realizes that it’s not Laban Nephi tells Zoram that God commanded him to kill Laban and he did so. Zoram was presumably nothing short of shocked and in that state of shock had to almost immediately make a crucial life choice. Quite an interesting story.