Another Goliath, Another David

My neighbor and close friend recently shared an insight with me that I felt would be a nice addition to the blog. It has to do with the controversy surrounding Nephi’s killing of Laban in 1 Nephi 4.
Over the last several decades I have met a number of individuals within and without the Church who find it hard to reconcile Nephi’s killing of Laban with what they perceive to be God’s way of dealing with men. Many claim that it is inconsistent with God’s character to command such a thing.
Readers of this story generally understand Laban’s wickedness and the manner in which he trespassed against Nephi and his brothers, they also understand Nephi’s need to acquire the plates, even through intrigue… but they ask “Why did he have to kill Laban?”
To this point I have shared two insights 1) 1 Nephi 4:10-13 and 2) D&C 98:23-32 (both of these are given in full at the bottom of this entry). These two passages explain the Lord’s rationale for requiring Laban’s blood at Nephi’s hands. The insight that my friend shared added upon these two ideas and illustrated just how consistent this experience was with other Old Testament Experiences. Let me share his insights:

Ancient Display of God’s Power
There are a number of times in the Old Testament where, as a testimony to his covenant people, God showed his power by defeating great warriors, armies or nations. This display of power was given each time as a testimony that God was all-powerful and therefore his covenant followers could put their trust in him. Some notable examples include David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Gideon and his 300 against the Midianites (Judges 7), Moses against the hosts of Pharoah (Exodus 7-14), Elisha and the unseen host against Syria (2 Kings 6) and Abraham and his 300 against the Assyrian hosts (Genesis 14). In each of these Old Testament examples the Lord displayed his mighty arm by defeating a seemingly unbeatable foe. Each time the Lord destroyed the enemies of his covenant people. Each time the covenant people turned to the Lord and became more submissive.

Nephi’s Unbeatable Foe
Nephi and his brothers gathered outside of Jerusalem casting lots to see who was going to put their life on the line to get the plates from Laban. The lot fell on Laman who was almost killed in his attempt to request the plates. In a second attempt Nephi and his brothers tried to buy the plates, but the mighty Laban took their riches and then commanded the sons of Lehi to be killed. They barely escaped. Laban could not be negotiated with and his power was so great that the plates couldn’t be taken by force. In a third and final attempt to get the plates an angel instructed them that Laban would be delivered into their hands. With no trust in the Lord, however, Laman and Lemuel saw only impossibility. They came as far as the walls of Jerusalem but would go no further saying, “How is it possible that the Lord will deliver Laban into our hands? Behold, he is a mighty man, and he can command fifty, yea, even he can slay fifty; then why not us?” (1 Nep 3:31). Laman and Lemuel identified Laban as an unbeatable foe, one who, according to their experience, could not be stopped even by the Lord. 450 years earlier the hosts of Israel similarly cowered at the great Goliath. The record reads, “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” (1 Sam. 17:11)

Another David, Another Goliath
Nephi bears testimony to his brothers much as David did to the Host of Israel. He says, “behold [the Lord] is mightier than all the earth, then why not mightier than Laban and his fifty, yea, or even than his tens of thousands?” (1 Nep 4:1). Similarly David asked the Israelites, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam 17:26). At the famous stand-off the young David said to Goliath, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Sam 17:45). David, Like Nephi, had great faith in the Lord and recognized his all-powerful hand while those of lesser faith did not. Here then was another opportunity for the Lord to increase the faith of a family who would ultimately be at the head of a great nation. They would need to know the power of God in order to pass their testimony on to their descendants.

The record shows the simple means by which the Lord brings to pass his purposes in bringing Laban, who was ripe in iniquity, to a justified end and in showing his great power of deliverance to the sons of Nephi.

Belief and Unbelief
Nephi and Sam were greatly strengthened through the experience of getting the brass plates from Laban. Amazingly Laman and Lemuel continued in their unbelief even after such an amazing display of power by the Lord. Nephi later rebuked them saying, “how is it that ye have forgotten what great things the Lord hath done for us, in delivering us out of the hands of Laban, and also that we should obtain the record?” (1 Nep 7:11). Each of them at one time knew the impossibility of overcoming Laban. No one knew better than Laman and Lemuel that Nephi surely couldn’t have done it, he had never spilled the blood of anyone, and here he single-handedly destroyed a great captain of the Jewish army. Still they forgot. A man of faith will always see the hand of the Lord, while such power is invisible to one who puts his trust in the arm of the flesh. Such was the case with Nephi, his brothers and Laban.

Scriptures Illustrating the Lord's Reasoning
1 Nephi 4:10-13
10 And it came to pass that I was constrained by the Spirit that I should kill Laban; but I said in my heart: Never at any time have I shed the blood of man. And I shrunk and would that I might not slay him.
11 And the Spirit said unto me again: Behold the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands. Yea, and I also knew that he had 1) sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he 2) would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he 3) also had taken away our property.
12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
13 Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-32
23 Now, I speak unto you concerning your families—if men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded;
24 But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out as a just measure unto you.
25 And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an hundredfold.
26 And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold;
27 And these three testimonies shall stand against your enemy if he repent not, and shall not be blotted out.
28 And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall see to it that ye warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you, neither upon your family, even your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation.
29 And then, if he shall come upon you or your children, or your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation, I have delivered thine enemy into thine hands;
30 And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy righteousness; and also thy children and thy children’s children unto the third and fourth generation.
31 Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him according to his works thou art justified; if he has sought thy life, and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou art justified.
32 Behold, this is the law I gave unto my servant Nephi, and thy fathers, Joseph, and Jacob, and Isaac, and Abraham, and all mine ancient prophets and apostles.