I have read the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi in particular) quite a few times, and I have yet to decide if this scripture is meant to be flattering or sarcastic.
2 And so great were the ablessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon braw cmeat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings. (1 Nephi 17:2)
On the one hand, it's actually pretty cool that in 591-592 BC, there were women hardcore enough to warrant that kind of praise from a man. There are very few historical records from this time period that refer to women as "strong," I would wager. And yet, "they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings"? Seriously? EVERYBODY in the family murmured at some point (Except for Nephi, by his record, but maybe he just left that out?), why are we suddenly picking on the women? Granted, if they were farmers back in Jerusalem, the men would have had more experience with physical labor than the women, but they weren't farmers, were they? Nephi implies that they were wealthy, wealthy enough to have lots of precious things, and their casual acceptance of Zoram as a servant implies that they had servants, too. Sheesh. Men think they are so tough. And that's all I have to say about that.
That rant aside, I like the scripture that follows, which testifies that when we are obedient, God strengthens us and makes it possible for us to accomplish whatever needs to be done. I like that. I think it's true.
Next, they arrive at the ocean resort town of Bountiful, a land flowing with milk and honey, so to speak. After eight years of camping, I can't imagine how thrilling it would be to arrive somewhere with fruit trees. They must have been ecstatic. I imagine they must have also planned to stay there, seeing as no one mentioned anything about journeying to another continent until ... now.
Nephi goes up to a mountain, and the voice of the Lord commands him to build a ship, one that will take them on a long journey. Nephi's response--and this is heralded by many as an example of incomparable faith, probably because it is--is basically "Alright then!! Where should I get some ore to make tools? I totally got this." His response is endearing, to be sure. In fact, it's so endearing I won't even mention the slight qualms I have about that kind of response to a command. Especially because the commandment was straight from God, unfiltered by culture of generational preferences.
Nephi figures out how to make fire, because up to that point, they had eaten their food raw, which must have gotten old pretty fast. Using the fire, he made tools, and started to work building the ship. Alone. At least, he makes it sound like he did it alone. Which would be incredible under any circumstances (I mean, who held the beam in place while he hammered? How is that even possible?) but especially considering that in 600 BC, being asked to build a ship would have been like being asked to build a SPACESHIP today. Once again, I can understand why Laman and Lemuel were a little cynical about the whole thing.
I know it's a really, really bad sign that I identify so much with Laman and Lemuel so far. However, this next part is really uncool. Nephi (finally!) realizes how difficult it is to fulfill his many responsibilities and starts to get a little depressed. And his brothers, rather than feel bad for the guy, are all like "TOLD YOU SO!" and laugh at him so more. Not OK, guys.
Here is another thing that Laman and Lemuel say that I do not agree with:
21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy. (1 Nephi 17:21)
Give me a break, guys. Possessions don't make you happy. Plus, if your dad had been killed by the Jews for preaching against their wickedness, no one would have been happy about that, especially if they killed the rest of his family for good measure. In a way, I am kind of grateful that I have never been rich. Less to lose, nothing to regret losing. You know?
Nephi counters their complaints by talking about Moses, which makes a lot of sense. Big group of people leave the only land they have ever known to wander in the wilderness, being blessed for their good deeds and punished for their bad. Lots of complaining, lack of some basic necessities, eventually arrive at far superior destination. Do you think Nephi meant to compare himself to Moses, or was that just a coincidence? Probably not.
Nephi points out, very progressively, that God cares more about righteousness than heritage. Earlier Laman and Lemuel had argued that the people of Jerusalem were righteous by virtue of the fact that they were all Jews, even though they were, per the scriptures, wicked, idolatrous Jews. Nephi explains that God preserves the righteous and destroys the wicked, just as He did with the Children of Israel in the time of Moses.
Next Nephi brings it all home by accusing his brothers of being so hard-hearted as to be "past feeling." Ouch. He says that they are just like the wicked people of Jerusalem that they escaped from and quick only to sin, never to do good. He laid into to the point where he lost all his physical strength, so it must have been a really long time.
Laman and Lemuel, not surprisingly, are pissed and try to throw Nephi into the ocean. Nephi, however, was so filled with the Spirit that he warned them (presumably in a booming voice like in the Ten Commandments) not to touch him, or they would be smitten. He boldly told them that they should help him build the ship, and that God, who could do anything, could certainly help them out with something that simple.
The brothers cowered for several days, and Nephi and God decide to have a little fun at their expense. Nephi reaches out and shocks them with his finger. The brothers are so shocked (pun absolutely intended) that they try to worship Nephi, who, to his credit, tells them to worship God instead. Well done, kid.
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