1 Nephi 7:1-6 (12/31/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 7:1-6

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 7:1-2

Q:  What did the Lord command Lehi to do after his sons returned from Jerusalem? (Dad)
A:  "He said that his children - Nephi, Sam, Laman & Lemuel - should return to Jerusalem and bring back Ishmael and his family to where they live." (Shaylee)  "Because Ishmael had a lot of daughters, and they needed someone to marry."  (Kenyon)  "Correct. They needed to have spouses so that they could have children in the promised land or else Lehi's family wouldn't have any descendants, which would have defeated the Lord's purposes for raising up a people unto Him in the promised."  (Dad)

Q:  Why didn't the Lord have them get their spouses while they were already in Jerusalem to get the plates? Why did he wait for them to get all the way back only to send them back to Jerusalem again? (Dad)
A:  "First of all, Laban had just been killed and if they stayed longer they could have been caught and accused of doing it. And their father Lehi needed to approve Ishmael's coming." (Brandon)  "I agree that it would have made things more complicated for them to escape with the plates if they had to also bring Ishmael's family with them, which could have also been a distraction from their main purpose of getting the plates. But I also think the Lord was testing them to see if they would obey Him willingly or not."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 7:3-5

Q:  How did Lehi's sons convince Ishmael and his family to leave their home and all their belongings to go and live with them in the wilderness? That doesn't sound like it would be an easy thing to do. (Dad)
A:  "Because they stay in Jerusalem and be destroyed with all their belongings or go with them and not be destroyed." (Brandon)  "He convinced them because the Lord softened their hearts."  (Kenyon)  "Yes, it says they spoke the words of the Lord, which He had told Lehi, and hearing the Lord's words the Spirit softened their hearts. So there's a key to softening people's hearts - speak the word of God with the Spirit. But the scriptures show that speaking God's word with the Spirit also causes many people to harden their hearts. This is why the scriptures or word of God is described as a sword that cuts through and divides asunder because it's going to either cause people to soften their hearts or harden their hearts."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 7:6

Q:  What happened once they returned to Lehi with Ishmael's family? (Dad)
A:  "Ishmael's sons rebelled."  (Mom)  "Yes, and Laman and Lemuel and the daughters of Ishmael that they married."  (Dad)

Q:  Why do you think Ishmael's family rebelled if they felt the Spirit and agreed to leave Jerusalem? (Dad)
A:  "Because they were convinced by Laman and Lemuel."  (Kenyon)  "I agree. I'm sure that Laman and Lemuel's continual complaining influenced Ishmael's family greatly. There's a great lesson there for us to learn. We can influence people greatly by our attitudes. We can inspire them by being positive and speaking with the Spirit, or we can drive the Spirit away by being negative and lead others away from the Lord."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 6:1-6 (12/30/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 6:1-6

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 6:1-3
Q:  Why did Nephi not include their genealogy and all his father's writings on the plates? (Dad)
A: "Because his father already has the account written, and because he doesn't have enough room."  (Mom)  

1 Nephi 6:4

Q:  What did Nephi say was his intent or motive for keeping his own record? (Dad)
A:  "That way he can persuade people to come to God." (Brandon)  "Precisely. As stated on the title page of the Book of Mormon it's main purpose is to persuade men to believe in and come unto Christ so that they may be saved."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 6:5

Q:  So how does Nephi choose what to write in his record? (Dad)
A:  "He doesn't write what pleases men but what pleases God."  (Kenyon) 

1 Nephi 6:6

Q:  What commandment did Nephi give to his descendants who kept the plates after him? (Dad)
A:  "Don't put things in the plates that are not about the gospel or not true." (Shaylee)  "Yes, and also to include those things that are of most worth to persuade us to come to Christ. There are many true and interesting things that could have been included in the plates, but there's not enough room to write everything so he wanted them to be discerning through the Holy Spirit to determine from the Lord what He wanted to be included on the plates."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 5:15-22 (12/29/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 5:15-22

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 5:15

Q:  What did Lehi's family who were descendant of Joseph have in common with him? (Dad)
A:  "They were led out of captivity." (Shaylee)  "They were led out of the land by the same God." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 5:16
Q:  So why did Laban have the brass plates? (Dad)
A:  "He was a descendant of Joseph so his family kept them." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 5:17-19

Q:  What did Lehi do after he searched his genealogy on the plates? (Dad)
A:  "He was filled with the Spirit." (Shaylee)  "He began to prophesy about his seed."  (Kenyon)

Q:  What specifically did Lehi prophesy about? (Dad)
A:  "That all of his seed would have what was on the plates of brass. And the plates of brass would never perish or become less popular over time." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 5:21-22

Q:  Why did Lehi's family find that having the brass plates were of great worth to them? (Dad)
A:  "Because there was wisdom of the Lord in it. Because he wanted them to carry it to the land of promise." (Shaylee)  "To preserve the commandments of the Lord."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 5:8-14 (12/28/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 5:8-14

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 5:8

Q:  What led Sariah to believe all the things Lehi had been told to do of the Lord? (Dad)
A:   "Her sons coming back." (Brandon) "Yes, but Nephi showed greater faith because he believed his father before he saw how things would work out. So it takes greater faith to believe without knowing how things will work out than after you have seen things work out. But at least Sariah believed whereas Laman and Lemuel who witnessed the Lord providing the way for them to fulfill his commandments still were unbelieving." (Dad)

1 Nephi 5:9-10
Q:  What were the first things they did as a family once Nephi and his brothers returned? (Dad)
A:  "They gave thanks." (Shaylee)  "They sacrificed burnt offerings."  (Mom)  "They read the scriptures." (Shaylee)  "Yes, they didn't complain about the trials they went through but instead were filled with gratitude and offered sacrifices unto the Lord to show their thanks to Him, and then they searched the plates or scriptures." (Dad)

Q:  Why do you think that they were so eager to search the plates or scriptures? (Dad)
A:  "Because they went through all that trouble to get it." (Brandon)  "There was obviously something valuable in it."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 5:11

Q:  What are the five books of Moses that Lehi found were on the plates? (Dad)
A:  "Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy."  (Mom)  "Yes, the first five books of the Old Testament, which contain the account of the creation and Adam and Eve." (Dad)

1 Nephi 5:12-13

Q:  So the plates contained the writings of the Old Testament prophets down to who? (Dad)
A:  "Down to Jeremiah." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 5:14

Q:  So what else did Lehi find on the plates? (Dad)
A:  "He found the genealogy of his fathers."  (Kenyon)

Q:  And who did he find out they were descendants of? (Dad)
A:  "Joseph, the son of Jacob." (Shaylee)  "Exactly, the same Joseph who had the coat of many colors who got sold into slavery by his brothers but later saved his family from the famine because he had the Pharaoh save up during the seven years of feast in Egypt." (Dad)

1 Nephi 5:1-7 (12/27/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 5:1-7

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 5:1-2

Q:  Why did Lehi's wife Sariah murmur against him? (Dad)
A:  "She was afraid because of Lehi's visions that her sons were going to be killed." (Shaylee)

Q:  How did Lehi and Sariah react when they saw their sons return? (Dad)
A:  "They were overjoyed because they were still alive, and they brought the plates with them." (Brandon)

1 Nephi 5:4

Q:  How did Lehi respond to Sariah's complaint about him being a visionary man? (Dad)
A:  "He said he knows he's a visionary man and the things he saw in the vision would bless them that they wouldn't get destroyed." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 5:5-6

Q:  What did Lehi say to Sariah to comfort her when she was worrying that her sons would be killed? (Dad)
A:  "He knows that they're going to a land of promise for a reason. And the Lord told Lehi that his sons would be okay." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 4:30-37 (12/26/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 4:30-37

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 4:30-31

Q:  Why did Nephi grab and hold the servant of Laban to stop him from returning to Jerusalem? (Dad)
A:   "So he wouldn't tell the people in Jerusalem that he killed or did something to Laban." (Shaylee)  "Yes, otherwise if the people knew about them they probably would have went after them in the wilderness, which could have prevented them from going to the promised land."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:32

Q:  On what conditions did Nephi tell Laban's servant that they would spare his life? (Dad)
A:  "Hearken unto his words."  (Elias)  

1 Nephi 4:33

Q:  Nephi told Laban's servant that they would make him a free man if he did what? (Dad)
A:  "Go down with them in the wilderness."  (Mom)

1 Nephi 4:35

Q:  So what was Zoram's response to Nephi's offer? (Dad)
A:  "He made an oath with them that he would go to their father and stay with them." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 4:36

So there is the reason why they did not want Zoram to return to Jerusalem - so the Jews would not know concerning their flight into the wilderness lest they should pursue and destroy them. (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:37

Q:  Why did Nephi and his brothers stop worrying about Zoram fleeing from them? (Dad)
A:  "Oaths were taken very serious back then." (Brandon)  "Exactly. Otherwise he could escape from them and go back when they were asleep so it's not like they could prevent him from going back, but when someone made an oath back they didn't break them. That's how serious they were. We even read in the Book of Mormon where the wicked Lamanites refused to make an oath that they know they would not keep. Unfortunately, this is not the way in the world. People break promises all the time."  (Dad)

Q:  So should we make oaths? (Dad)
A:  "If you can keep them. You makes oaths and covenants in the temple that you are supposed to keep."  (Elias)  "You're absolutely right. We need to make and keep our oaths/covenants/promises with the Lord, and we shouldn't make any with other people that we cannot keep."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:23-29 (12/25/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 4:23-29

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 4:24

Q:  Nephi told Laban's servant that he needed to bring the plates to his elder brethren without the walls? What does without the walls? (Dad)
A:  "Cities used to have walls around them to protect them from their enemies. So they were leaving the city outside the walls."  (Mom)

1 Nephi 4:26

Q:  Who did Laban's servant think was the elder brethren that Nephi mentioned? (Dad)
A:  "The brothers of the church." (Brandon) "Yes, the elders of the Jews is who he thought he meant."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:28

Q:  Why did Nephi's brothers become scared and try to run away when they saw Nephi and the servant of Laban coming outside the city? (Dad)
A:  "Since they saw him dressed as Laban they thought Laban had killed Nephi and was coming out to kill them too."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 4:29

Q:  How did Nephi get his brothers to stop running away from him? (Dad)
A:  "He called to them in his normal voice." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 4:16-22 (12/19/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 4:16-22

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 4:17-18

Q:  What reason did Nephi give for killing Laban? (Dad)
A:   "The Lord had delivered Laban into his hands, and the voice of the Spirit told him to slay him. He knew that he should obey the Lord, not what he wanted." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 4:19-20

Q:  What did Nephi do after slaying Laban? (Dad)
A:  "He put on his clothes and went to the treasury room and told Laban's servant in the voice of Laban to go and open up the treasury." (Brandon) 

1 Nephi 4:21

Q:  How else did Nephi fool Laban's servant into thinking he was Laban? (Dad)
A:  "Because he put on Laban's garments and had his sword around his waist." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 4:22

Q:  Why did Laban's servant talk about the elders of the Jews? (Dad)
A:  "Because Laban was trying to do something to them?" (Shaylee)  "Because that's who Laban was meeting with that evening."  (Mom)

1 Nephi 4:9-15 (12/18/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 4:9-15

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 4:10-11

Q:  Who told Nephi to kill Laban? (Dad)
A:  "The Spirit."  (Kenyon)

Q:  How did Nephi feel about killing Laban? (Dad)
A:  "I think he was worried because he had never killed anyone before." (Shaylee)  "He didn't want to slay Laban because he knew it wasn't right to kill in most circumstances unless it's in self-defense. Laban was asleep so it wouldn't be self-defense." (Brandon)

Q:  Would it be a sin for Nephi then to kill Laban since it wasn't self-defense? (Dad)
A:  "No, it wouldn't be a sin because they needed the plates and Laban was in the way and the only way to get it was to kill him and he didn't want the plates to get destroyed when the city was going to be." (Brandon)  "Even though everything Brandon said was true that's not enough of a reason to justify killing Laban."  (Dad)  "The Lord commanded him to." (Brandon)  "Yes, that's the real reason. We can't justify breaking the commandments ourselves even by rationalizing to ourselves with good reason. It's the Lord who decides when it is justified to make an exception to one of His commandments."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:12

Q:  Why did the Spirit have to repeat the command to kill Laban to Nephi? (Dad)
A:  "Because he didn't think it was right so the Spirit had to repeat it." (Shaylee)  "Yes, he really didn't want to kill Laban. Righteous people don't desire to kill or even harm other people so it wasn't an easy thing for Nephi to do. So he hesitated doing it, which was unlike Nephi. He usually went out and obeyed immediately without hesitation."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:13

Q:  Does the Lord want to slay the wicked? (Dad)
A:  "No, He wants to give them many chances to repent." (Shaylee) 

Q:  How many chances did the Lord give Laban chances to give up the plates? (Dad)
A:  "Two other times." (Brandon)

Q:  Does the Lord want to slay the wicked? (Dad)
A:  "No, He wants to give them many chances to repent." (Shaylee)  "Yes, He first gave Laban chances to give up the plates but he refused to."  (Dad)

Q: The Spirit told Nephi it was better for one man to perish than for a nation to perish in unbelief. What did the Spirit mean by that? What nation is the Spirit referring to? (Dad)
A:  "The Nephites and Lamanites would have never gotten the plates and dwindled in unbelief eventually."  (Kenyon) "Yes, Lehi's family would have perished in unbelief much, much sooner than they eventually did and millions of them would not have been saved because they would have forgotten the Lord because they didn't have the scriptures."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:14-15

Q:  What words of the Lord did the Spirit cause Nephi to remember? (Dad)
A:  "As long as they keep the commandments they shall prosper in the promised land." (Brandon)

Q:  What did Nephi realized that they needed to keep the commandments in the promised land? (Dad)
A:  "They needed to law of Moses." (Brandon)

Q:  Where was the law of Moses kept for them? (Dad)
A:  "In the scriptures." (Brandon)  "Yes, the plates contained the law of Moses and were their scriptures. He realized that they had to have and read the law in order to obey it."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:2-8 (12/17/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 4:2-8

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 4:2
Q:  Why did Nephi want Laman and Lemuel remember Moses? (Dad)
A:   "Because he wanted them to realize how Moses escaped the captivity by the Lord having the waters part so it wasn't impossible for them to get the plates." (Brandon)  "The great and powerful God isn't going to give you a commandment that you can't fulfill."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 4:3-4

Q:  So do you think the Lord was pleased with Laman and Lemuel since they decided to return to Jerusalem with Nephi? (Dad)
A:  "No, because they were murmuring and complaining about it. He might been a little bit happier that they decided to go." (Brandon)  "Yes, you're right on both accounts. It's better to obey even if you don't have the best attitude but you're foregoing most of the blessings by doing it grudgingly. However, by obeying the Spirit can soften our hearts and help us change our attitude if we soften our hearts." (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:4

Q:  What was different about this time going back to Jerusalem on deciding who went in? (Dad)
A:  "They did not draw lots. Instead Nephi went into the city." (Shaylee)  "Yes, Nephi stepped up and was a leader this time by volunteering to go get the plates instead of drawing lots or some other random way to decide." (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:5

Q:  What was different about this time going back to Jerusalem on deciding who went in? (Dad)
A:  "They did not draw lots. Instead Nephi went into the city." (Shaylee)  "Yes, Nephi stepped up and was a leader this time by volunteering to go get the plates instead of drawing lots or some other random way to decide." (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:6

Q:  So did Nephi know where to go and what to do to get the plates when he went into the city? (Dad)
A:  "He didn't know exactly but he let the Lord guide him." (Brandon)  "This is usually the same in our lives where the Lord doesn't tell us ahead of time how things are going to work out. He wants us to put our trust in Him, and then He will lead us by the Spirit just like He did with Nephi."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:7-8

Q:  So what happened when Nephi went into the city? (Dad)
A:  "He found Laban who was drunk and asleep."  (Kenyon)  "So when we exercise faith and obey the Lord will help us out. That's a key thing to remember."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 3:26-31, 4:1 (12/15/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 3:26-31, 4:1

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 3:26

Q:  What did Nephi and his brothers do with their riches when Laban sought their life? (Dad)
A:   "They left them." (Mom) "So Laban basically got their riches without having to give them the plates just by threatening their lives." (Dad)

1 Nephi 3:27

Q:  How did Nephi and his brothers escape from the armies of Laban? (Dad)
A:  "They fled into the wilderness and hid in the cavity of a rock." (Mom)

1 Nephi 3:28

Q:  So how did Laman and Lemuel react to Nephi after failing to get the plates with their riches? (Dad)
A:  "They felt angry and did smite Nephi and Sam with a rod." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 3:29

Q:  What happened? (Dad)
A:  "Pretty much an angel came and said 'You shouldn't be smacking your brother. He's your ruler. You should show respect to him, and yes you will go back and get the plates because the Lord will deliver them into your hands." (Brandon)

Q:  What was the reason the angel told Laman and Lemuel that the Lord has chosen Nephi to be a ruler over them? (Dad)
A:  "Because he was righteous and he followed the Lord and went the extra mile. He wasn't just righteous. He did incredible things." (Shaylee)

Q:  Back then tradition had it so that the oldest son would be next in line to rule after the father so why did the Lord break tradition and not have Laman or Lemuel who were older be the rulers of the family? (Dad)
A:  "Because they're wicked. They don't really care about their family and just care about stuff and follow Satan." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 3:30-31

Q:  Laman and Lemuel just witnessed an angel of God. What was their reaction to it? They would become now, right? (Dad)
A:  "No. They murmured because they still didn't know how God would get them the plates."  (Kenyon) "They believed in God but they didn't think He could do it. They didn't think He had as much power as Nephi and Sam believed He had." (Shaylee) "So you think the reason that they murmured was because they didn't believe God could fulfill His promises? That might be part of it, but I think it was because they were tired and didn't want to do it. They don't want to go all the way back to Jerusalem again. They're lazy, and their hearts are not set on doing the Lord's will. They also probably believe that they'll get killed by Laban's army. So they basically didn't have faith in the Lord. They didn't His words and promises." (Dad)

1 Nephi 4:1

Q:  So how did Nephi try to change Laman and Lemuel's attitude about returning to Jerusalem to get the plates? (Dad)
A:  "He said 'We need to keep the commandments. It's what the Lord says to do.'" (Shaylee)

Q:  Any other reason? (Dad)
A:  "God is more mighty than Laban. Tens of thousands times greater." (Brandon)

1 Nephi 3:19-25 (12/13/14)

CLICK TO READ  1 Nephi 3:19-25

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1 Nephi 3:19

Q:  Why did Nephi say it was in God's wisdom for them to obtain the brass plates? (Dad)
A:   "So that they may preserve the language of their fathers." (Shaylee)  

Q:  So why do you think it was so important for them to preserve their language? (Dad)
A:   "So their children and their children's children and so could use it to help them out in their lives." (Brandon)  "Yes, we saw how the Mulekites who also left Jerusalem and didn't take any records or scriptures with them to read and not only had they become wicked very fast their language had become corrupted so that they could no longer understand the language of their fathers, which was the same as Lehi's family."  (Dad)


1 Nephi 3:20
Q:  What was another important reason they needed to take the records with them? (Dad)
A:  "To preserve their beliefs." (Kenyon)  "Exactly. What you don't write down you will eventually lose."  (Dad)  "Even the stuff you do write down you sometimes lose." (Kenyon) "True. It's not enough just to have the scriptures. If we don't study them it's as if we don't even have them, and we will forget what they teach us."  (Dad)

1 Nephi 3:21

Q:  How did Laman and Lemuel respond to Nephi sharing these reasons for the need to get the records? (Dad)
A:  "They were persuaded to get the plates." (Kenyon) 

1 Nephi 3:22

Q:  What did they do this time when they returned to Jerusalem to get the plates? (Dad)
A:  "They gathered together their gold and their silver." (Shaylee)

1 Nephi 3:23-24

Q:  What did they do with their gold and silver? (Dad)
A:  "They asked to trade it with Laban for the plates."  (Kenyon)

1 Nephi 3:25

Q:  How much riches did they have? (Dad)
A:  "Enough to make Laban want to go and murder them to get it." (Brandon) "A lot. Enough to make Laban, one of the leaders, to really want it enough to kill them."  (Kenyon )