The Book of Mormon | Page 9

And when I came to him I found that it was Laban.
1 Nephi 4:9 9 And I beheld his sword, and I drew it forth from the sheath thereof; and the
hilt thereof was of pure gold, and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine, and I
saw that the blade thereof was of the most precious steel.
1 Nephi 4:10 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.
1 Nephi 4:11 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 sought to take away mine own life; yea,
and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken
away our property.
1 Nephi 4:12 12 And it came to pass that the Spirit said unto me again: Slay him, for the
Lord hath delivered him into thy hands;
1 Nephi 4:13 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.
1 Nephi 4:14 14 And now, when I, Nephi, had heard these words, I remembered the
words of the Lord which he spake unto me in the wilderness, saying that: Inasmuch as
thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall prosper in the land of promise.
1 Nephi 4:15 15 Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of
the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.
1 Nephi 4:16 16 And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass.
1 Nephi 4:17 17 And again, I knew that the Lord had delivered Laban into my hands for
this cause--that I might obtain the records according to his commandments.
1 Nephi 4:18 18 Therefore I did obey the voice of the Spirit, and took Laban by the hair
of the head, and I smote off his head with his own sword.
1 Nephi 4:19 19 And after I had smitten off his head with his own sword, I took the
garments of Laban and put them upon mine own body; yea, even every whit; and I did
gird on his armor about my loins.
1 Nephi 4:20 20 And after I had done this, I went forth unto the treasury of Laban. And
as I went forth towards the treasury of Laban, behold, I saw the servant of Laban who had
the keys of the treasury. And I commanded him in the voice of Laban, that he should go
with me into the treasury.

1 Nephi 4:21 21 And he supposed me to be his master, Laban, for he beheld the garments
and also the sword girded about my loins.
1 Nephi 4:22 22 And he spake unto me concerning the elders of the Jews, he knowing
that his master, Laban, had been out by night among them.
1 Nephi 4:23 23 And I spake unto him as if it had been Laban.
1 Nephi 4:24 24 And I also spake unto him that I should carry the engravings, which
were upon the plates of brass, to my elder brethren, who were without the walls.
1 Nephi 4:25 25 And I also bade him that he should follow me.
1 Nephi 4:26 26 And he, supposing that I spake of the brethren of the church, and that I
was truly that Laban whom I had slain, wherefore he did follow me.
1 Nephi 4:27 27 And he spake unto me many times concerning the elders of the Jews, as
I went forth unto my brethren, who were without the walls.
1 Nephi 4:28 28 And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly
frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they
supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives
also.
1 Nephi 4:29 29 And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me;
wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence.
1 Nephi 4:30 30 And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren
he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of
Jerusalem.
1 Nephi 4:31 31 And now I, Nephi, being a man large in stature, and also having received
much strength of the Lord, therefore I did seize